Contrary to popular belief, it’s possible to get in shape whilst travelling! I’ve actually been in my best shape while on the road! Here are my top tips.
The healthiest I’ve ever been has been while traveling. What?! I know, it’s not the usual. Most of my recent life has been on the road, so this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ve settled down a bit now, and I’m trying to incorporate my healthy travel habits into my life here.
I wrote a blog post touching some tips a while ago, and while some of the points I made there may be reiterated in this post, this post is more about what works for me, rather than what works in general. I hope you guys try some of my tips and play around with your fitness schedule when travelling to create something that fits with your lifestyle!
So how exactly did I get fit while traveling? While there are plenty of different ways to get fit, these were the ones that I found the easiest, and therefore, stuck to. I’m splitting up my tips into two parts- my workouts and my meals.
Types of Workouts
When you’re travelling, you have a limited amount of equipment to work with. I’d often explore by going on runs and long walks in cities. This was my favourite way to get some cardio in. LISS (low intensity steady state) cardio is what I was doing here, which helped me burn fat in a lazy gal way. I am NOT a cardio girl, but sightseeing while doing this was a great way to get it in.
If my hotel had a gym, I’d hit it once in the morning and occasionally again in the afternoon. I’d typically spin and lift heavy. Another option related to spinning is doing a bike tour.
If I was in a part of town I didn’t want to run in alone (#solofemaletravellerproblems), I’d clear some space and do a HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout, using my rucksack as a weight. My favourites were Tabata workouts- they’re quick (only about 20 minutes!) but VERY effective.
I also carry around resistance bands. They’re super small and lightweight, perfect for throwing into a bag, and they’re great for full blown exercises as well as my favourite use, glute activation. By doing some simple glute activation exercises before hitting legs, whether that be with weights, my rucksack-makeshift-weight, or bodyweight, a lot of the typically quad heavy exercises would also work my glutes- it’s all about muscle-mind connection!
What to Eat
The great part about travel is that you’re always on the go. This actually made eating easier for me! I’d find a little outdoor market and pick up some fruit (berries, apples, and pears are the best!) or a bell pepper and eat it on the road. For lunch, I’d choose protein heavy foods. I like to go for the options that represent the food of the country I’m in. There’s always going to be something healthy in local cuisine, and it’s really fun hunting around for it!
For dinner, I’d try to eat as clean as possible. It’s easy to want pasta and pizza and unhealthy food for dinner, and my feeling was that if I was super healthy for the entire day, I’d allow myself to eat what I wanted! And if I ate clean for every meal, maybe I’d sneak in a little dessert. I am a big advocate for eating everything in moderation, and having something to look forward to at the end of the day is a great way of eating well throughout the day.
It’s also good to carry around a water bottle when on the go. It helps you avoid sugary drinks. If I’m feeling like I do need a little sugar, I try to go for fruit juice. In Asia, this is super easy to find. Staying hydrated also helps to combat bloating!
By exercising every day and remaining active throughout the day, as well as eating clean foods that still represent the culture of the place I’m visiting, I was able to get into the best shape of my life thus far! I feel like people always complain that to experience a place for what it is, you have to give up health, but I’ve never found that was the case! If you really think about your goals, you’ll stick to them! Happy travels!
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Really great ideas, Anya! I am going to try them!
Thank you!
Thank you I love these tips. I always feel like I gain weight when I travel.
Good luck on your next trip! You can do it!
Wow this was super interesting! I definitely don’t get more fit when I travel haha, I love trying all of the treats! But I’m so happy for you! Great work 🙂
Thank you! I love trying the treats too!
I am also always more fit when I travel! In between the hikes, the hours changed (which means skipping some meals), biking, and all other kinds of sport, I always feel great! Then I come back…
I feel that! I seem to crash when i get back!
Quite inspiring! One of my regrets of my last world trip was not going on runs every morning when I could have done easily. This has spurred me keep my fitness up on the next trip!
I definitely feel that! It can be tough to get out of bed and start exercising! You’ve got this!
It’s definitely not easy to stay in shape and while traveling. I guess it depends on what type of travel you are on but when I went backpacking through Europe for a year I was in the best shape of my life because of all the walking I was doing. But if you are taking smaller trips it’s better to stay with your regular workout schedule.
I definitely feel that. Long term travel makes it easier! You get into a different sort of routine!
I’m going fully nomad next January, and I was actually wondering how to stay fit on the road! Well, I’ll be surfing for most of the year and hike on the Himalaya for another good part of the year, but for the in-betweens I will definitely carry my elastic band! this is such a smart move, I’m glad I read your post!
Ah that sounds incredible! Where in the Himalayas? Nepal is my favourite place on earth!!!
I agree, the amount of walking I do when travelling makes me super fit. Having a back injury hasnt helped with exercise, but having apps such as Sworkit mean I can take my Pilates class with me! I’m also a massive foodie but cant stop myself from trying all the local delicacies, YOLO !
Ooh pilates is sooo hard! I tried it once and I was sore for DAYS.
Thats why I love it…lol
Nice, as long as you bring some mindfulness into things, they don’t seem so complex anymore! I like your ideas, simple but very effective!
Thank you so much!
Great tips for keeping healthy on the road! Traveling long-term, I’ve had my ups and downs with gaining and losing weight and being healthful. But I love that when I’m traveling I’m always walking so much that if I skip a work-out I don’t feel so bad.
I definitely agree! Especially if you’re hauling around a rucksack!
Nice tips! I have been using HIIT recently as well. After 30 minute workout results can be felt for the next few days.
Oh my goodness I stopped doing HIIT for a while and did a workout a couple weeks ago… I was SO sore!