Tame the Travel! How to Keep Up Your Fitness Program Whilst Travelling

Most of us have to travel with our jobs these days and so knowing how to keep up your fitness program whilst travelling can be a real challenge. Airports, rail stations, freeway rest stops all have calorie rich food to tempt us when we’re often at our weakest, when we’re tired and stressed. Opportunities for exercise seem limited or non-existent. So how can we Tame the Travel?

1. Plan Ahead

The two main aspects of your fitness program which get hit due to travelling are your exercise and nutrition programs. So, the question is, how can you adapt your program to fit in with your travel demands. If you’ve read the 7-secrets report you’ll know the key factors you have to bear in mind and you can ask yourself how you can keep these up when travelling.

What sort of plans can you make? Well, if you’re going to stay in a hotel, pick one with a gym or pool so you can fit in some exercise and choose a workout routine which will fit in with your plans. If nothing is available, try to find one near to a local gym (Google is a great help in locating gyms & health clubs and will give you the contact details, address and even the map to get there!).

A Cooler Bag Such As The ebags Slim Lunch Box Will Will Easily Fit Into A Business-Style Rucksack or Briefcase

A Cooler Bag Such As The ebags Slim Lunch Box Will Will Easily Fit Into A Business-Style Rucksack or Briefcase

When it comes to nutrition, if you’re only away for a day, ‘brown-bag’ it. Prepare some healthy food and pack it in plastic containers. You can buy small ‘cooler bags’  (see picture) which will help keep food fresh and will easily fit into a business-style rucksack. Or, take advantage of meal replacement bars and carry a few with you – they’re a much better option that diving face-first into a burger & fries! And don’t forget healthy snacks such as fruit, nuts, and raisins etc.

Plan to have breaks if possible in a place where you can buy healthy food choices.

2. Make Smart Choices

Ok, so if carrying a case full of protein bars is not your style then lets look at dining out. Most restaurants & hotels will give clear indications as to which are the healthy options on the menu or will even cook a non-menu choice to your liking; all you need do is ask!  Make smart choices. Your success will be a direct result of the decisions you take at each meal.

If you’re a dessert junky, you’ll struggle to always skip them (why is it that desserts look sooo good when you’re travelling?). So, here’s an insider tip. If you simply must have a dessert, make a smart choice at the very start of the meal as to which dessert you’ll have (but don’t go mad!), and then adjust the rest of your meal to keep your overall calories in a sensible range. For example, having chosen your dessert, skip the starter and have a healthy main course (perhaps a salad with a good quality protein such as tuna). The golden rule is that this isn’t a free pass to having desserts at every meal! Again, it’s about smart choices.

When it comes to exercise, remember that any activity constitutes exercise and will have an even greater effect if you believe it! So, instead of sitting in the airport lounge getting bored (and starting to crave food), keep walking! If you’ve checked in your luggage, get your pulse raised a little by finding some stairs to walk up and down. Other ideas include parking your car further way from your destination so you have to walk further to get there; take the stairs in the office rather than the elevator. It all adds up to more calories burned in a day.

3. Get Creative!

In a hotel with no gym & nothing nearby? Get creative! Running or jogging is free and can be done almost anywhere. Weather too cold or wet? You’d be amazed how good a workout you can get by running up & down hotel stairs! Many hotels are even offering ‘workout kits’ for use in your room in exchange for a small refundable deposit. And, of course, you can always rely on ‘body weight’ exercises such as press-ups, one-leg squats, sit-ups etc. and we cover some good ‘body weight’ routines in our Workout Routines Section.

Consider taking exercise bands or exercise tubes with you. They easily fit into a bag and you can get an excellent workout with them – even in the comfort of your hotel room.

4. Bringing it all together

Our lives are hectic but we do have choices, even if we sometimes feel like we haven’t. Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day; the same 7 days in a week. It can take willpower, determination, flexibility and creativity to keep up with our fitness & nutrition programs. But millions of people do it and do it successfully – even those who travel regularly. The truth is, if you really want it, you’ll make it happen!