5 Ways To Stay In Shape While Traveling
After I realized how much walking I actually did when I decided to remove other options from my transport list as much as possible, I had clocked up a lot more miles than I would ever have if I had gone for a “walk” as a means of exercise. Killing two birds with the two…
As staying in shape and maintaining my fitness was always something that worried me as I traveled, I thought I should share how I got a handle on it and the best possible approaches that worked for me while on the road. Hopefully these tips will work for you too, and you can enjoy exploring the world without the worry of missing out on your fitness, or not being active enough.
Don’t worry, in this respect you get to have your cake and eat it too! (Except probably not too much of it considering..) Not having a fixed routine or a gym nearby doesn’t mean you can’t keep up with a high intensity workout routine if you are a fitness fanatic (guilty) or even just maintaining an active lifestyle that keeps you healthy and happy. Either way, there is no reason to have that guilty feeling of losing out and hopefully with these simple few tips you can agree!
1. First and foremost: Walk!
This is really under-estimated in terms of fitness if you are willing to use it as your means of transport as much as possible. Although I find it comes with the territory of traveling anyway, wandering the streets of a bustling city or getting lost between villages in the countryside is something you should absolutely take advantage of. After I realized how much walking I actually did when I decided to remove other options from my transport list as much as possible, I had clocked up a lot more miles than I would ever have if I had gone for a “walk” as a means of exercise. Killing two birds with the two feet was delicious icing on my well deserved cake!
2. Take the road less traveled.
So if walking doesn’t do it for you or you simply don’t have the time or patience, which are two aspects that are essential with walking, then there is still no need to give in to taxis or bus services. Get yourself a bike! Another great form of exercise, a fun way to burn those calories and see some sites along the way, while getting you from a to b. What’s even better is that renting a bike will still be a whole lot cheaper than using public transport. So get those buns working and tone up while you travel!
3. Explore your options.
Sometimes you just need to look at your options when it comes to the healthiest way to stay fit on the road, and it’s as easy at that. Rather than getting the tour bus for four hours of exploring while keeping your seat toasty warm, why not book a walking tour? I find these tours a lot more effective, as it’s hands on, more personal with your own tour guide, and you get out there and see things for yourself.
4. Plan active things to do.
Something that might not suit everyone, nevertheless for those that enjoy the outdoors and adventure, why not designate a day or 2 for action packed activities? Although site seeing and food tasting is an important part of learning the culture, getting out there exploring its mountains and waters is just as enriching. Having a beach day? Make yourself swim for 30 minutes, and run a lap of the stretch of sand. Investigate what activities are on offer like snorkeling, mountain biking, zip-lining, or even canyoning for the extremists (I’d advise you to do this if you have the guts). These are a great way of making lasting memories while traveling, getting to see the place from a different perspective and making sure you’ll sleep like a baby at the end of the day.
5. Don’t make excuses.
If all else fails and you just want to get a taxi to the museums and fine restaurants that are on offer – which is totally fine and to each their own, why not get up even as little as 30 minutes earlier and do a quick circuit session in your room. All you need is an empty space, some water, and motivating music. It’s the fastest way of sweating it out and a great start to your day. Not sure how? There are some great workout videos available on youtube that you can simply follow, HIIT becoming more and more popular due to its effective and quick results, this option is perfect for those that don’t really enjoy exercising and just want to get it done and out of the way so you don’t have to feel bad eating that lemon tart for lunch (not that you should anyway, you eat that lemon tart and make sure to order some cream on the side!). 
