How to Stay Fit Whilst Travelling?

Monsoon is coming to an end, and it is time to plan your next holiday trip. Going out on a vacation is mainly about breaking free from the regular mundane life and recharging your depleted batteries. However, the biggest concern for you, as a fitness enthusiast, while taking some time out for a trip, is that it can stymie your fitness routine.

Even if you decide to work out during your vacation, the biggest problem would be to find the necessary fitness equipment. After all, not every hotel has a gym. Or worse, if you are close to nature, there probably would not be any fitness studio. Another concern is the diet. You would not always get your preferred diet which is high in protein and low in carbs. It becomes really difficult to keep a tab on the calories you consume and the calories you burn when you are traveling.

So, to make things simpler, we have come up with a list of solutions to deal with your concern - How to stay fit whilst on traveling? Following are the solutions to this problem -

1. Give it a break - If the duration of the vacation is less than three weeks, it is completely OK if you cannot work out like you generally do. In fact, it is better if you do not do any kind of intense training during that period. After all, taking a vacation means taking a break from all the tiring and stressful things you regularly do. Just like your mind, your body needs a break as well.

2. Walkathon - Walk as often as you can. For covering a short distance, avoid taking a taxi (unless you have luggage or time is not on your side). If nothing else, participate in Free Walking Tours that are getting more and more popular these days, especially in Europe, United States, and Australia. And the best thing about walking at an unfamiliar destination is that it will allow you to explore the place in a much finer way.

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A Free Walking Tour for tourists, organized somewhere in Europe

3. Do free hand exercises - Increase your physical activities by climbing the stairs instead of using the elevator or the escalator. Running in a park instead of using the treadmill will do wonders not just to your body, but also to your mind. Do free hand exercises like burpees, squats, sit-ups, and planks. You do not have to lift weights to stay fit.

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A tourist running on a chilly winter morning in the streets of France

4. Take up an adventure course - If you are taking a vacation to the mountains or to the beaches, you will have a lot of options. In the mountains, you can go for a trek. There are not many better exercises known to humans than going on a trek. On the beaches, you can go for a swim, or run. Another option one can get is to enroll oneself for a course. Since the travel industry is evolving with every passing day, a lot of short courses are held at popular destinations. Take India for instance. You can go to Manali (a mountainous region in Himachal Pradesh) and learn rock climbing. Or you can go to Manipal in Karnataka, and learn Surfing. Both the sports are fun and can improve your fitness.

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A student with his surfing instructor after the completion of a course

5. Know what you eat - When it comes to eating, it can get a little tricky. It is not easy to resist oneself from having those scrumptious pizzas or those mouthwatering creamy buttermilk when you are traveling. But guess what? You can have them all (just know where to draw the line). Having a diet which is high in carbs for a couple of days can be dealt with. It will not have much of an impact unless you do not have enough control over your appetite. As for protein, you can always carry protein or calcium supplements with you.

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A combination of chocolate drink and protein shake

6. Learn a Martial Art - Start learning a form martial art before you go for the vacation. Martial Arts are underrated but serve a great purpose. It is good to take care of your body and doing all those fitness workouts, but nothing beats martial arts. Consider Bruce Lee, for instance. You can practice any form of martial art pretty much anywhere during your vacation. All you would need is a nice environment.

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Two young men practising flying kicks during their Muay Thai session at a beach

7. Do Yoga - There is a no better physical exercise for your mind and your body than Yoga. Practicing Yoga regularly can not only keep you physically and mentally robust but can also keep the ailments at bay. What's more? Your body will be thankful to you for the rest of your life. And if you think doing yoga is a child's play, try doing Chakrasana (back arch pose). Still, think it is easy?

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A kid doing Charkrasana to improve her flexibility

8. Play a sport - This one is probably the easiest suggestion, but not something most people follow - play a sport. There are so many sports one can choose from. Take football, for instance. It is the most popular sport, and pretty much wherever you go, you can people playing the sport. You do not need a lot of people to play a game of football. Your body would not even know that it is working out, and you will stay fit.

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A father and a son playing football at a beach during their family trip

PIC CREDITS- Masiosare un extrano enemigo, arwyn moore, pierre laroche, ajay d'souza, sean Farrell, ismail musharough, adam Hartman, alex saberi