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15 Tips for staying healthy while travelling

When you are travelling, it is not always very simple to keep up your normal exercise routine or your healthy eating habits. I know what I’m talking about. When I was in Australia on my first working holiday visa, I let myself party too much, drink way too much goon and eat whatever I felt like and stopped working out regularly. If you do this for one week, you can get away with it quite easily. But for a year, and especially if you are not in your early twenties anymore, things can be very different. In one year, I gained almost ten kilos and felt more horrible I had felt for a long time. I knew I had to do something differently in my second year, and use a bit more imagination to keep up my diet and exercise.

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1. Choose a hotel with a gym

When I have to choose between different accommodation options, I tend to opt the one with a gym area. I know that the exercising areas at hotels are not always the best ones, but with a bit of imagination, you can have a great workout there too. Working out right after your flight also helps to reduce jet lag also.

2. Take advantage of free trials

When I was in Australia, I used to google for free gym trials in different cities and try out several different places. In the bigger cities in Australia, you are able to work out easily for a month without paying just by taking advantage of these free trials. If you want to save money, look for Groupon discounts on different gym memberships, lessons, boot camps, riding lessons, surfing courses or whatever tickles your fancy.

3. Walk as much as you can

Sometimes when I am exploring a new place, I might end up walking easily 20 000 or 30 000 steps per day without even noticing it. Renting a bike might also be a good option. In warmer places, I try to take advantage of mornings, when it’s usually a bit cooler, and use those valuable hours on jogging by the beach.

4. Swimming is great

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It is often free also! Snorking makes it a bit more fun, too!

5. Eat a proper breakfast

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In some countries, locals have only a cup of coffee and a small biscuit for their brekky. That is not the case for me! I need a proper breakfast to give me energy for the day. My typical breakfast consists of eggs, oatmeal, frozen or fresh berries and coffee. If I’m staying at a hotel, I try to avoid bacon or those delicious croissants with chocolate filling, and go for wholemeal bread, boiled or poached eggs, fish and fruits and veggies.

6. Don’t eat out all the time

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I try to choose an accommodation with some cooking facilities. Making my own food sometimes does not only save money, but I can also go to local markets and choose healthy ingredients for my lunch or dinner. Of course eating at restaurants is a part of holiday, and love eating out too.

7. Visit conservation areas

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When I lived in Melbourne, sometimes I took a train to the Dandenong Ranges and did a walk called 1000 steps. Visiting national parks or conservation areas does good to both your mind and body.

8. Know what is healthy and what is “healthy”

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Many juices, mueslis, yogurts or granola bars are packed with sugar and far from being healthy, even though people tend to eat them for a “healthy” snack. Also things like sushi usually have healthy fatty fish and avocado, but you should remember than a big box of sushi has actually a lot of calories, easily around 1000 kcal. Also the way the food is cooked has a big impact on whether the food is healthy or not. In Australia, I thought that I was ordering some healthy white fish from the menu, but ended up getting a piece or creasy battered fish with some chips and hardly any salad.

9. Try different activities while travelling

I can guarantee that after hours or horseback riding or diving, you are going to sleep like a baby.

10. Avoid sugary cocktails

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If you want to go out, have a glass of wine instead

11. Eat proper meals instead of constant snacking

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On a holiday you should enjoy yourself! But if you have a pressed juice there, one cocktail here, then three scoups of ice-cream, you end up eating hundreds of calories without even noticing. I absolutely crave for sugar, but I try my best to avoid chocolate and candy by earing regularly and eating enough carbs.

12. Different workout apps follow you wherever you go

I have saved Kayla Itsinet’s HIIT-workouts on my phone, and I try to do at least two 28-minute workouts every week.

13. Use YouTube videos

On YouTube, you can find excellent workouts that you can do using just your body weight. I tend to do follow some stretching or yoga videos that I can easily do in the privacy of my own hotel room.

14. Plan ahead

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Of course you shouldn’t plan everyhing when you are on a holiday. I try to plan at least some hours for exercising every now and then. I also plan when and what I should eat, so that I don’t go too long without any food.

15. Balance

If you are going on a a holiday for a week, you can skip your exercise routines and eat without any guilt. And even though you plan to travel for longer, don’t stress too much about eating or working out. After all, it is all about balance: getting enough sleep and rest, having as little stress as possible, eating well, exercising and enjoying your life.

 

2 Comments

  • Jess French
    September 18, 2017 at 2:15 pm

    Great post, People forget about how run-down travelling can make you, nice to be reminded of a few ways to stay healthy!

    Reply
    • Sandra
      September 18, 2017 at 4:37 pm

      Thanks Jess! It is sometimes a bit complicated to decide to exercise or eat healthy when you are on the road, but you should try to make the effort for your own wellbeing 🙂

      Reply

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