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I firmly believe that fitness should be a part of everyone’s life. Pushing yourself to improve physically not only delivers many health benefits, but it also helps us live happier and more vibrant lives.
But traveling and exploring the world is also important. Everyone can benefit from a bit of adventure and exploration from time to time. It not only helps us step back from our everyday life and work, but it also allows us to relax, clear our minds, and see some fantastic places in this world.
But balancing the two can be difficult sometimes. Making better food choices and regularly getting your workouts in is easier when you’re at home, but difficult while traveling.
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Here are three strategies to balance the two and stay fit while on the road.
Focus on Consistency, Not Intensity
When people miss a few workouts in a row, they try to make up for it once they get to a gym. That strategy can work, but it’s very challenging, leads to unwanted fatigue and soreness, and it takes a long time.
For example, not doing your endurance work the whole week and when you finally get to a gym on Saturday, trying to do the entire volume of work in one session. Sure, it’s possible. But who would want to spend multiple hours on the cardio equipment in one bout?
Instead, focus on being consistent and don’t worry so much about the workout itself.
If your hotel gym is too plain and doesn’t have the equipment you usually use, make do with what you have and don’t miss your scheduled workouts.
If you don’t have access to a gym, do some bodyweight training in your hotel room or while exploring. Push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, and plyometrics can make for a great workout if you give them a chance.
Stay on schedule and worry less if the workout you had was ‘perfect’ or not.
Experiment With Your Training
While traveling, you probably won’t have access to the same training facilities as you do at home. But don’t let that stop you. Switch the focus of your training for a while and try new things. Who knows, you might find a different style of training very enjoyable.
If you usually do resistance training, try a week of jogging in nature. If you can’t get your hands on a barbell for your regular exercises, do bodyweight training. If your normal workouts take an hour to complete, try some circuit training for a change and push yourself to get done faster. That’s a great way to burn a lot of calories and work on your conditioning at the same time.
Schedule Your Next Trip on a Recovery/Deload Week
If you’re consistent with your training and always push yourself hard, you should have easy or off weeks now and then. A good mark to aim for is to take one week off to recover and get a mental break for every six to eight weeks of intense training.
Scheduling your trip on such an easy or off week allows you to take a break from the gym, enjoy a lovely time and not feel guilty that you’re not in the gym when you’re supposed to.
Closing Thoughts
Yes, travel and fitness are difficult to balance sometimes. But with a bit of thought, you can make it happen. It might not be perfect, but consistency matters more than ideal execution.
These three strategies, along with putting some thought into your nutrition will allow you to stay on course and not lose the progress you’ve made so far.
