How to Stay Healthy When You Travel

There aren't any special tricks or magic workouts that will guarantee you a healthy lifestyle while abroad. When it comes to your wellness goals, it’s important to remember that it is about YOUR health, and not anyone else’s. How another person chooses to stay healthy might not work for you, and after all, fitness is all about sustainability and implementing routines that work for you.

Here are just some ways you can stay on top of your health and fitness as you travel:

Research, Research, Research
- Get a feel of what the daily diet looks like for the locals, and what type of food is readily available. Researching how food is generally made in whatever country you're in can really help you figure out what foods are “good” and “bad.” I put this in quotations because what is good for your body is up to every individual. Don’t feel the need to adhere to a strict diet abroad because every country will have different nutritious food options. Listen to your body, and enjoy the food you eat.
Take Notes
- In the same vein as keeping an eye on your diet, it could be a good idea to track what you eat. Keep a food travel diary! It’s so much fun to describe the new foods you’re eating and describing the flavors. But it can also help you keep your diet on track when your days and nights get blurred while in a traveling stupor. It’s a good way to understand what you’ve been eating, how much (or how little) and adjust accordingly.
Drink More Water!
- You may not always be able to control the food you eat but water intake remains especially important while traveling. Airplanes are notorious for making you both bloated and dehydrated, and traveling to a warmer climate can throw your body for a loop. Water not only detoxes your body, but it hydrates your skin, keeps your energy up, and it kick starts your metabolism in the mornings. Bring a reusable water bottle when you travel so you can easily track how much water you’re drinking.
BYOS (Bring Your Own Snacks)
- Bring your own snacks and supplements when you travel. Dried fruit and nuts are easy to bring on the go, and they are healthy ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you have dietary restrictions, bring along a few of your approved foods and don't worry about getting strange looks (we know someone who travels with canned fish).
Download Some Apps
- Nike Training: This app is great for workouts that require little equipment. There are also video demos on how to do the moves so it’s great for beginners. Bonus: the workouts are free.
- MyFitnessPal: This app helps you track what you eat throughout the day - consider it your food diary.
- Health App (on the iPhone): This is a great app that tracks your steps for you, no need for a FitBit or Apple Watch. You can check how many stairs you’ve climbed, and how many miles you've walked.
Turn to YouTube
- What’s great about the fitness community on YouTube is that people post lots of workouts while they travel. A lot of creators create content that shows outdoor workouts and exercises that can be done with little to no equipment. Whether you’re by the beach, in the mountains, or at a hotel, there is a workout suitable for every location. Adapt to your surroundings and get creative with your workouts. No need to pay for classes abroad!
Be NEAT
- One way to burn extra calories is to increase your body’s Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). NEAT consists of non-exercise movements that burn calories throughout your day. This can be anything from the simple act of standing instead of sitting, being in constant motion, and of course walking. You can also increase NEAT by opting to take the stairs instead of an elevator or walking up and down escalators. These small movements can still burn a good portion of your caloric intake.