Your Traveling Fitness Guide

By Diana Chaloux

Are you ready for a getaway? Or taking a trip for work? Worried about how your time away from home will affect your plan for a fit and healthy lifestyle? All it takes is a little bit of preparation and your big vacation or work trip doesn’t have to set you back in working towards your Fitness Deadline. Planning ahead can help you to stay right on track and still be able to enjoy your break away from your everyday routine! Here are some tips on enjoying your vacation in a Fit and Healthy way!

-Consider your exercise alternatives when booking your vacation accommodations. Many hotels provide small fitness centers with cardio equipment and free weights, if not there may be a nearby gym that gives discounts if you’re staying at a certain hotel. Check the hotel website to see what your alternatives may be.

-Check with your home gym to see if they have an affiliate program. Through these programs you can find other fitness centers nationwide where you can work out for free or at a discount just for being a member of your gym!

-Staying in a more remote location? Check out the area for hiking trails, beaches to walk on, nearby parks etc. where you can get in a good round of cardio.

-Bring your gear. Be sure to travel prepared, always bring your sneakers and some workout clothes with you so that you are prepared for some activity in your day!

-Create a “Fit Kit” to carry with you when you travel. Bring along your copy of “Fitness Deadlines” this is a perfect routine for when you’re on the road since you don’t need a lot of time or space to perform it! Be sure to pack your resistance band and a jump rope. Both of these items are lightweight and easy to pack and can enhance the diversity of your workout options while on vacation!

-Be sure you have the right mindset. It’s very easy to say, I’m on vacation, I don’t have to exercise or eat healthy. Thinking this way is just setting you up for frustration. Vacation isn’t a free for all binge on high calorie foods and not exercising your body, you still need to take care of yourself even if you are taking a break from your normal everyday routine.

-Do relax and enjoy your time, splurge here and there, but keep your fit and healthy lifestyle plan in your mind and stay tuned to what your body needs and wants. This can be tough if you have chosen a vacation such as a cruise where there is literally food in front of you 24/7! Remember to listen to your body, eat when you’re hungry, and when you’re full, Stop!

-Use your vacation as a time to try something new. If you usually work out indoors, take it outside. Take a walk through a local park, or kick it up a notch and go for a hike. Rent a bike and explore the area either by street or find some local biking trails. Take to the water, if you’re staying at the beach get out there for a swim, or take advantage of your hotels pool or a local community pool. Rent a Kayak or canoe for the day and get a great upper body workout! Try to walk as much as possible instead of driving from location to location.

-Staying at the beach? Get out for a jog or walk in the morning and enjoy the serenity. The beach is also a great place to put yourself through a little circuit training workout so be sure to pack up your resistance band! Or just get out there and play, the beach is a great place for throwing the Frisbee, hopping in on a beach volleyball game, or getting out there and building a sandcastle!

-When traveling to your location remember to pack healthy snacks with you so that you can eat healthy during your trip. Granola bars, fruit, bags of veggies, these are some ideas of quick snacks that will travel well, and if you have your own snacks you can avoid the high calories and price of airport food.

-Remember you don’t have to eat everything that is handed to you. It is easy when flying on a plane to just eat whatever snacks that the flight attendant is passing out. Remember that it is o.k. to say no, again listen to your body…. If you’re not hungry… don’t eat!

-Try not to eat just because you’re bored while traveling, this can happen often on planes and on long car rides. Be sure to have plenty of healthy snacks available to you.

-Eating out can be tricky, again preparation is key. Check out the menu ahead of time, find out what they have for healthy food choices. Try to fill up on veggies to help you feel full. Share your meal with someone, or have the waiter/waitress pack up half of the meal immediately so you aren’t tempted to eat the whole thing.

-Order an appetizer as your meal, the portion size will be smaller, and skip dessert if possible, if you’ve just got to have some be sure to share it or eat only half and don’t let it happen at every meal! Substitute the starch that comes with your meal for some extra veggies.

-Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want at a restaurant. Ordering a salad? Choose the healthiest dressing (avoid anything creamy) and get it on the side. Dip your food into it rather than pouring the whole thing over your meal.

-Skip the bread. Eating bread that is provided to you prior to your meal just loads you up on extra calories that you don’t need!

-Going on a cruise? As a former “Sports Afloat Coordinator” for Norwegian Cruise Lines I can tell you that these ships come equipped with phenomenal fitness facilities. Check out the gym and get involved in some of the onboard activities, try out a new class. Yoga is a great one to try out on vacation, you get to stretch relax and get a workout in! There are usually always games going on too, basketball, water volleyball, table tennis and even rock climbing depending on your ship! When booking an excursion choose the most active ones. A lot of times the ships will have incentive programs for exercisers, usually you can get a prize at the end of the week if you complete a certain number of classes, so get involved!

-Try something new or that you haven’t done in a while, some ideas for what may be available are horseback riding, snorkeling, rent a jet ski, get crazy have fun and stay fit!

-Do something active everyday. Yes you’re on vacation, but getting out and moving is going to help you maintain your fit lifestyle! Use your fitness plan as a way to enhance your enjoyment of your vacation spot and come home feeling refreshed and vitalized!