For many people, traveling to a new place is something to look forward to all year long. You spend months, maybe even years, planning out the perfect trip and outlining everything you want to do and see. As time goes on, you find your itinerary fills up and soon it looks like there are not many hours left in each day. 

It’s easy for this to happen, but as any person who is training knows, you have to find a place to fit your fitness routine in your daily travel activities without sacrificing the limited time you have in a place. When planning your trip, you want to make sure that you keep your fitness plan in mind. 

Knowing how to stay on top of your fitness while traveling might feel overwhelming, but with some adjustments, forethought, and planning, you will be able to stick with your training! 

Adjust Your Plan 

When you’re at home you follow a routine. It’s likely that you get up, start and end work, and workout around the same times everyday. That predictability makes it easy for us to stick to a fitness routine. When we’re traveling, routine often goes out the window. You might be dealing with jetlag or maybe you have to hit the road early in the morning (when you’d usually go on a run). Whatever the case, it’s important to make adjustments before you leave on your trip. 

The first thing to keep in mind is to be realistic when planning your travel fitness routine. You might not have the same equipment or amount of time, and you might be contending with an environment that’s very different from your own. Adjust your plan to fit in with both the difference in location and circumstances, but also any time constraints you might have. It’s important to manage your expectations; it’s likely that your fitness plan will change significantly. 

If your trip involves a lot of walking or hiking, then maybe forgo planning a run every single day of your trip. Instead, choose to do extra miles on days when there might be less movement. Often we don’t realize how much walking or hiking we are doing and it is easy to exhaust yourself if you push your body hard day after day. 

Research Routes and Gyms

Before you leave on your trip, start getting to know the area. 

If you often train with weights or other specialty equipment, researching gyms ahead of time will be beneficial. Does your hotel have a gym? If not, is there somewhere close by? Many gyms have short-term memberships that are great to take advantage of. 

If you are a runner or cyclist, look for routes ahead of time. Even just searching for popular bike or run paths on Google can bring up incredibly helpful results. By planning routes in advance, you can start to familiarize yourself and also have something to look forward to on your trip! 

Try Something New 

Traveling is all about having new experiences in places you’ve never seen. Take advantage of where you’re at and lean into the opportunity to try something you’ve never done before.

Your next trip is a great time to try something new in place of your “normal” workout. Look for activities and excursions with active components, like kayaking around a natural area, cycling tour of a city, or hiking to a popular vantage point. 

Activities like these blend seamlessly with your travel plans, letting you explore a new place while getting your heart pumping. Start planning for these ahead of your trip to ensure you are able to book any tickets you need or you have an idea of where to pick up your rental/park at the trailhead. 

Join a Local Training Group or Class

Do you regularly attend a training group or group fitness class? Rather than trying to train on your own in a new place, seek out a local training group or group class. Search online for fitness studios or check local specialty fitness stores (like running, triathlon, and bike shops) for events.

By doing this, you’ll get to meet people who are local to the area. Having the chance to chat with locals could lead to some excellent recommendations that you might not encounter otherwise. Making connections like these often lasts and leads to a unique experience in a foreign place. 

Additionally, you will benefit from receiving the same expertise and coaching you are used to back home. This can make you feel comfortable and help you stick to your fitness goals.  

Be Prepared 

One of the most important things to remember is to be prepared for the location you’re going. If you are used to warm-to-hot temperatures and take a trip somewhere that’s much cooler, you might “forget” just what a lower temperature feels like. Take some time to look at what the weather and terrain are like, and pack accordingly. While you might not have worn leggings while running for several months, your destination may have cold mornings or evenings that call for extra layers. It’s the same for the opposite; if you are from a colder climate and going somewhere warm, think critically about what clothing would be the most comfortable to exercise in, especially outside.

The last thing you want to do is reach your destination and realize you are missing an extra layer you need or a more supportive pair of shoes for treacherous terrain. 

Choose Healthy Options 

Trips often are times of indulgence. You may be eating a lot of your meals out and drinking more alcohol than you would in your day-to-day life. 

Part of staying on top of your fitness includes being cognizant of what you’re putting in your body. Before you leave, think about ways to keep your body fueled and hydrated, which will benefit both during and outside of exercising. One way to do this is making sure you always have a bottle of water on you so you’re not turning to sugary or heavy drinks. Additionally, you may consider eating a lighter breakfast and lunch if you plan on getting dinner every night. Plus, eating lighter can save you money, too!  

And when you are traveling, don't forget to pack your ZOZOSUIT so that you can scan while you're on the go with the ZOZOFIT app to keep track of how your fitness journey is progressing.

Happy travels!