How to Stay Active While Traveling to Avoid Weight Gain
Do you find staying active difficult while traveling? In this post, we’ll share some of our favorite practical tips to guide you all along the way.
When traveling, for most people, physical activity usually reaches the rock-bottom.
This does not come as too much of a shock because many times, that is the point of traveling – to take a break. Or go on a business trip. Or vacation.
However, it is important to stay active when traveling. According to research, de-training happens a few weeks after regular exercise stops.
This means that months’ worth of intense physical exercise may go down the drain in just a few weeks.
There is also the fact that people usually put on unneeded weight when they travel, especially for very long periods. You can, and should, avoid this by constantly staying active all through your travel period.
So let’s go ahead and look at some of the best tips for staying active while traveling – either for vacation or work.
1. Add aerobic exercises to your routine
When traveling, it may not be easy to make gym arrangements or even bring exercise equipment along. This, however, should not stop you from exercising.
Many aerobic exercises are very effective in staying active and fit. As much as possible, try to add them to your daily routine.
So, walk or jog instead of taking a cab, walk up and down the stairs instead of taking the elevator, swim, and so on.
2. Take along the necessary equipment
While there are times where it is impossible to take training equipment along, make sure you make the most of the time you can.
Take all equipment you need, like running shoes, a pedometer, and resistance bands.
The pedometer enables you to monitor how much distance you move during the day, and this measurement is one of the easiest ways of measuring physical activity.
Exercise bands are excellent replacements for barbells and dumbbells, which are used for weight training.
3. Learn to improvise
Improvising is very often the order of the day when traveling, and not just for staying active now. You are in a new and unfamiliar territory.
There are times you just have to make do with what you have. The same applies to staying active. You don’t have a bar for pull-ups?
Use a sturdy tree branch. You don’t have lifts? Just find something reasonably heavy and graspable and lift. The ultimate goal is to stay active, whichever way you can.
4. Find physical activities you like
The commonest reason people travel is to take a break from regular daily stress and to have some fun. Make sure you do just that. Don’t punish or torture yourself.
Find physical activities you enjoy and do them. If you enjoy running, then run. If what you like is swimming, swim away.
Make it fun and if possible, get your friends and family involved. This is one surefire way to ensure you don’t get bored with physical activities.
5. Closely monitor your diet
Diet and physical health go hand-in-hand. It is virtually impossible to be physically fit if your diet is poor. That should not change when you travel.
You may want to have a taste of those exotic dishes, street foods, local cuisines, and the like, but you need to do it moderately.
Try to balance your diet. Eat proteins, carbs, and healthy fats.
Related: 10 Best Teas to Drink for Weight Loss
6. Be responsible with parties
Parties in foreign territories are absolute bangers for some reason: the drinks, meals, music, everything.
However, don’t get carried away when partying, or should we say, don’t go too hard. Ensure you drink responsibly as taking too much alcohol is not exactly good for your body.
The same applies to many of the meals you’ll eat – they are very rarely balanced, so make sure you eat moderately.
7. Get enough rest
Have you ever heard the saying ‘rest is sweet after labor?’ Well, it’s true. Rest is best after labor. But you make sure you get that rest.
Take a few minutes to cool down after any form of intense physical activity, as it is helpful for the circulatory system and also the muscles.
You should also get enough sleep. Sleep will keep you energized and refreshed, which are two things you will need during travels.
8. Pay attention to your body
Listen to your body. Always. Why? No one knows your body quite as well as you. The moment you notice you’re sore and fatigued, take a break.
And it doesn’t even have to be just fatigue and soreness now; anything that makes you feel very uncomfortable physically during your travel break is a no-no. Your body knows best, so listen to it.
9. Make necessary planning
You need to plan your physical activity routine ahead if you are going to be traveling. Draw up a schedule and, more importantly, stick to it.
If you are keen, you can also make arrangements in gyms nearby or for the training equipment you need. Don’t wait until you reach your destination before making last-ditch scrambles.
10. Stay hydrated
Always make sure your fluid levels don’t fall below the healthy range. Keeping your hydration level optimal is key to staying active while traveling.
The slightest of things can put you off and completely kill your motivation to stay fit during travels, and being dehydrated is one of them.
Don’t give your body any excuse not to stay active. Proper hydration will also help you perform well during physical activities.
Takeaway
The essentiality of staying active is one we cannot possibly overestimate, even when you take a travel break.
However, staying active while traveling does not mean you have to match the intensity of your previous workout sessions; it simply means staying active. Find what works best for you and put it into action.
