How to: stay fit while traveling
/Bongiorno! I thought I’d start today’s blog with a wee bit d’Italiano because this post will be about travel and my next trip will be to Napoli, so bring on all the pizza and limoncello :) Now, before I get carried away talking about all of my favorite things to do while traveling (spoiler: most of them revolve around tasting local delicacies), this post will be a list of things you can use to make sure that you stay on track with your wellness goals wherever you find yourself in the world. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but rather some hacks I like to do to enjoy my time away as healthily as I can.
So, without further ado, let’s get into these juicy healthy tips:
Context of the trip. Are you planning a quick weekend getaway or will you be staying away for a few weeks. It’s important to consider the length and format of your trip because it could play to your fit advantage. If you’re going for a quick trip, then maybe plan some fun activities while you’re there. If you’re at the beach, for example, schedule a surf lesson, make time for a run along the water, or just take advantage of the sea and swim! If, however, you find yourself in the city, simply skip public transport and walk from sight to sight.
Basically, if it’s a quick trip try to work in some movement each day but don’t stress about making it a scheduled workout. Walking does wonders for the body so just make sure to pack some comfy shoes and start stepping!
Stick with as much of your normal routine as possible. As I mentioned in the previous point, the length of your trip will have an effect on how much of your normal routine you can manage. This is harder to apply in terms of movement to a shorter holiday, but if you’re going to be traveling for an extended period, you’re in luck. Say you’re planning to travel for two weeks and you plan to rent an Airbnb or cabin with your fellow travelers. If this is the case, take advantage of your home away from home and recreate bits of your normal routine. In terms of movement, for me, this would mean waking up a bit earlier to get in a morning workout and/or yoga flow.
And if the place you’re staying has a kitchen, use it to cook one meal a day at home. Not only will it save you lots of cash money but you can whip up your favorite dishes from home. There’s something special about preparing and sharing food with loved ones so why not show those you’re traveling with some of your culinary skills. If you’re looking for dinner inspiration, I wrote a blog post with 4 easy weeknight dinners you can find here.
Do breath work. This one may sound a bit strange but manipulating our breath can have immense impacts on our health. I’ve written two blog posts on this going over a few different techniques that you can try out: Wim Hof breathing and 3 yoga breathing techniques. Performing each of these techniques should take no longer than five minutes which means while traveling you can do them: right upon waking, at the pool/beach, on the plane, before dinner, or before bed. Some of the benefits of incorporating a deliberate breathing practice into your routine include: reduced stress, better sleep, increased immunity, natural energy boost (some of the techniques), and inducing a state of calm (again, some of them).
Bring a water bottle with you wherever you go. Now, you’ve probably read this 10,000 times before but staying hydrated is crucial not only in your normal day to day but especially when traveling. If you happen to be flying to your destination, know that the cabin air is much drier than that at sea-level. When flying, the body loses approximately half a liter of water for men during a two hour flight and 1.6 liters for women. Make sure to bring a bottle with you on the plane and sip on it consistently throughout the flight, or be prepared to bug the flight attendants every hour. Another quick note about flying- make sure to get up and stretch your legs about every hour. Staying seated for extended periods, especially at high altitudes is no bueno for our muscles and blood flow, so show your body some love and stretch it out.
If you’re not into carrying a bottle with you while sightseeing, make sure to drink a few glasses with your meal. If you’re drinking alcohol, try to match each drink with a glass of water. With so much to do and see in a new place, getting dehydrated should be the last of your concerns :)
Practice intermittent fasting after a particularly indulgent meal. Intermittent fasting is something I’ve written quite a bit about here on the blog as I have been practicing it for almost two years now and am a huge fan. If you’ve never tried the practice, check out the blog I wrote on it here which lays out how to prepare, the benefits, and how to safely break a fast. While you don’t have to do a full day fast while traveling (why miss out on all the foreign treats??), I would suggest sticking to a 12-16 hour fasting window if you know that you are going to be indulging more than usual. This means that if you finish your dinner at 9pm, you won’t resume eating the next day until 9am-1pm. Feel free to sip on tea, coffee and water but just avoid anything with a calorie as that will kick you out of the fasted state. This is a fabulous practice that allows you to stay on track with your wellness goals while also enjoying all of the yummy treats a new locale has to offer.
Get outside. I’ve saved my favorite for last as this is one tip I’ve been enjoying a lot recently. There are so many ways to stay fit and one thing I like to stress here on my site is that my definition of health goes far beyond just how we move and what we eat. To me, being healthy means taking care of the body, mind, and soul. Being outside in nature addresses the last of those three elements. Whether you’re at the beach, hiking in the mountains, or even strolling through a city park, being outside does wonders for us.
If you live in a major city (as 55% of the world’s population does), then interacting with the natural world is something special. Find some time during your trip to get out and explore the beautiful natural world around you. During a recent trip to Valencia, my friend Veronika and I stumbled across the Botanical Gardens smack in the middle of the coastal city. As we weaved through cactus fields, palm trees and herb gardens, she told me that in Czech they say that this kind of setting is “balzám na duši” which roughly translates to “medicine for the soul.” I challenge you all to incorporate this idea into your next vacation and find some time to be in nature.
Thank you all for stopping by again this week. I hope that you all picked up some helpful travel tips that you can use during your next holiday. I’m also quite curious to know what your fit travel tips are :) Please leave them down below or send them to me on Instagram and let’s get a thread going. The more tips out there, the better!
See you all here next week for a new blog!
Xoxo,
Alexandra