Staying Fit and Healthy While Traveling
We have a questionably sane relative who loves to tell us… “Eating is a pain. I hate taking the time to do it.”
Yes, despite massive internal struggles, we still have a relationship with that person. Even so, we don’t understand people who don’t like food. And don’t even get me started on people who don’t like cheese (dietary restrictions aside). Take, for example, the woman we met recently who couldn’t stand the thought of putting a couple of strings on her chili. “Yuck, none for me,” she said. We both looked at her like she was from another planet as we painstakingly piled perfect mountains of cheddar atop our bowls.
Lately, we’ve been trying to keep things in balance because – as we’ve been saying – the travel dominos have started to fall. We’ve begun a string of travel that, interspersed with everything else in life, will have us on the move for a good chunk of time.
Whenever we’re in this mode, our minds turn to fitness and health. We know:
1) We have to keep up our exercise regimen no matter where we are.
2) We have to eat reasonably decently no matter where we are.
Or we will be huge, unhealthy and unhappy – none of which sound sound like appealing characteristics.
Every so often we’ll do a bootcamp-y sort of thing, but – for the most part – extreme tactics aren’t for us. We just know that paying some level of attention to nutrition and fitness is critical. It’s all about balance. Because we work on our own, comprehensive healthcare is prohibitively expensive. We only have coverage in the event that all hell breaks loose, so we have to be mindful of our day-to-day habits in order to stay as healthy as possible.
Nothing demonstrates the importance of mindful nutrition more than the time we did a month long vegan experiment. Before starting the experiment, we both had very good “total cholesterol” readings in the mid-100s. After just a month of being 100% vegan, that number dropped to the low 100s for both of us. Incredible. There was only one problem. During those 30 days, we had both turned into raging grumps (to put it gently).
We need our cheese.
We keep an eye on our “core” metrics – cholesterol, blood pressure, pulse, body fat, glucose, etc. and try not to get too worked up if those are in a decent range. We don’t have too many hard and fast rules around exercise and food, but we do try to stick to some basic parameters that we can adhere to whether or not we’re on the road. In addition to the biggies – exercising nearly every day and sticking to a mostly vegetarian diet – we try to avoid too many calories from liquids (juice, soda) and we build our at-home meal plans around some core vegan items – stir fry, burritos – that help to “offset” those times when we have meat, which usually happens only on the road, or too many desserts.
Lately, too, we’ve incorporated some little things that have made a surprisingly significant difference.
-An exercise in restraint…We try to avoid eating within two hours of bedtime.
-An exercise in portion control… We try to refrain from eating right out of the bag (chips!).
-An exercise in patience… We try to keep from eating while on the go.
On the fitness front… running is our go-to exercise at home, and it’s usually a great option on the road. This is a shot from a couple of weeks ago in Morocco. It can be difficult when staying in the center of a busy city, like Marrakech, but it’s usually a fantastic way to scope out a new destination and to pinpoint how it moves. The biggest challenge with running, really, is that it can create a bit of a packing dilemma when you’re heading to a cold weather destination. Oh, and you can get lost. Like we did in Marrakech.
We love it when we are able to stay at a place with some kind of fitness room or access to a local gym. If we have some space or are renting an apartment, Insanity workouts are a fantastic alternative. Have you heard of the Insanity videos? They’re a great – usually high intensity – option if you’ve got some space on the road. We got turned on to Insanity by a hardcore couple who worked on a cruise ship. As employees, they’d use the fitness room during off hours, so we’d join them from time to time. It kicked our butts at first but is now a regular part of our fitness plan.
Currently, we’re in Croatia where we’re having some of the most scenic runs in the history of our travels (and some of the best pizza in the history of our travels!). Watch for photos in future posts.
What about you. How do you stay fit and healthy while traveling?
As we move towards a lifestyle of permanent travel, we’re really trying to work this one out!
We had three months in the US last year and we completely lost any sense of normal when it came to eating. We turned into pigs – bread and soda loving pigs. We figured a few months at home would sort us out but that coincided with Christmas/New Year which meant a lot of parties and drinking.
Now we’re back on the road and trying to work out how to lose weight and keep it off while we’re moving around. We’re in Thailand which means access to amazing food but luckily it’s too hot to eat much.
Portion control/restraint is a big thing for us I think. The portions in America are out of control. The Thai seem a bit more restrained. Small portions but lots of options so it doesn’t feel like we’re missing out.
Is Insanity like P90X? We were thinking of giving P90X a go.
You have hit on one of the best and worst things about the US – portion sizes. When we were in Spain, we were joking that tapas is one of the silliest ideas ever, you get just enough to want a whole lot more. In the US, if you aren’t stuffed like a thanksgiving turkey after every meal, you feel like you got ripped off!
I believe Insanity is put out by the same people as P90X. We have done both, and would recommend either. The great thing about Insanity is that all you need is room to move (no weights or bands), which makes it very convenient. It is also feels a lot more hardcore than P90X.
If you do go the P90X / Insanity route, let us know how it goes!
I totally agree. If I don’t go running every morning and eat a reasonable diet, the “splurges” to enjoy the good local dishes (and dessert of course) would sneak up on me fast.
I am a runner as well, which can be difficult in some parts of Latin America. I just learned to ignore the stares. When I settled in BA last year, I joined a gym, and I loved being able to mix up my workout with Body Pump and Body Combat classes. This time in BA I discovered a Cross Fit-style workout group that meets in the park every morning and costs just over US$3. Love it!
I bet you get some stares running in most of Latin / South America. When we were in Quito, we would get full on “what the hell is wrong with those guys” stares. BA was a breath of fresh air after that.
A gym in BA? We did that as well and have never felt worse about our bodies. We have never seen such attractive people in our lives. I practically had to get a rib removed just to feel like we belonged.
I try to do as much walking as possible and also try to stick to my routine of doing pushups every other day as well. Other than that, I do some of the same eating tactics you guys do. I have attempted (not always) to not eat a few hours prior to sleeping, and though I eat everything, I really love fruit and vegetables – so in SE Asia, it’s pretty easy for me to eat mounds of fruit everyday! I do attempt to limit my deep fried intake as well… sometimes!
You are doing something right, which is baffling. I gain a pound or two every time I watch one of your videos.
I wish I had the discipline and motivation you guys have for keeping in shape! Very impressed!
When it comes to exercise, we don’t play. When it comes to being good about what we eat, well, let’s just say it can get real ugly!
Ack! This is the hardest part of travel for me… not being much of a runner, it’s hard to find some balance of activity and enjoying all the delicious treats the world has to offer – thanks for the tips
Ironically, I read this while fighting a bad cold. So I know this is certain for me – one of the best ways to stay healthy is to get rest. I don’t get enough rest at times and when I do, I get sick. Always happens. Good reminder to slow down.
As for exercise, I enjoy walking and hiking. I get lots more exercise when I am traveling than when I am at home. So I always look forward to hitting the road. I detest running but I do enjoy pushing myself and that helps me stay in shape.
Good call on the sleep! That is so important and not something we mess around with. Not only do we not feel well, neither of us are great travel companions when we are tired.
I don’t – and I have nothing else to say on the matter.
And yet you look fantastic. How irritating.
We are about to hit the road for 8 weeks and I have been looking for some workout tips! Checking out the insanity workouts now thanks guys.
Cheeeese!
Kali and I don’t have a great fitness routine on the road, and when we’re traveling we tend to indulge more than normal (“We HAVE to have a chocolatina – we’re in France!). So yeah, we don’t do a great job of staying healthy on the road. Thankfully we both prefer to eat lighter, healthier foods for the most part and prefer to walk around cities instead of taxi or whatever, but we’re far from being super healthy specimens. That’s something we definitely need to work on changing.
Well… eating lighter, healthier foods is a huge step and a big part of the equation.
Great advise about exercising everyday and basic nutrition. Traveling isn’t a license to binge. Now if only I can control the liquid calories better….
I hear you, Roy. Making the switch to 0 calorie soda is a biggie. Now… what about 0 calorie booze
I like to run every now and then too. To the grocery store. For chips. Cheese-flavoured of course.
We’ll get along just fine…
It is canny that I should read this post as just yesterday, I was examining my fitness and how it is going to hold me back when traveling. I really want to do a hiking tour but cigarettes are my downfall.
I think it’s a sign
Your guidelines of portion control, not eating close to bedtime, and not eating on-the-go are powerful. What I’ve found that helps maybe even more is getting away from the “meal mentality”. My calories intake has dropped significantly as a result. I don’t think of eating ‘meals’ at all. I do like the socializing aspect so I eat slowly and savor, which lowers my intake as well. Changing your thinking is probably the most powerful thing you can do. I am an occasional vegan (I rarely eat cheese) but I’ve heard many say ‘if it wasn’t for cheese, I’d be vegan.’
I, too, like to run, and an effective running exercise that I can do in less than 20 minutes is the interval run. 5 minutes warm-up, and then a minute sprinting alternating with a minute of medium-slow pace. Repeat, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with big results from a short time-commitment. I’ve been exercising since college (too long ago) and this is what I’ve found works best for me after trying many types of cardio, but there’s exercise science that backs it up. I’m inspired by your guys’s travelling. Cheers!
Exercise while I travel? Heck, I don’t even exercise at home! When I travel I usually walk a lot more than I normally do so that helps offset all the food I eat!
I seem to remember a fairly recent post in which you talk about taking up walking
On the road I tend to get my exercise from walking, often several miles a day in urban environments. I’m pretty content with my diet, I just need to cut back a bit on the carbs, which can be hard while traveling. I tend to alternate cheap, reasonably healthy meals (Subway!) with more filling dishes from local hotspots when I travel.
I think walking is great and goes a long way in offsetting calories from indulging in great food on the road. I would walk 20 miles a day before I’d give up carbs. That’s dedication… to food.
I am also really struggling with this, I need to be active on the road but I don’t like to run. Would you believe I’m bringing a magic bullet with me to Mexico so I can make green smoothies!
Great idea! I should have mentioned in the post that we have smoothies at home pretty much everyday.
VitaMix people… it rocks!
You two are sickeningly healthy – but you both have some great tips here that I’ll use next year. I’m not relishing the thought of 6 months+ on the road, trying new food and me turning into a heiffer. My metabolism is atrocious even when I am working out and eating well.
Running is a great tip. I’ve also got some apps on my phone that are really good for using in a small space, i.e. a hostel or hotel room, and act like a slightly annoying personal trainer.
Please share those apps!
I really like your point on the regular exercising, I always use the gym and the swimming pool of the hotel, because I am very often on a business trip, I spend a lot of nights in hotels. If I have enough time for that, I exercise everyday while being abroad.
I usually think that walking is exercise enough when I’m traveling, but after meeting a couple in their 50s on a train in Italy, I’ve realized that I’m going to have to change that view sooner rather than later. They said they rarely ever miss a day at the gym even when traveling. Scott and I don’t like gyms, but we do like to do yoga. I think incorporating some yoga time into daily walks is a must for our future travels. We love hiking and surfing, but those are not always readily available.
You guys sound like you have a good balance and stay conscious of your health when traveling.
I would love to roll some yoga into the travel mix. Could have used a good yoga session after the phone was stolen
I am going to have to check out these insanity videos. Wow! Being healthy and working out while traveling is a huge challenge for me, maybe because my travel buddy is not the most work out orientated. But it’s no excuse! Since we have left the big city and our staying in the countryside with a yoga studio, I have been working out like crazy. It’s like my drug! So I got my boost back, now I just gotta keep it up. You both are motivation for me. When I try and say…it’s just too hard when traveling I think of my NVR friends.
Glad you’ve been able to work out. We know how you were craving that!
Bikes! We grab one as quickly as we can arriving at a new place – it’s impossible to ride a bike without grinning from ear to ear. It’s a great pace to see things and there’s always ample parking.
As far as food goes – I call myself a “meat avoider.” Probably pretty close to you guys. David’s a full blown carnivore, but we are very careful to skip the hormone and antibiotic laced junk. -Veronica
Hi, Veronica – We want to do more biking in places. We’ve only done it a few times. Once was a wine country tour – now that’s the way to do a wine country tour.
I seem to have the opposite problem of staying fit when I’m NOT traveling! I find when I’m on the road, I walk SO much, plus hauling my backpack, climbing mountains, steps (since there are often no elevators) etc, so I get a lot more exercise. At home I just sit all day!
As a result, I have to make more effort to eat balanced meals and exercise when I’m at home than when I travel! (And I’m in the US, so yeah, there’s that whole gigantic portion size issue!).
Good point, and we feel that way too, at times. Stay away from those 44 ounce sodas
My biggest challenge is the food. I’ve learned that food is so much a part of places, not indulging feels like I’m only half traveling!
i actually like to run when I’m on the road. i love the sites I get to see when I’m running!! Unfortunately, if I’m working, then I don’t get a chance to go more than once!
Phenomenal post.
I personally follow P90X. I have an extendable pullup bar that fits into my 35 Liter pack, and a pair of heavy-duty resistance bands that easily coil up and go into the bottom. Everything else is pushups/yoga/plyometrics/etc. You can do it all in the privacy of your room and you don’t need a lot of equipment.
But as you mention…staying near a gym can help if you don’t want to travel with minimal equipment.
I also follow The Mediterranean Diet pretty much everywhere I go these days. I lost over 50 pounds when I was living for 2.5 years in Bulgaria eating salads, yogurt and lots of fish, and I haven’t been sick once in 5 years since making the change into healthy living through whole foods and regular fitness.