Summer seems to be the time that most people are traveling and going on vacations. Workouts seem difficult to do if you’re on the road. I am going to show you some tips that will help you maintain the look you’ve worked so hard on while you’re gone. These tips can literally save you from putting on 5-10 lbs. on your next trip. Here are my top ten travel tips to help keep your Better Body.
1.) Commit to Performing Short 10-20 Minute Maintenance Workouts First Thing In The Morning Each Week
Time is not an excuse. We all have at least 10-20 minutes to crush a workout before we start our day. Trust me on this- this brief workout first thing in the morning will set the tone for the rest of your day. Besides being your energy pill to attack the day with vigor, this workout can serve as some damage control if you to decide to indulge in some foods that deviate from your nutrition plan. But they key is to do it first thing in the morning. I personally guarantee you that is the only time you can count on getting your workout done. Come on… You are on vacation, so enjoy your days. Start the day off right and you’ll set yourself up for a productive vacation.
2.) Use Body Weight and Resistance Band Exercises That You Can Do Anywhere
All you’ll need is your body and one resistance band to get the job done. During maintenance weeks for our clients, we highly recommend using mostly body weight based exercises with the exception of some resistance band exercises to get that pulling component in since it is often very difficult to access body weight rows and pull-ups when on the road.
Body weight based exercises allow for some much needed rest and de-loading for the muscles and joints, in addition to the fact that they can go through customs when you are vacationing!
3.) Build Your Own Vacation Workouts for Fun
Let’s face it- working out with intensity can get old real fast! So, if you are in it to be fit for the long run, you better find a way to mix things up as often as possible with your workouts to keep yourself motivated.
Travel allows for all of this and more as you can typically access a host of unique training locations and equipment! Maybe hit the beach and alternate between intervals of sprints and body weight strength exercises so that you can burn fat and get some Vitamin D in at the same time. Or hit up the local park and do a playground style workout using benches, monkey bars, etc. Let your mind wander and most importantly have fun deviating from the typical structure of your at home workouts!
4.) Bring Portable Fat-Burning Snacks
This may very well be the most important tip of all. At home, we all choose the foods that are most convenient, affordable, and accessible, which is why meal planning and preparation is so critical to being successful. This becomes especially important when traveling because the food choices can often be even worse for your body and being unfamiliar with your surroundings means you can’t always lean on the trusty fallback options that you can at home.
Here is a list of easy snacks. Keep it simple.
- Mixed raw nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, etc.)
- String cheese
- Protein Powder and/or Amino Acids
- Organic Deli Meat (unsweetened, low in salt)
- Fruit and Raw Veggies
Use these fat-burning, muscle-building foods to stay full and leave less room for all of the other junk food options that surround us all on a daily basis.
5.) Perform 30-60 Minutes of Daily Activity
It is very important to avoid letting a vacation become a time of sloth and laziness. Rather, the lean traveler looks to be active whenever possible when on vacation to keep his or her body in check.
Look to walk as much as possible, sign up for local trips and excursions, and engage in some recreational sports with your travel buddies. Almost all of us naturally increase our caloric intake on vacation, so it is critical to intentionally maintain or increase our activity levels to offset the potential weigh gaining hazards that come with travel eating.
6.) Perform Daily Corrective Stretching and Self-Massage
We tend to pay less attention to the small details that keep our bodies safe and pain-free year round when on the road. It is critical to still do some daily flexibility work and foam rolling to keep your muscles, and thus your joints, healthy. I
You can always bring a half foam roller, a tennis ball, and/or a rolling pin in your suitcase for all of your self-massage needs. Try to get in at least 5-10 minutes of some combination of rolling and stretching both first thing in the morning and before bed for best results.
7.) Don’t Worry About Being Perfect All of the Time
My boot campers train with me for 4-6 weeks at a time with short 1-3 week transition periods throughout the year. In total, they are in full boot camp mode for approx. 35-40 out of the 52 weeks each year.
We try to strive for perfection when we meet, but let’s face it, we’re all human. No one is perfect all the time. Try to maintain a 90% rule. If you are eating 6 meals a day 7 days a week, than that is a total of 42 meals per week. I try to tell everyone to eat well allowing 4-5 “cheat meals” per week. If you are doing this, you should be successful with achieving your goals.
8.) Plan Your Reward Meals in Advance
Let’s not forget that you don’t need to be perfect and eat like a saint when on vacation. After all, the occasional indulgences are a part of living the good life- especially those treats that are unique to certain travel hot spots. But, it is key to at least plan and prepare for them.
A free meal, or as some call it a reward meal, is basically a meal that deviates from ideal nutritional guidelines, but in moderation. This means that you eat the same healthy foods that you typically eat plus any other foods you may desire until you are satisfied, but not stuffed!
By planning out your cheat meals in advance and eating well at all other non-cheat meals you will best put yourself in a position to maintain your figure.
9.) Limit Alcohol and Empty Liquid Calories
This is always the hardest tip to sell because of how indispensable alcohol can be for some people who want to have a good time and wind down while traveling. The reality is alcohol not only stops fat burning in its tracks, but it actually promotes fat storage. Alcohol also lowers inhibitions and opens the door to host of junk food cravings that will further set you back.
Plus, many alcoholic drinks contain high calorie sugary mixes that further tip the proverbial scale in the wrong direction so to speak. Consuming 2-3 alcoholic beverages per day could easily result in an extra 500 calories per day that would in theory result in at least one pound of fat gained in a week’s time just from booze alone.
In general, limit, if not eliminate, empty liquid calories since they provide no nutritional value. Rather, enjoy whole foods that actually give your body some nutrients and fill you up. If you must, try to limit alcohol consumption to 1 drink at most per day and at best 1-2 drinks (or ideally less) per week while on the road.
10.) Bring Your Supplements
Not to beat a dead horse here, but again, just because you are away from home doesn’t mean that you should abandon all of those healthy habits you have worked so hard to establish.
I always take my daily multi-vitamin and fish oil supplements with me so that I can keep taking them every morning religiously like I always do.
These 10 travel fitness tips will without a doubt allow you to “travel light” so that you can come back from your trip with souvenirs in some other form than blubber and cellulite.
It’s Go Time ;-D
Jared Woolever
Great tips! I'll try this!
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