Your Guide to Becoming a Toned Traveler
Oct 15, 2016
Whether it’s for work or leisure, travel can easily interfere with your fitness goals. From difficulty finding a gym and exposure to new foods, to jet lag and tempting indulgences, it’s easy to see why travelers can easily convince themselves to shut down until they return to their usual routine. Fortunately, traveling can actually be a great time to have fun with fitness, try new things, and be creative. Check out these tips to stay healthy and keep toned when you travel.
Rise & Sweat
Working out first thing in the morning ensures you will avoid distractions that may keep you from fitting in your sweat session. Keep in mind, even a short workout has great benefits! Fitting in 20 minutes instead of your usual hour is still worthwhile and can help you release feel-good endorphins and encourage you to make healthier choices throughout the day.
No Gym, No Worries
If you can’t find a gym, this doesn’t have to stop you from getting a workout in. Try putting together your own workout with 1 minute intervals of body weight exercises such as crunches, burpees, squats, push-ups, lunges, planks and shuttle runs. There are progressions for all of these exercises making them an ideal way to achieve a total body workout!
Nix Nighttime Nibbles!
Eating too much at night is nearly a guarantee to pack on the pounds and make you think twice about your morning workout. Simply wearing form fitting clothing or pajamas at night will remind you to think twice about participating in the late night menu.
Prioritize Packing
A little planning ahead can go a long way. Pack your fitness clothes on the top of your suitcase so exercise stays fresh in your thoughts when you arrive. Consider bringing fitness dvds to use in your hotel room, and/or fitness bands and a jump rope, all of which take up little room, but will ramp up your workout.
Fuel Right
Planning your indulgences or at least accounting for them is an easy way to strike up a productive balance. If the breakfast buffet has you wanting to take a nap, keep lunch and dinner lighter with lots of fresh produce and lean protein. Small adjustments during the day will help keep total calories in check and support healthy digestion!
Explore by Foot
…or by bike. Getting out for a power walk, run, or renting a bicycle can be a great way to explore your new surroundings. Grab some music and make it part of your workout. You may find stairs, hills, benches and parks to use and test your fitness creativity!
No matter what the situation, toned travel requires taking advantage of any opportunity to make healthy decisions when they present themselves. From taking the stairs and drinking more water, to naps and stretch sessions, be flexible and keep yourself entertained!
Author:
Sarah Mattison Berndt, MS, RD, CD
Owner Fit Fresh Cuisine & Hybrid Athletic Club
