As a naturally skinny guy who has always struggled to put on mass until recently, I’m scared of losing anything that I have gained from all of my hard work over the years. So how do you maintain your current mass or — if you have the opposite problem — lose weight while you’re traveling?
It can be a struggle, especially when you have no set schedule or routine. Plus, who wants to spend their vacation working out when there are so many better things to do? If you follow these travel fitness hacks and work out three to four times a week for 30 minute intervals, you’ll be able to stay in shape, or get into even better shape than you already are, no matter where you end up in the world.
1. Eat Nutritiously
Eating healthy foods is the most important part when it comes to being in shape. Without a proper diet and the correct nutrition, all else is lost. Nutrition constitutes between 80 to 90 percent of your diet. Eating well can be a pain while you’re traveling, so just do the best that you can and learn about a few go-to healthy meals that you can rely on in each country you visit.
2. Sleep Well
Getting a solid seven hours per night is optimal for great performance the next day and to ensure that your body has what it needs. The reason I say seven instead of eight is due to a recent study that came out that claims eight hours per night is hazardous to your health.
3. Give Yourself Pep Talks
Finding the motivation to work out while traveling can be a pain. You need to self-motivate to make sure that exercise is a priority. Tell yourself that once you finish a short, 20 to 30 minute workout, you will reward yourself by eating some fruit or doing some awesome activity.
4. Go Running
When you arrive at a new place, running is the perfect opportunity to explore the local area. You can find new places to eat at or visit that you wouldn’t have known about before. Running can be done anywhere, so this is a really easy way to keep in shape.
5. Use a Park
It can be hard to find an area to work out in. If you do not have a hotel gym or any floor space where you are staying to work out, go to a park. If they have tree branches or monkey bars you can get in a killer workout that you’ll actually feel the next morning.
6. Stretch Out
From flying to taking public transportation, traveling can make your body cramp up very easily as you have to sit in small spaces for countless hours. Make sure that you are staying limber by stretching often. Your muscles need to extend and your body will appreciate a few minutes of stretching out here and there.
7. Take Advantage of Hotel Gyms
If you’re lucky enough to be staying at a place that has a gym, you can avoid working out in the park and enjoy a workout in private. I’ve yet to be to an amazing hotel gym, but you should be able to get everything you need there.
8. Learn Body Weight Exercises
Exercises like push-ups are invaluable and will become your best friends while staying fit on the road. It’s easy to find a list of great exercises to use online that you can store on a notepad or in your cell phone.
9. Drink Water
Keeping your body hydrated will not only help shed fat, but it will also make you stronger. The majority of your muscles are made up of water, so take a refillable bottle with you wherever you go. It’s going to save you money too!
10. Take Up Yoga
Not only can yoga be calming, but it can be an intense workout that makes your entire body sore the next day as well. If you’re not too keen on doing things like push-ups, practicing yoga is a great alternative.
11. Go Swimming
Swimming is an exhausting workout and one of the best ones that you can do. If you are staying where there is a pool or you are next to a body of water, jump in and go swim for 15 to 20 minutes. You’ll be exhausted!
12. Plan Ahead
When you wake up in the morning, plan out your entire day. Decide when you are going to be active and make it a large priority. Try to do one thing every day, whether that’s walking, running, or doing pull-ups on monkey-bars.
13. Walk Wherever You Can
If you are able to walk to wherever you want to go instead of taking public transportation, do it. Your body will be happy for the exercise and it will save you money!
14. Use an App
There are a ton of great fitness apps out there that are loaded with workouts that you do not need any weights for. They are also great at keeping you on track by telling you how far you have run and giving you motivational goals to hit.
15. Enjoy Yourself
Some days it can be extremely hard to get motivated enough to work out. Just try to do the best that you can and keep these travel fitness tips in mind. If you have the option to eat healthy, do it. But if you have no other options, don’t feel guilty about it. Just go with the flow, it’s a vacation after all! You won’t be able to make every single workout or eat healthy every meal, and that’s okay. Your body won’t change overnight and you are there to appreciate the experience.
Featured photo credit: A&A Photography via flickr.com
