My Best Tips For How To Stay Healthy While Traveling
One thing I get asked a lot is how to stay healthy while traveling. This is definitely a challenge I have struggled with in the past, because it’s so easy for your routine to get disrupted on vacation. For the last year, I’ve been traveling and working remotely from over 10 different locations and have learned a LOT. I have compiled my four best tips for maintaining a healthy balance between keeping up your routine and enjoying yourself on vacation.
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Do the research ahead of time. Get recommendations from friends (like me!) or locate healthy, yummy restaurants using Yelp or Google Maps before you arrive at your destination. Bookmark them on Google Maps so you have them handy when you’re out and about and get hungry. I have a few restaurants booked in each of my city bookmark guides you can find here.
This is also helpful if you are looking to make reservations! A lot of nice restaurants, especially in the more touristy areas, can get booked up with reservations a month in advance! We ran into this issue in Waikiki a couple of times. Although I had booked a fair number of restaurants nearly two months before we got there. You can always cancel the reservation if you change your mind (shoutout to Open Table)!
The key here is really to do all your prep work in advance so that on vacation you can just relax and not have to think about these small details. I’ve found that when I am deciding where to eat last minute, especially if I am already hungry (and probably hangry), I make decisions based off my cravings, which tend to be unhealthier. Not that there’s anything wrong with indulging, especially when you’re on vacation! However, I think this honestly adds unnecessary stress on your vacation.
2. Stay in a hotel with a gym or locate a nearby gym
You might be thinking, why on earth would I want to spend my vacation in a stuffy, sweaty gym?! And that is totally fair, you do not need to do this! There are a ton of other ways to incorporate physical activity into your trip itinerary. I’ve realized that for me, working out first thing in the morning boosts my energy levels naturally, as I don’t drink caffeine. And it puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day.
When we went to the Bahamas, there was a beautiful gym on the property. There was an outdoor area that had fun classes, like Yoga with Flamingoes! Read more about our stay at SLS Baha Mar here. For my single readers – this can also be a great way to mingle and meet friends (vacation flings) on your trip.
So many places also have daily/weekly/monthly passes you can get. When I was in Barcelona for a week, I found this gym right down the street from where I was staying. It had a weekly pass for only 20 Euros!
3. Bring your favorite protein bars
I usually bring one protein bar for every day of my trip. Here’s my logic: they are small so I can stuff them into random corners of space in my suitcase. And, as I eat them as I go, I free up space for souvenirs to take home! They are the perfect on-the-go snack. While I don’t generally advise eating protein bars every single day, I think this is a reasonable exception. They’ll likely be a lot cheaper and healthier than other snacks you’d be able to find in a pinch.
My personal favorite is the Go Macro bars – either the oatmeal chocolate chip or the double chocolate + peanut butter chip flavor. I have had a lot of protein bars over the years and think these have the best macros. A lot of brands tend to just be packed with sugar and not actually that much protein. They are also 100% sustainable! I recently learned you can recycle the wrappers through their free TerraCycle Program.
4. Drink more water than you think you need
I swear most of the time you think you are hungry, you’re actually just thirsty. Especially when you’re out all day long in the sun walking 20k – 30k steps, you need even more water than normal! It’s so important to stay hydrated. Also I’ve noticed, especially in Europe, you have to buy water at restaurants, and there are no water fountains anywhere. I am always carrying around my water bottle.
Most of these tips probably sound very simple, and honestly they are! My best advice is to keep it simple and don’t overthink it. Planning ahead will make sure that you don’t have to use any extra mental energy on vacation. Instead, you can focus on relaxing and enjoying your time when you’re there.
Do you have any other good tips? Drop it in the comments below. And be sure to sign up for my mailing list to stay in the loop!
mariss
