How To Keep Up Your Exercise Routine While Traveling

Nov 30

We all love the holidays, traveling to see loved ones to enjoy the season, especially after dealing with the extra distance caused by COVID-19. However, if you have developed an exercise regimen to foster healthy aging, relying on a trusted fitness app, you don't want to lose any ground. Whether you recently started or are continuing an established strategy, you can enjoy your daily walks and strength sessions no matter where you go.

If you love your fitness routine, there is no reason to pause during holiday travel. Even if you recently decided to get fit and are starting now, you can keep it going while on the road, in a hotel, or staying with friends and family. You don't have to fall into the holiday trap that many do, letting your health goals slide into the new year.

Don't let a cross-country flight or long road trip derail your "fit after 50" plan. Decide that healthy eating and regular exercise can become natural parts of your travel plans, and stick to that philosophy.

Strategize for Success

Treat your exercise plan like any other part of your travels. Whether you do so officially or loosely in your mind, you probably create an itinerary for your travel plans. Why not treat fitness as another official entry in your calendar?

Even if your family has a whole list of events planned to celebrate the holidays, you can always squeeze in brief but effective walks, jogs, or yoga sessions.

Let's take a look at some things to consider to set yourself up for success before you start packing.

Determine Where You Will Travel

Knowing where you will end up and what the atmosphere will be like on your journey is sometimes half the battle. If you know you are going to your family home, where your mother still loves baking decadent treats, and your dad relishes watching the game-day festivities, you probably already know the challenges ahead.

However, now you have a plan to follow, so you know what you need to do and how to let your loved ones know how important it is to you to exercise for maintaining weight after weight loss and staying fit as you get older.

If you plan to do something different and take a trip on your own or with your spouse, you might not know exactly what challenges you will face. Take some time to consider what your trip's itinerary looks like and how you can ensure that it all syncs up with your daily exercise routine.

Here are some things to think about and do to ensure success:

Will you stay at a hotel with a fitness center? If so, you have chosen well and are in luck! Call ahead to get all the details regarding the hotel fitness center, such as the available times and what equipment and amenities are available. Do they have cardio equipment like treadmills and elliptical trainers? Is there a swimming pool and strength equipment?
Have you scheduled an Air BNB or other similar accommodation? These lodgings are often in someone's home or are inns or traditional bed and breakfast spots. In this case, there probably isn't an official fitness center, but you can still exercise in these cozy spots. Before booking a room or suite in one of these locations, consult a map to find nearby parks, trails, or a branch of your local gym or one that you can use for a reasonable fee while visiting. Even if you can't find official exercise spaces, you can do something. Make space in your room, and do some stretches or chair exercises, walk in place, or stream a favorite online yoga or Pilates class.

Look at How You Will Travel and How Long It Will Take

The way you plan to travel can impact your approach to staying fit while traveling. If you're planning a long drive, you will certainly prepare differently than if you have a flight or ocean cruise scheduled. Let's take a look at what each standard form of travel entails.

Car Trips. We all know how easy it is to stop at a fast-food drive-thru—or several—while on the road. We're only human, and sometimes when traveling, it feels like we're taking a vacation from our health. Many of us told ourselves we could get away with some decadence in our 20s, 30s, and 40s, but we all know how counterproductive this is as our age creeps over 50. For car trips, bring a cooler filled with healthy snacks and bottled water, then stop only at rest areas where you can get out of the car to take a walk and get fresh air. With this strategy, you can steal yourself to drive past the temptations.
Air Travel. The best thing about flying is that you will reduce the duration of your trip. However, you can't get up and exercise, so if you have a long trip, you might feel antsy by the time you arrive at your destination. Try not to go overboard on any available snacks on the flight, and plan a long walk or visit to the gym when you arrive at your lodgings to stretch your legs and prepare for a good night's rest to get back on track the next day.
Ocean Cruise. Perhaps you and your spouse or whole family have decided to celebrate the holidays on a Caribbean cruise. For many people, this could spell disaster for a healthy lifestyle and low carb diet, but you can enjoy your trip and focus on your health with some planning. A cruise ship has plenty of exercise options, such as walking the deck, taking a swim in the ship's swimming pool, or visiting the fitness center.

Pack for Fitness

Now that you know what the travel and accommodations will look like, you can pack for fitness with ease and confidence. While you can't pack your treasured dumbbells, there is plenty of great, travel-friendly fitness gear you shouldn't leave behind.

Here are some ideas to keep in mind when packing:

Switch Out Key Items As Needed. Switch out a pair of dress shoes for walking, jogging, or other comfortable exercise shoes.
Dress for Success. Remember to stick some running tights or other warm training pants and a warm shirt or two for outdoor exercise into your bag. For indoor workouts, bring your favorite yoga pants or shorts and T-shirts. If you enjoy swimming and have access to a swimming pool, bring your essential swim gear like your swimsuit, goggles, and a swim cap.
Tote Weights without Extra Weight. You don't have to sacrifice your strength workouts, thankfully. Resistance bands are an ideal alternative to your dumbbells or your gym's strength machines.
Bring Some Therapy Items. If you experience soreness after exercise, remember to bring smaller items like stretch bands and a calf roller.
Create Your Own Space. In case you know a gym isn't available, and the weather will probably be atrocious, you'll have to bring an extra towel or a small floor mat to use in your room for core exercise, yoga, and other floor work.

Keep Active As You Go

As mentioned above, you can stay active as you go: during travel, while at your destination, and on your way back home. Here are some ideas to help you stay on track while away:

Stick to Your Exercise Itinerary

Again, set a fitness itinerary for all points of travel, and stick to it. Carve out that time as an essential part of your well-being. Get out for walks and stretches during road travel, and plan a workout as soon as possible after your flight lands.

Once at your destination, let your parents, adult children, siblings, or friends know how important it is to you to stay fit. Invite them to join you for walks and other exercises, or ask them for their patience as you do what you need to do to stay fit and active so that you can see them again, year after year, and in good health.

Use Any Free Moments to Get In Some Movement

Whether because of a lack of ideal exercise space or a tight travel itinerary, you might need to get in some activity any time you can. Plan for a 10-15 minute routine first thing in the morning, even if you have to wake up early, then another during a midday break, and another before bedtime. If you are sightseeing, skip the elevator or escalator, and use the stairs. Walk to the next attraction instead of taking a trolley or a golf cart. There are always ways to choose a healthier option, so stay vigilant, and take advantage of those opportunities.

Don't Let Your Portable Devices and Fitness Apps Go to Waste

Use your smartphone, tablet, or laptop to stay on track for fitness. You can use video platforms to pull up thousands of fitness videos for everything from virtual adventure cycling workouts to low-impact cardio exercise and more. If you have a subscription to an app that works for you, take it with you during your travels to get all the support you need during a joyous but often chaotic time of year.

Get Started

If you want to get your fitness plan on track before you start packing, our Mighty Health team is here to get you going and support you on your travel and fitness journeys. We offer plans for healthy eating, exercise strategies fit for you, and a team of fitness and nutrition experts available to support you on your way to fitness and beyond.

Melissa Cooper

Melissa is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio who knows more than a little about trying to maintain health and fitness in her 50s. Fairly new to the decade, she focuses on good nutrition and consistent, low-impact exercise to stay on track for good health throughout the next decade and beyond. Her goal is to help others find their way to good health at every age.