Keeping fit and healthy on the road is difficult in some cases. You want to enjoy all the new food and desserts but also you don’t want to go back home 15 pounds heavier. On a backpacker budget it is even harder to stay healthy while travelling. Most girls I met in New Zealand were surviving off of ramen noodles for their whole trip. Which is great if you desperately want to save money but terrible for your health and waistline.
Here are a few trips from a personal trainer so you can stay healthy while travelling on your next long term adventure.
Eat your veggies
Vegetables are a great source of vitamins and minerals to keep your immune system pumped up and fighting any infections or disease. They are also full of dietary fiber, which means they keep you fuller for longer. Adding some vegetables to your meal will help you fill up faster and you are less likely to want to finish eating all those fries on your plate. Vegetables can be a bit more expensive in some places but sometimes it’s worth it because they keep you full for longer so you won’t want another meal in a couple of hours. You can check out some super foods here!
Walk everywhere
I always find that I end up walking everywhere on vacation, or at least as much as possible. London and most European cities are just conducive to walking all day. My fitbit went crazy in London racking up 20,000+ steps that day. This is a great way to explore and burn those calories without feeling like a workout. This is the easiest way to stay healthy while travelling. Another option is an active holiday like hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, it’s intense but so rewarding.
Cut back on the booze
I will admit on our Iceland roadtrip we drank a bottle of wine every night which wasn’t really moderation. It depends what you plan to drink, wine is about 100-120 calories per glass depending on the type of wine. Beers can be about 150 calories and up, again depending on the type. One shot of vodka, tequila, whisky, rum or gin is roughly 100 calories but if you mix it with lemonades and cokes the calories quickly add up. Don’t even get me started on cocktails like pina coladas and daiquiris.
A rum and soda would be about 100 calories whereas a rum and coke could be around 150 calories. Imagine going out drinking and you consume about 6 of these and you party every night… That’s a lot of calories and a lot of money. So cut back on the drinks and opt for soda or diet options for your mixed drinks.
Indulge… but in moderation
On that note, you are on vacation so enjoy it. Have a drink if you want it but avoid binge drinking. Have that ice cream if you want it but probably don’t have the extra scoop that you don’t really need. Even have that amazing handcrafted chocolate that you can only get where you are, but don’t eat 2 packages of it. It’s all about balance.
Add some exercise
If you are travelling for a while it’s nice to get into a routine. It’s a bit harder if you are staying in a hostel dorm with 7 other people in there. If you are lucky enough to be in the privacy of your own room or apartment it might be a great idea to add a little workout to your morning routine. You don’t need a lot of weights or space to do this. Here is a quick workout that you can do in 30 minutes before you hit the shower:
50 Squats
40 Jumping Jacks
30 Push ups
20 Lunges
10 Burpess
Repeat 2-3 times.
In this quick workout you get to target the legs, upper body and get in some cardio which is a great way to start your morning.
Maintaining a healthy activate lifestyle while travelling can you make feel better when you come home. If you are like me and get a bit of post-travel depression, the last thing you want to worry about is your weight on top of it. So keep healthy and enjoy your adventure, do not over indulge, walk as much as possible and do have a glass of wine here and there!
I do agree that it can be difficult to stay healthy while travelling. Often there’s just too much temptation along the way. Sometimes it can be difficult to resist.
Oh I totally agree! You will never be as motivated as when you are at home but even a little bit helps while away
I cant say Im ever tempted by booze, but youre right its so important to walk everywhere. Fitting in actual exercise is a challenge, but will defo help you cheer up in yoyr return
What an intersting post👌👌
I really find it hard to stick to a healthy lifestyle when on the road because sometimes I don’t find the exact fruit or vegetable I’m used to abroad.
Thanks for the tips.
Excellent advice! I’m going to jump over to read about your Iceland trip, but just to make you feel better, we packed a box of wine for our trip there. Like you said, it’s vacation! At the end of a very long day of driving/sightseeing it was lovely to have some wine in our camper parked in the middle of nowhere!
Exactly. You are meant to enjoy it!
Ha, I should probably keep these tips in mind for when I’m at home too! Cutting back on that booze though…
These are great tips! I do agree with reducing the booze. Hangovers are brutal on bumpy bus rides, plus it is so dehydrating!
Ugh, I try not to think about how many calories are in alcohol but it’s a good reminder. I love walking around everywhere in a new city, which really helps balance out some of the extra calories I indulge in through food and drinks. I also love your tip about doing some basic exercises before the shower.