For many people, travelling is synonymous with letting your hair down and indulging. While this is absolutely what you should be doing on your next holiday, you don’t have to do it at the expense of your health! Sure, being in new, unfamiliar places can upset your normal fitness routine, but it’s actually so easy to stay fit when travelling. Here’s how…
Use Your Own Body as an Exercise Tool
Every movement you make counts towards your daily exercise and calorie burning quota. Using your own body weight as resistance by doing squats, pushups, pullups, lunges, burpees and similar are perfect for maintaining day-to-day fitness. That means you’ll always have everything you need at all times – all you need to do is keep moving!
Drink Water
It can’t be said enough – water is the one major thing you need to stay healthy and drinking plenty of it is the one thing that’s consistently done by those who are fit. You don’t have to go completely overboard, but make sure you’re well hydrated at all times. This will also stave off hunger pangs, reduce general body aches caused by dehydration and keep you feeling energised.
Eat Wisely
You just have to treat yourself while on holiday, but you don’t have to gorge yourself on every piece of food that you see. If you’re trialling the local fare, eat many smaller amounts like you’re sampling a smorgasbord, rather than sitting down to large meals. Do some research so you know what you’re eating so that you’re not selecting the carb-filled junk. A good tip is to go for the food that looks most like its original form, so lots of fresh fruit, veges, seafood etc.
Eat before you’re feeling ravenous so you don’t stuff yourself and if you did accidentally over-order at a restaurant, just ask for a doggie bag and take your food back to your accommodation for later.
Eat Pre and Probiotics Daily
If you’ll be tasting a lot of new and unusual foods, your digestive system is going to need some help, so a daily dose of prebiotics and probiotics will help keep your tummy calm. It’ll also keep you regular, help you stay slim and boost your immune system, among other benefits.
Become Familiar With the Local Supermarket and Markets
Not only will you save money by purchasing meals from the local supermarket or fresh markets, but you’ll also be eating healthier than if you were dining out. This is because you’ll know what’s going into each meal you cook and if you have a few handy meal options in your hotel room, it will reduce the chances of raiding the minibar. As a bonus, it will give you extra reasons to interact with the locals.
Drink Responsibly
There are SO many reasons to drink alcohol responsibly when travelling. Your fitness is one good reason. The other reasons are fairly self-evident. Modest or no drinking will keep you fit and safe.
Book Fitness-friendly Accommodation
Find and book accommodation that has a gym, pool or both. If it’s accessible, you’re more likely to use it. With sites like Hotels.com, it’s so easy to find and book accommodation that will suit your fitness needs. To make it even easier, here’s a few links to accommodation with gyms in Aussie capital cities:
- Gym Accommodation in Sydney
- Gym Accommodation in Brisbane
- Gym Accommodation in Melbourne
- Gym Accommodation in Adelaide
- Gym Accommodation in Darwin
- Gym Accommodation in Hobart
- Gym Accommodation in Perth
- Gym Accommodation in Canberra
If you’d like to cool off in the pool afterwards, you can select ‘Pool’ in the ‘Popular Filters’ section on the left-hand side of the search page when searching on Hotels.com.
Get Your Eight Hours
Another one of those things that all the fit folks do is get plenty of sleep. The stress hormones you produce when you’re not getting enough sleep are the same hormones responsible for hanging onto those extra kilos, so just remember that when you’re still up partying at 1am.
Explore on Foot
Before heading out on your daily adventure, check out a map and see if the destinations you intend to visit are close enough to walk to on foot. If it’s just a little too far, maybe hire a bicycle or scooter – you’ll stay fit, save money on public transport and see more wonderful sights!
Take the Stairs
Yep, it might seem like an annoying task after a day seeing the local sights, but if you take the stairs instead of the lift wherever you go, you’ll be burning off so many calories.
See, staying fit when travelling is easy. In fact, with all these tips, you might find yourself incorporating some of them into your everyday life! Just remember to have fun, as laughter is the best exercise.
This article was written in collaboration with Hotels.com.