Do you find yourself faced with traveling and fear getting off track while you’re away, ultimately setting you further away from your goals? Believe it or not, you can still travel and reach your health and fitness goals. Nutrition and workouts don’t have to be perfect to be successful. In this article, I’m going to unpack some helpful tips to use while away from your normal routine.
1. Bring High-Protein and High-Fiber Snacks
When we bring our own food, it puts us more in control. Travel days can leave you more restricted based on what the airport, convenience store, or other sources have to offer. Snacks are also useful to have readily accessible in case your schedule is packed full of meetings and appointments. Skipping meals makes you more likely to overindulge later. In a nutshell, bad decisions are more prone to happen. Here are a few convenient ideas to pack along:
- Protein bars: Barbell, Quest, Think
- Travel protein powder packets (mix in a bottled water or shaker): Garden of Life, Truvani, Ascent Native Fuel
- Non-refrigerated snacks: Country Archer Provisions Grass-Fed Beef Jerky, The Only Bean Crunchy Roasted Edamame, StarKist tuna packets, peanut butter sandwich on Dave’s Killer Thin Sliced Bread, oatmeal packets/cups
2. Stay Hydrated
Hydration is always beneficial. However, traveling is dehydrating, making it even more important. Not only does this help curb cravings, but staying hydrated also helps combat bloating, fatigue, headaches, lightheadedness, and dizziness. This is especially optimal if you’re traveling for business and need to stay alert and bring your best self.
- Make sure to always carry a water with you.
- Bring electrolyte packets. I love Ultima Replenisher because unlike a lot of electrolyte packets, this has zero sugar, zero carbs, and low sodium.
3. Stay Active
If your schedule allows, set aside 30 minutes for a quick workout each morning—this will help jump-start your day while also keeping you on track. Whether you have a hotel gym or do a quick workout in your room, there are ways to stay active and not completely forgo activity. A simple workout can consist of a couple of tri-sets and a superset of core exercises (three lower-body exercises, three upper-body exercises, and two core).
Sample Workout With Loop Resistance Bands (3 sets of 12 reps)
Lower Body
- Front Squats
- Reverse Lunges
- Romanian Deadlifts
(Rest and repeat three times.)
Upper Body
- Shoulder Presses
- Bent-Over Rows
- Biceps Curls
(Rest and repeat three times.)
Core (without band)
- Crunches
- Leg Lifts
(Rest and repeat thee times.)
4. Planning Ahead
If you know where you’ll be dining out, the best course of action is to plan ahead. The majority of restaurants have websites that include their menu, making it easier to scope it out ahead of time. If not, you can usually get a salad and lean protein anywhere—just opt for dressing on the side. Most dressings pack anywhere between 12 to 20 grams of fat in 2 tablespoons, so pouring the whole ramekin of dressing on your salad adds up! If salad isn’t your thing, order a lean protein and vegetable instead. Keep in mind, you can indulge in a few meals, but make sure it’s not all of them.
5. Prioritize Sleep
Lack of sleep can cause an imbalance in your body that increases ghrelin levels and lowers leptin levels. This can increase hunger throughout the day. Also, try to limit alcoholic beverages and screen time. I don’t know how much I can stress this enough. Alcohol and scrolling on social media before bed are proved to disrupt sleep.
Keep in mind that this doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. You can do all or just a few of these ideas to help you stay on track.
Adrienne Ferro is a health and fitness coach helping women 35 and older achieve peak health through sustainable fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits. Craving4Coaching.com or Instagram: _adrienneferro
Keep in mind that this doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. You can do all or just a few of these ideas to help you stay on track.