During travel, sticking to your usual routine can be a real challenge. Often, coming back home feels like taking five giant steps back in terms of health, and you have to start all over again. Sound familiar? But ultimately, it's up to you to choose the result of your actions from the moment you make decisions — all the boundaries or problems are created in your mind. This is one of those cases where, if you don't want to do something, a million excuses will arise.

It's your choice.

Sleep an extra 30 minutes or do your workout, skip an important meal and grab fast food on the way to your destination, or plan your time more carefully and stay in control of the situation. Don't let chance or carelessness dictate your life.

With the right approach, you can maintain a healthy lifestyle while traveling without gaining weight or adding extra inches. How to stay on track and stay fit during your travels? Here are some helpful tips to assist you in doing so.

 

1. Plan ahead.

To determine the best way to work out during your travels, you need to plan ahead. Ask yourself, "How long will I be traveling?" The duration will determine which type of workouts will be most convenient for you. What clothes to bring, what equipment is needed, or whether you should do more intense workouts before your trip so that the recovery period falls during your travels. Plan your workouts just as you pack your suitcase and bring your toothbrush, as it’s part of your daily routine, and skipping it may lead to unwanted consequences. 

Clothing.

Bring comfortable fitness clothes and shoes. Choose stylish and comfortable clothes that are suitable for both everyday life and sports. For example, clothes from professional OFC trainers - you can see here.

Equipment.

Consider bringing fitness bands or a jump rope with you. They don't take up much space in your suitcase, and you can use them in your hotel room or outdoors if your hotel doesn't have a gym. A smartwatch can also be useful. This way of tracking steps can help maintain motivation and can also remind you when it's time to work out.

Workout plan.

The workout program should be accessible wherever you are. OFC Fitness Intensives are specifically designed for flexible schedules, as all workouts are live-streamed and stored throughout the course, meaning you can watch them and choose the most convenient time to work out. You also have access to a chat with trainers who are always ready to offer advice if needed. There's no place where a workout is impossible — so even if you only have access to your hotel room and just 20 minutes, do something! Anything is better than nothing.

 

 

2. The journey to the destination.

It's impossible to avoid long periods of sitting while traveling by plane, car, or train, and nearly impossible to stick to perfect nutrition and sleep, but there are some great tricks that can help minimize the impact of travel on your fitness.

Keep your body moving – take the stairs instead of escalators at airports. Modern hub airports are huge, and you can cover a significant distance, which might even leave you a bit tired.

Train anywhere - At parking lots, bus stops, in the middle of waiting areas, and other unexpected places. Pull-ups on tree branches, bus stop canopies, or other safe structures; squats, lunges, and push-ups almost anywhere. Even just 10 minutes of physical activity a day is enough to maintain a good feeling. 

 

 

3. Sports activity as part of the journey 

If you ask when it's best to work out while traveling, our answer is in the morning. This way, the likelihood of canceling the session during the day decreases. But there's an even better way to integrate sports into your trip:

Stay active without workouts.

- A long walk through new places. You'll get a practical feel of the city instead of being trapped on a tourist bus.
- Swimming in the sea or pool, with scuba diving or snorkeling.
- Riding on SUP boards, wakeboards, or traditional surfboards.
- Beach volleyball or a friendly game of football.
– Bicycle ride;
- Are you near the mountains? Hiking and climbing. 

 

Just check the box by doing something active and something you enjoy every day. After all, when you're traveling, the last thing you want is to be cooped up in the gym when you should be exploring new places.

Just keep moving.

4. Nutrition

All the physical activity won't make sense if you don't eat well. Remember that food is not a reward, but a source of energy. Of course, no one wants to hear this when traveling, but food defines how you look and feel. You can't cheat a bad diet with exercise. The formula "I will eat a lot of bad food, and then I will eat it all during training" does NOT work. These are huge steps backwards.

Our goal is to eat foods that keep us full and fit, meaning mostly vegetables, some form of protein (either from animal sources or legumes), then some fruit and/or nuts, and minimal flour products or liquid calories. It is also important to understand that pasta is not harmful if you choose it from hard varieties of wheat.And you should be careful with carbohydrates, because it is better to eat them in the morning and at lunch, and during dinner - try to minimize their amount. It is useful to follow the "caveman diet". This is the best time-tested nutrition strategy because you are eating natural foods with minimal heat processing. Such products are easier for the body to digest during stressful situations and failure of the usual regime.

Water balance

 

Maintain optimal hydration levels while traveling. Especially, in hot periods, it is very important not to forget to drink water. Banal, but this is how you can avoid metabolic failure and headaches. 

 

5. Be flexible but consistent

Don't be too hard on yourself, but keep healthy habits in mind. We only get one chance on this planet, and only one body, so we have to take care of ourselves. Fortunately, if we can do a few basic things and implement a few key systems while traveling (and when we're not traveling), we'll be ready to do anything, anywhere, anytime.

If you keep your schedule consistent, your body will thank you. The body likes routine, and research shows that it's best to wake up and eat at the same time every day. Delays, late meetings, and unexpected dinner invitations can easily derail your best intentions. Essentially, if you don't plan your trip, someone else will.

It takes a bit of discipline, but if you're determined to stay healthy and not wreck your body while traveling, you need to stick to the system. Our recommendation is to have a fitness program from OFC. That's how you don't lose touch with your regimen and keep the results you've achieved. Daily tips, webinars you can listen to on the go, consultations with a nutritionist and Online Fitness Club trainers are a guarantee that your path to the best version of yourself will be safe. 

The key is not to disrupt your daily routine, but to maintain it as best you can. So here is a selection of useful links from OFC:

– Short cardio workout
– Full hour training
– Shoulder training technique in the gym
- Calls and challenges from Andrii Khomytskyi
– Press training
– Bonus – music for training


Meditation and relaxation

Don't worry about staying in shape while traveling. Exercise should relieve tension, not increase it. Stress can become a trigger for overeating or, on the contrary, unwillingness to eat for a long time, disruptions in sleep, so take care of your nerves in order to have maximum control over your body.

 

 

6. Another tip

Think about your return home in advance. Have healthy, ready-to-cook meals in the freezer. After all, a trip to the grocery store right after the trip will not be a priority on your list. 

And finally, with proper planning, incorporating physical activity, healthy eating, and positive thinking, you can stick to your regimen and enjoy every moment of your trip. It's possible to have it all: staying healthy, strong and fit, as well as having incredible adventures, partying, tasting local food and living in the moment while traveling. In fact, a healthy lifestyle can help you live in the moment and say yes to adventure.