It was while I was standing at a beer festival, on my seventh or eighth tasting glass of good, hoppy, Australian craft beer that a friend turned to me and asked “how do you stay fit while travelling?!”
I sipped my beer and said, “I don’t do much.”
I’m serious.
staying fit while travelling
I’ll be honest, I hardly do anything extra. Being on the road means that mealtimes are never consistent, I don’t have a gym, I sleep in a different bed almost every night (not in a fun way). Grocery prices fluctuate, so sometimes I buy cheap food because I can’t afford anything else, other times I splurge on amazing food and drink. And let’s face it, when I’m travelling and exploring a new destination, I’d rather spend my limited time doing that. However, my style of travel means that I’m out exploring on foot, not on a bus tour.
I still manage to stay fit and healthy though, even if I’m not one of those girls that stands in front of a gym mirror for an hour lifting tiny weights to tone my even tinier muscles. I was, once upon a time, but the fact that I am out on the road exploring means that I don’t have time to do that anymore. Staying healthy and fit, though, can still be done with limited time. I have a different mindset now. Hiking is a workout, walking around cities is a workout, and carrying my 20 litre backpack is a workout.
Want to be healthy while on the road? Here are my mostly tried and true tips for staying fit while travelling, from someone who’s been on the road for eighteen months and still looks damn good in a bikini.
lay off the cheap food
Backpackers everywhere are gasping at my audacity to say that but hear me out. First of all, if you’re travelling at all, you can afford to spend money on a better meal than a thirty pack of freeze dried ramen noodles. I’m not saying, go buy a forty dollar steak. I am saying, hit the grocery store and choose wisely. Often, cheap food has a high sodium content, which in turns makes us thirsty… Which in turns means you are going to down more beer than you should… Which also isn’t very healthy when you’re trying to stay fit while travelling.
eat green with every meal
Greens are expensive, I get it. And no one wants to buy food that will go bad. But the bigger the bag of spinach, the cheaper it is. Five servings of spinach is $5 here in Australia, and I like my greens so that’s about three servings for me. I put spinach or rocket into every meal. It goes on my eggs, in my sandwich, on my pizza, in my pasta, and in my curry. I’m not a big salad person, so this is how I get my greens. If you prefer salad, just make sure you aren’t slathering it in a creamy dressing because that negates every single positive thing about the greens. And yes, avocadoes are healthy too!
drink the water, not the booze
does this count as greens?
A glass of wine or four is healthy every once in a while. A six pack of beer every night is not. Drink water daily and it will become a healthy habit. Lay off the booze for the majority of the week. Don’t drink heavily each night; a glass of wine is fine and most doctors say it’s healthy to have a small glass of red for the antioxidants.
Tequila shots are also bad, and not just for the health reasons. But the lime will keep scurvy away… it’s a catch-22… use your best judgment!
take a hike
Instead of catching the bus, why not walk the half mile to the beach? If you’re in a suburb and have to catch a bus or train, jump off a stop early and walk a bit. Driving around? Try to walk somewhere at least once a day. The more active you are, the higher your metabolism and the easier it is to keep the vacation weight off.
And sometimes you get amazing views like this.
keep your routine
If you are constantly active at home, taking a full week or two off from anything active will throw your body off, and it will be harder to jump back into your routine when you get home. This applies to everything: being active and sticking to a skincare and personal hygiene routine. I have products I swear by that I’ve only happened on randomly, but I also have my staples. St. Ives pink lime + mandarin scrub, for example, and Burts Bees. I don’t go anywhere without these.
don’t skip the sun cream
It’s easy to get lackadaisical on vacation , especially if the sun isn’t shining on the day you decide to take a hike up the mountains. But in some places, Colorado, New Zealand, Australia, and the Alps being notorious examples, the sun can wreak havoc on your skin even on a cloudy day. You don’t want to look forty when you’re only thirty two. Wear the sunscreen.
What do you do to stay healthy? Any products you swear by? We’d love to hear about them! Share your tips in the comments below!
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You are so right on this. I have the same set of issues, for a different reason. I also travel a lot–and for high stress reasons. I try hard to eat a little green everyday, drink in moderation, and drink water. I also try to walk as much as I can–sometimes easier said than done. Even using the stairs rather than an elevator is healthier.
I use a face cream that includes a mild sunscreen almost everyday, since just being outside exposes your skin to the sun’s rays. I also take vitamins and mineral supplements. They cost money, yes, but I get the vitamins and minerals I need even when I can’t eat well because I am sitting in a hospital til 10 pm with an ill parent. (As an aside, have you ever noticed how many health care professionals are overweight and out of shape? Don’t they learn anything in their line of work? Yes, you have lots of time to think when you are stuck in a hospital or nursing home.)
At 60+, I still look like I am in my forties–and, yes, I can still wear a bikini. I just don’t anymore!