Like most people, I often find that I feel almost equally passionate about two different, conflicting, and incompatible things. I love the thrill of shopping, but I also love the satisfaction of saving or paying off a debt. I love being around friends and family and on-the-go, but I also love time alone or with my puppies just reading or writing at home. And I love travel, adventures and sightseeing, but I also really love my usual routine and habits. Over the past 40 days, I have spent 25 of them traveling and away from home so I am now very eager to get back to “normal life.” I would love to catch up on some deep cleaning around the house, grab coffee with friends at Cork Coffee Roasters (obviously) and of course get back to my full teaching schedule at the studio. It’s much easier (and usually more tasty) for me to eat nutritiously at home than on the road and I am craving my usual workout regime. All that to say, I have learned how to be creative over the past few areas in these areas and thankfully never feel that going away means going off the rails for me anymore. It’s taken a lot of practice and time, but I now have an arsenal of travel friendly meal prep and “emergency” food options and I can usually navigate restaurant menus to find options which fit with how I prefer to eat. And although I miss being at my usual barre, I have also figured out a few good ways to get and stay active while traveling.
How to Stay Active While Traveling ::
- If possible, WALK: If I’m traveling for fun, I try to make it a point to get outside and walk if and when possible. It’s not only a great way to stay active while traveling, but it’s also a good way to experience a new place. Your perspective and sightseeing is much different when you walk as opposed to any other mode of transportation, something I know my parents and I really appreciated whilst recently in London and Paris. Of course last week we were moving all over the state of Colorado, in the car for hours a day to move from one location to the next, but we did a lot of hiking out in the mountains and when we were in Denver we walked to the grocery store and other shops. In general, if something is less than 30 minutes away by foot, we walk. If I’m traveling for work, I try to take the stairs, go for a walk while on a break or lunch or even suggest a walking meeting if possible.
- Choose active activities and adventures: Over the past week, Jon and I were able to go on some pretty epic hikes at high elevation, SUP in the Colorado River and at the Lake, and go boating. While my parents were here we not only walked A LOT, but also went kayaking at Lough Hyne to see the bioluminescence. Back in Salt Lake City, I had the opportunity to partake in morning movement sessions and afternoon hikes. When it comes to work I try to stay active while traveling by suggesting fun group active activities with my colleagues (I’ve actually convinced a few coworkers to go to barre classes with me!) or go on my own if at all possible.
- Try to get some workouts in: Since barre is one of my most favorite things in the whole world, I always try to make it to a few classes wherever I go – it’s really fun to visit other studios, experience other teachers and styles, and get a class in. Over the past month or so, I’ve been able to take some Pure Barre and megaformer in both SLC and in Denver and I go to do some HIIT and yoga while at the Whole30 coaches conference. Sometimes it’s not possible to make it to an actual class given location or timetable so I try to do a workout on my own in a hotel gym or even my own room (plenty of potential workouts to try here!). My motto is always that doing something is always better than doing nothing! Often my workouts on my own in a hotel room are far from the best that I’ve ever had, but I try not to let perfect be the enemy of good.
- Incorporate some sneaky exercise: It doesn’t have to be elaborate, fancy or long in terms of duration – maybe do some squats or calf raises while you brush your teeth. Do 10 jumping jacks or pushups before your shower, hold a plank on the beach between swimming and sunning, or go for a little jog on your way to grab coffee. It doesn’t take much to get your heart rate up and to boost your energy for whatever fun (or work) you have planned!
The bottom line: It doesn’t have to be elaborate or majorly time consuming to maintain your healthy habits on-the-go. Vacations should be fun and refreshing, which for me means finding little ways to stay active while traveling.