13 Rules To Help You Maintain Your Fitness and Diet Routine While Traveling

The holidays are here and for many of us, this means lots of traveling. Hitting the road to visit friends and family often carries with it temptations to eat less than healthy food items, drink booze and skip your workouts. It is understandable but not something that HAS to be your reality. With just a little bit of effort, you can keep your goals on track while far from home. Here are a few guidelines to help:

On-The-Go Training

By using a little creativity, you can easily pull off a workout. Here are some suggestions: [bctt tweet="Because being on the road doesn't have mean being unhealthy!"]

1. Look for gyms in the area before you travel. If you are staying in a hotel, check out their facilities. Many hotels have fitness centers fully stocked with free-weights and exercise machines.
2. Workout in your hotel room. Body-weight exercises, exercises with yoga mats or resistance bands are perfect for hotel rooms! Think about it, how much room does that resistance band actually take up in your suitcase?
3. Train outdoors. Weather permitting, you should easily be able to find a park or a playground near you. Think body-weight exercises, plyometrics, calisthenics, stairclimbing or running. Use benches and playground equipment. Be creative and keep the intensity levels high!

 

Fit Foods On-The-Go

Temptations exist around every corner during the holidays. You can indulge a little as long as the rest of what you are eating is healthy. Hard to do when you aren't in your own kitchen, we know. But, here are some tips to help keep your eating clean:

1. Invest in a good cooler bag. Having a good cooler bag allows you to pack your meals so you don't have to worry about what you will be eating while travelling.
2. Prep your meals in advance. This allows you to have complete control over the ingredients you're using. Store in single-serving sizes. Freeze the meals you are taking with you and refrigerate what you will eat on your day of travel.
3. Ask the hotel for a refrigerator in your room. In the majority of cases, the hotel will provide refrigeration when asked.
4. Consider a meal prep service. Meal prep services can be a blessing because they take the hassle of having to prep food out of the equation, and they can deliver directly to your destination.
5. Pack emergency fit foods, like protein powder, protein bars and nuts. These make a great back up.
6. Consider staying in a hotel room with a kitchenette. It will make it easier to prepare fresh, whole meals for yourself.
7. Eat a small amount of lean protein before you indulge in a carb cheat. This will slow digestion and prevent the carbs from being stored as easily.
8. Drink at least 8 ounces of water before you indulge in a decadent treat. The water will fill you up and make you less likely to overindulge.
9. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. If you have a major holiday meal (or two or three) to attend, make sure you eat a small meal 2 and a half to 3 hours before so you won't be feeling ravenous at dinner time.
10. Don't cave in to peer pressure. Sometimes loved ones can sabotage your best intentions by encouraging you to eat unhealthy foods. When faced with those moments, ask yourself, is it worth sacrificing your hard work to make someone else happy?

How do you keep yourself on track over the holidays? Share your tips with us! Source: Oxygen