How to Stay Fit While Traveling (2023)

Traveling is all about having new experiences. Unfortunately, it can throw you off your routine—which I learned isn’t always a good thing for your health.

If you’ve been watching your calories, managing your weight, or making other lifestyle adjustments, a trip can derail you from these healthy habits.

For example, you’re more likely to eat empty calories or consume more calories than usual when you’re trying out foods you haven’t eaten before.

I’ve also seen many people stop their daily workouts because they’re out most of the day and are too tired by the time they get back to the hotel.

This doesn’t have to be the case when you’re traveling. You can make healthy choices while enjoying your vacation.

Below are some practical ways to stay fit even when you’re not at home:

Drink As Much Water As You Can

We all plan our trips in unique ways. For example, I enjoy walking around historical districts and going to beaches even if it’s ninety degrees out.

My friend, Alex, hates the sun. But she wouldn’t mind hiking mountains for a few days, camping out for a week, and taking skiing trips when snow hits the ground.

Regardless of what you plan for your next big adventure, you will probably expose yourself to environments and temperatures you’re not used to.

You want to drink plenty of water so your body is ready for these physical challenges. This is usually around 9 to 13 cups of water daily.

Here are our recommendations for staying hydrated:

• Bring a reusable bottle that you can refill with a fresh batch
• Remember to get water from clean sources
• If you don’t have easy access to clean water, buy bottled water instead
• Make a conscious effort to drink water even if you’re not thirsty
• Adjust your water intake based on the weather and activity level, such as drinking more water if the weather is too hot

If you’ve been trying to lose weight, drinking water with meals may also help you avoid high-calorie beverages like soda and shakes.

Limit Alcohol Intake

It’s perfectly fine to drink some alcohol especially when you’re traveling to wine or beer destinations. What’s not okay is if you drink too much.

Excessive alcohol intake is unhealthy and dangerous, no matter the occasion. 

Alcoholic beverages also add unnecessary calories and sugars to your diet, which isn’t good for your blood sugar levels and weight.

You’re more likely to get into accidents, fall victim to a crime, and engage in risky behaviors when you’re drunk. Here’s how you can control your alcohol intake:

• Have no more than one to two drinks per day
• When sampling wines or beers, just take a few sips of each
• If you have to drink a whole glass or small bottle, you should drink slowly
• Drink water and food in between alcohol to prevent intoxication
• Use food-tracking apps to monitor your alcohol intake

Maintain A Balanced Diet

Part of traveling is enjoying food, snacks, and delicacies that are unique to the places you visit. However, this doesn’t mean you should overeat. 

There’s also no need to miss out on less healthy dishes just because you’re on a calorie-restricted diet. Try out our suggestions for maintaining a healthy diet:

• Before the trip, you should research meals and snacks you want to try and look up their nutritional information, like ingredients and calorie content.
• List down foods that you’ll allow yourself to eat during your trip. Make sure to consider your preferences and dietary restrictions, like if you’re vegan or have any food allergies or intolerances.
• Try not to eat several dishes in one sitting. Consider spacing them out throughout your trip, so you can savor each meal.
• If you’re out of time and have to try different foods at once, eat smaller portions of each delicacy so you don’t end up eating more than you should.
• If you catch yourself eating more unhealthy foods, balance it out by eating healthier meals the rest of the day.
• Use calorie trackers to monitor your calories and macronutrients.

Build Activity Into Your Travel Plans

Traveling already involves a lot of physical activity. But it’s not the type that will help you burn off excess calories or make your trip more enjoyable.

This is why we recommend building activities into your travel plans so you can continue to stay active, such as:

• Sea kayaking
• Whitewater rafting
• City walking tours
• Bike tours
• Trekking
• Snorkeling

You can either plan your excursions before your trip or seek recommendations from hotel staff once you reach your destination.

Remember to sync step counters like Fitbit and Apple Watch with compatible fitness and weight loss apps so you can keep track of the calories you burn.

Get Adequate Exercise

You can plan most vacations to include some kind of physical activity. However, some trips—like guided bus tours and island hopping—aren’t as flexible.

If excursions aren’t possible, you’ll need to add exercise to your daily routine. 

You can do simple workouts in your room like push-ups and squats without any equipment. You can also use the gym or pool at your hotel to get some exercise.