If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that the two things I love most in our beautiful world are running and traveling (and great food!). As a constant traveler, I get to see some of the most wonderful sights around the globe; I’ve been to places many people don’t even know exist, and I’ve championed some out-of-the-way destinations that a lot of people might not even consider for traveling purposes.
One of the questions I get asked most by friends who want to travel is “how do I stay fit while I’m traveling?” It’s a good question – with so much delicious food and so much to see and do, healthy travel doesn’t seem easy and cramming in a workout can seem like a difficult proposition.
Whether I’m up early to run as the sun rises or I’m jogging along the waterfront as dusk falls, I’ve always found a way to make sure I’m working out even while I’m visiting as many great places as I can. Here are some tips I’ve gathered along my journey! I hope some of these are useful to you.
Find time to run
Finding a gap in your schedule to run when you’re traveling can be pretty tricky; I know a lot of people love to flick through their social media feeds or watch TV in the mornings, but there is a better way you could be using that time! If you’ve got a lovely beachfront hotel, why not go out for a brisk morning run instead of sitting in bed browsing Facebook or Instagram?
You’ll thank yourself for doing this later in the day, especially if you’ve got your eye on a restaurant and are looking forward to a great meal in the evening. Also, you’re probably familiar with that frustrating feeling when your workout just didn’t happen as planned, or you skipped it. Your body wants you to exercise; listen to it!
Don’t neglect your strength
Strength training can be super-easy to achieve while you’re traveling Integrating a proper strength workout into your routine shouldn’t be hard – all you need is a comfortable surface and motivation. I love to exercise, so I’m always looking for things I can use as impromptu weights and resistance devices, but you don’t even need to do this.
Working on your strength is as simple as incorporating press-ups, pull-ups and ab crunches into your daily routine. These exercises can all be done simply using your hotel room! There’s no need to buy or cart around expensive or heavy equipment. Every muscle in your body can be worked without the use of equipment, so there’s no excuse to miss even a single workout while you’re traveling!
Lack of time is a common excuse, but there are tons of short home workouts out there. When short of time, try to squeeze in a 7 minutes workout, which will help you to maintain your strength level and keep your exercise habit.
If you need to, you can always check out some supplements which will help you achieve that muscle definition you’ve always wanted – just make sure you know the right stuff is in them first. Try sites like chargedmuscle.com to help you figure out what ingredients are going into your supplements. Remember, traveling is no excuse – once you’ve been doing it for long enough, it’s a lifestyle, and any decent lifestyle needs exercise!
Try the paleo diet
Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I’m a big fan of the paleo diet. If you’re not familiar with this awesome regime, it essentially cuts out all post-farming foods, which leaves you with a diet that’s pretty heavy on lean meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish – all the good stuff your body needs to stay healthy! Paleo emphasizes proteins and heart-healthy fats, so there’s plenty here to keep you chugging along all day.
You might think that running on a paleo diet is difficult, but it’s actually not – studies have shown that athletes who run on paleo perform just as well as those who run on a traditional diet, if not better. When you’re eating out at a restaurant or street stall, try to opt for paleo-friendly foods like chicken, seafood, and vegetables if you can. Many of these foods contain vitamin D, which grants huge health benefits to you and your body. If you’re already a paleo fanatic, like me, don’t be tempted to cheat while you travel – you’ll regret it!
Here’s some extra exercise tips to compliment your paleo diet.
Integrate exercise into your travel
Rather than treating your workout as a separate part of your life while you travel, why not try and find fun ways to combine the two? You could, for example, plan out a route that involves seeing as many of the major sights in a city as possible, all while getting a run in while you’re at it. Plenty of other countries hold marathons or other running events, so you could look into participating in these – you’ll get a great idea of another culture while also keeping fit.
Going for a run can also be a great way to travel from one place to another. Some cities, like Rome or Beijing, are notorious for their traffic, so ditch the taxi or even the public transport and run to your destination instead. If you don’t think a run is feasible, then you could even walk – it’s still great exercise. Just make sure you’re walking briskly and at a decent pace, because a leisurely stroll won’t do your abs any flavors! Keeping a good exercise routine while traveling is a great way to manage sleep as well.
These are just some of the ways I’ve found to make sure I’m always keeping fit even while I’m enjoying my travels. Let me know if any of these helped you, and tell me what works for you!
