How To Stay Fit While Travelling

 

Travelling can be the toughest time to lose weight: usually you’re jet-lagged, disoriented, too busy navigating unfamiliar streets to work out, and, most importantly, eating tons of delicious food. Your amount of daily exercise plummets, while your calorie intake skyrocket. Plus, you’re likely eating most of your meals in restaurants, which makes them even more high cal.

But who wants to worry about their weight while globetrotting? Why stress over the decadently rich full pot of fondue you downed, when you should be enjoying Monet’s Water Lilies? With just a few quick fixes--say, a flaky croissant switched for some fresh fruit and nuts, and a few minutes here and there working out--it’s actually quite easy to stay fit while traveling.

Pack your own healthy snacks

One of the biggest pitfalls of travelling is the endless eating at restaurants. While you should definitely enjoy your meals, it’s important to cut back on the mindless snacking--when you’re away from home, it can be tempting to graze all day. In Belgium, it might be chocolate, in Italy it might be endless paninis, in Japan it might be mochi (rice cakes), and in France it might be crepe after crepe after crepe. Cut back a little on the snacking by packing low-cal snacks. In addition to slashing calories, healthy tidbits like a handful of almonds, some dried fruit, or a trusty protein bar can help keep your energy up for all the sight-seeing you’ll be doing!

Avoid fast food restaurants

On a similar note? Eschew fast food chains like McDonalds--save your calories for the local cuisine! You don’t need to load up on ultra-high-cal milkshakes in China, where you could be eating a light shaved ice instead--or you don’t need a greasy hamburger in Spain, when you could be enjoying delicate tapas. Cutting out fast food is a good way to make sure you’re really making the most out of your vacation.

Pack workout clothing

If you lug your running shoes across the Atlantic (or Pacific!), you’re likely to want to get your mileage out of them--it’s great motivation. Plus, a quick run can be a great and relaxing way to acquaint yourself with a new city!

You can also look into hotel-room friendly workouts, if you’re not inclined to go running. Some hotels and resorts might even have gyms that you can use so you can sneak in a workout before sightseeing. Since you might not want to pack a weight machine in your luggage, you can use everyday hotel items, like a chair for tricep dips, a bed to put your feet on for some extra-challenging push-ups, or an iron to use as a sort of kettlebell during squats--and focus on plyometric exercises that generally don’t require props.

Add exercise to your sight-seeing

Avoid expensive cabs, and walk! Walking will help you stay in shape, and it’s a beautiful way to explore your destination. You can also look into activities like hiking (depending on your location, of course--hiking opportunities might be few and far between in certain areas), and bike tours are another fun way to incorporate exercise into your vacation. Plus, all the exercise is sure to help you fight the jet lag.

So there you have it! It is possible to enjoy your vacation to the fullest, while still staying fit. In fact, you may even enjoy your vacation more!

Amber Kingsley is a travel writer and has contributed to several travel sites and blogs. As a seasoned traveller she knows how difficult it can be to keep healthy while on the road, she hopes these tips will inspire other travellers to make nutritious choices as well.