When you go travelling, on holiday or take a business trip, fitness and wellness are probably the last two things on your mind. However, while travel fitness can feel like a chore, making it part of your trip can help you to feel more vibrant and energetic, and take care of your wellbeing, so that you actually enjoy your travels. Let’s be clear: I’m not saying you need to hit the hotel gym after a long day of seeing the sights; you simply need to follow a few practical, realistic options for taking care of your body when you’re far from home.
1. Get out of the car: When you’re in new and unfamiliar territory, it can be tempting to drive everywhere as you don’t know how safe or far away the destination is. However, if you’re searching for a nice place to eat dinner, setting out on foot and wandering around the area – instead of driving – can help you to get a bit of exercise and really experience the place you’re visiting. You can also try parking five minutes further away from places you’re visiting, and this will help you to burn more calories, increase your cardiovascular stamina, and promote relaxation, all without forcing you to break an embarrassing sweat.
2. Make time for yourself in the morning: If you’re travelling with friends, colleagues or children, it can be difficult to work in your travel fitness regime. However, you can reap lots of benefits –and have a nice breather from difficult travelling companions – by setting aside even just twenty minutes or half an hour as solo time. In the morning before the day’s activities begin, use the peace and quiet to go for a walk or a run. If you’ve got your own hotel room, lock the door and do some jumping jacks, knee lifts or have a bit of a boogie and shake off that family holiday stress. Starting your day with a quick bout of independent travel fitness enables you to mentally reflect and relax while also giving your energy levels a boost. This can brighten up your whole trip and prepare you for a day spent with other travellers.
3. Use the toilet: By the phrase “use the toilet,” I’m not talking about that natural thing that everyone needs to do, I’m talking about making use of those time in which nature calls for travel fitness. Every time you head to use the toilet, take a few minutes and turn the facilities into your temporary personal travel fitness station! Try having a quick burst of fast movement to get your heart rate going a little bit. Even a quick session of jumping up and down can help you to give your metabolism a quick jolt so that you burn more calories throughout the day. This tip is great because it allows you the privacy of getting your travel fitness party on without the embarrassment of other people seeing. Moreover, as you’ll be using the loo a few times a day anyway, so you don’t need to worry about remembering to find the time to fit travel fitness into your schedule.
4. Plan activities: Making exercise part of the day’s fun is a great way to trick yourself, and your travelling companions, into getting some extra fitness under your belt. If there’s a natural landmark nearby, check out some hiking trails. If you’re staying in a town or city, there’s always sight-seeing, bowling or miniature golf. Anything that gets you moving counts, so try to incorporate as many active-ities as possible.
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