“It’s ok, you’re on vacation!” “Enjoy, you’ll work it off when you get home.”
The few statements that can easily make you gain 10 pounds. A drink here, some ice cream there, lay on the beach all day long.
It all adds up.
Jack and I are very into our health and fitness, more so Jack really (I lurveeee my sweets and carbs too much), but we like to (attempt) to keep fit and take care of our bodies, especially when we are traveling. But when you travel, your fitness and health routine suddenly becomes unfamiliar. On top of having Crohn’s diseases, finding proper foods to eat and working out while away makes staying fit and healthy is very difficult.
What path should you run? Where can you get a protein shake? Can I get this gluten-free and with soy milk? What about arm day? It becomes tough and confusing to your body! But there are ways to keep fit and maintain your health while traveling. We both lost weight while we were away because we were able to incorporate workouts into our daily travels without disrupting our traveling and activities!
We have compiled some tips and activities that will keep your butts moving and in shape while traveling! That way you can maximize your views and experiences without taking any time out from your journey.
Here are our favorite tips and activities to help you stay in shape when you’re on the road.
Hiking:
Almost every place we go to has an amazing hike. Or at least we look for places that have amazing hikes. And you know what a hike means? Cardio with a nice rewarding view! Wooo!! The view! And yes, your glutes will thank you too. Some of our favorite hikes were the Lions Back hike in Hong Kong, TV Tower in Yanghuo, China, Big Sur, The Great Wall of China and to the top of the famous Koh Phi Phi view in Thailand.
Enjoy a nice swim or snorkel!Â
Swimming is one of the best exercises for your core and it is also a great way to improve your breathing! We did several snorkel trips that required a fair bit of swimming to see all the amazing marine life. We definitely try to find a way to snorkel in the countries we visit, there are just so many incredible benefits to it aside from the work out!Â
We also swam with the whale sharks, and if you are terrified of the whale sharks like I am, it becomes more like frantic dog paddling (a great arm work out). We have snorkeled the Gili Islands and saw turtles, The Great Barrier Reef, Cozumel in Mexico and Koh Phi Phi where we swam at Maya Bay aka “The Beach”!
Go to an actual gym
This idea is a little crazy to me, but Jack was able to find gyms in the Philippines and Thailand for $1.50 – $5 per day! They usually had a few weights and machines-bare minimum equipment, but hey, it gets the work done. If you can not find a gym, Jack also took some resistance bands which were a great way to make your own work out in your own hotel.Â
Try a new adventure, like Canyoning or climbing waterfalls!
Canyoning is more of a specific adventure sport found in certain destinations. We went inDa Lat, Vietnam. Canyoning is a great way to get physical in the outdoors by repelling down waterfalls, bouldering, hiking, cliff jumping, and flowing down the rivers. It helps with your arm strength, leg power, and hey, you gain a bit of an adrenalin rush too! It is definitely good fun, and we would happily do it again.
Go kayaking or canoeing
We are definitely ocean people. We love to grab a boat or a kayak and explore the oceans and secert coves along the coasts. We have gone kayaking in several countries and it really is a great am work out… unless one of us is doing all the work (ehem, jack). We went kayaking in El Nido, in Vang Vieng, Dubrovnik in Croatia (and along the Game of Thrones Kings Landing) and my goodness, our arms went to mush!
We were so sore afterward, we almost felt like our arms would become as big as Arnold Schwarzenegger. But what better work out than being in the middle of the ocean or river enjoying some unreal scenery? Not too shabby, I’d say!
Surfing
My Aussie Man, Jack, follows his stereotype and loves to surf. Me? Not so much. I would love to learn, but I am just too uncoordinated or ungraceful when it comes to the ocean and surfing.
We took surf lessons in Hawaii and Indonesia (well, I took surf lessons, Jack just laughed at me). Paddling, standing on the board, maintaining your balance and actually surfing the wave is a lot of hard work. Its a lot harder than it looks! It is a great anaerobic and aerobic exercise for your body. Your arms end up feeling like limp noodles and your abs might as well be your next surfboard!Â
Walk
You have the best (free!) tools to get some great exercise! Your legs! Walk around to explore what cities have to offer. We spent the whole day in Hanoi, Vietnam, Pakse, Laos, Angkor Wat, Cambodia and others walking around to discover the charm, some temples, markets, and attractions cities have to offer! If you download Triposo (an app that you can download full countries and you have access to it without WIFI), you will get walking maps of attractions. Meaning, it will provide you with a map of attractions that you can walk to in 2 miles and it tells you the time!
Stumbled on this gem when roaming around the city in Vientiane!
What is your favorite activity to squeeze your work out during the day?
Great post. Every time I plan a trip, I make sure at least one part of it involves physical activity. Hiking is probably my favorite. I also climb to the top of stuff in cities. Haha I love going to the top of everything for views!
Hiking is probably the most rewarding too! Every hike we went on resulted in some awesome view or destination!
Love it! Yes…it’s hard to combine all that great food with just sitting around in cafes or on a beach…I love to wander the backstreets. Unfortunately I don’t think I burn enough calories that way, because the food is always so darn good!
I mean, walking is a great work out! A walk is still better than doing nothing :)
Very motivating! I always have the intention of excersing on vacation, but it doesn’t always happen. Love the kayaking option.
It is so easy to do nothing on a vacation and then sulk when you get home due to all the eating, these are great ideas – we always walk and cycle and swim! Travelling with work is harder though, the iPad 7min workout app keeps me active then!
Oh! an app!! We actually never thought of that, but that is smart! Thank you for the tip :)
This is a struggle, and not a small one. Im one of those people that need instant gratification and because going to the gym doesn’t give me any instant pleasure, why bother? You got me at hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, and surfing, those I love.
I walk a lot both when traveling or when at home, who doesn’t walk in NYC? oh and I also walk up the stairs to my apt … on the third floor, this is serious exercise ask my 92 year old grandma.
NYC is all about the walking! I think that is a big difference between LA and Melbourne, so it was a good workout for us! If your 92 year old grandma can do it, then there is no excuse for us!
I will be travelling again as of the end of November. Maybe you can provide some advice on how to stay fit. I am a swimmer – and to me, swimming in the sea is not training, it is just fun. I train 3 times per week, for one hour. I train hard. I will be leading tour groups in Central America. This means: 1) no pools: very VERY hard to find one in Nicaragua or Guatemala: when found, they are purely recreational and I can’t swim in a 12 mt pool, I would just be flipping! 2) no time – the minute the passengers are ready after breakfast, I have to get going. Till after dinner. I either have to go for a run at 6 am, or not. I do not like running! 3) zero or close to zero hikes – it is not a group of adventure seekers, but more quiet. That’s what the tour operator gears to. 4) no gyms: I won’t be able to find a gym that opens at 6 am to go there and exercise.
Considering all these factors, what would you recommend?
Hm, well to some of us (who can barely swim) swimming is a good workout- but I can see your issue! There are a few things to do, 1. like we said, walking is a great way (it’s not the most effective but hey, youre still walking!) 2. you could do your own workout in the morning in your room (There was a comment above that posted about an app for 7 minute workouts!) 3. also, carrying a big backpack or a big bag of stuff can be working out while you are with your group! We had our backpacks on us and that helped build some muscle (unintentionally). 4. Sometimes hotels have 24/7 gyms assuming youll be in a hotel, so that might be worth looking into! 5. there are little ways to incorporate small exercises during the day, walk while you weight, picking up things and putting them down more than usual, or even leg lifts when you sit!
Hopefully this helps :)
Great post! I don’t think I have ever been on a trip that didn’t include at least one of those things! My relaxing and mediating trip to Myanmar was incredibly strenuous as I did plenty of hiking, walking, cycling and tons and tons of steps! Keeps you fit that’s for sure!
If it was strenuous, a good workout is also Yoga! That gets your blood flow going, helps with flexibility and posture, and it clears your mind! :)
I came to a conclusion that somehow girls always gain weight while travelling and guys lose weight (always around 10 kg). Don’t understand why because we usually do exactly the same things and activities but that’s a fact. And all you propose here is a way to prevent that happening :)
I actually lost about 8 pounds (which is a lot on me) and Jack lost about 10! We weren’t dieting or eating healthier than usual either! I think it was just the constant walking and hiking and adventure sports!
Great post. As you mention, any half-decent trip usually involved doing activities like cycling or walking around a city, hiking up a hill or swimming in the ocean so that all helps. But oh to cut down on the beer consumption when we travel would make things a little easier on the waistline!
We second that, the beer drinking in Vietnam got out of hand when we discovered that they were only 25 cents. Lots of cardio was needed in the following countries!
Those adventure travel activities are such a nice way of combining a new experience with some cardio. Walks are my favorite way to burn some calories when traveling, but I also love going for a run once I arrive in a new city to get to know the streets a little better. Also, you end up exploring quite a bit in a shorter amount of time.
Exactly, we also loved the surf lesson that we threw in there!
Being active outside and trying new activities is one of my favorite ways to get to know an area.
It’s the revised and healthier version of tour busses!
So true that it’s so hard to keep active eat right and stay healthy while traveling! Being married to a professional athlete ~ his only requirement is that he is able to work out daily while traveling! Sometime I have to improvise ~ walks and hiking are always great! Thanks for sharing!
Oh wow a professional athlete must go nuts with not working out!! We think it’s best that if you exercise you get to see the city and surroundings, but otherwise a good way is yoga and meditation (which you can do in your room) or staying at a place that has a gym!
I used to run competitively and would religiously run everyday. I always thought it was a great way of exploring new places and covering a lot of ground quickly. Now I generally prefer hiking and walking. I love your other suggestions as well! I think it’s important to do some physical activity everyday.
I used to run too! Although it was nice to cover more ground, I tend to focus more on the running and my breathing than on the city. Running was a great way to clear my mind! However, try running in cities where pollution is high! It’s rough!
Good ideas in this post! I’ve put on a few lbs while traveling especially from eating so much delicious food and drinking beers all the time! Its hard to get a good workout in while you’re on the road. But simply things you’ve listed here like hiking and surfing are fun ways to check out a new place and get exercise!
The beers and the tasty treats definitely find a way to get you, but there are little ways to cancel out a beer or two :) Hey, even grab a few beers and dance your butts off! That burns a few calories!
This is the one thing that I struggle with the most while traveling and I put in the most concentration on it because it is so important. Adventure travels are the best so I definitely understand the need to stay fit!
Lazy holidays are always great but we like to keep on the move! Plus it’s fun! There isn’t much fun in just staying in a resort, you see more when you explore!
Love this! All the little things we forget we can do when we are abroad. I hardly take public transport anywhere when travelling, on foot is best and it helps work off the yummy treats you can’t go without when you travel. I need to get more hiking in. Just a quick HIIT in the morning or when you retreat back to the hotel helps with regulating the body, and fights of jetlag too :)
I haven’t tried HIIT but I’ve heard a lot about it recently! I think daily workouts can work best too if you dont have much time!
Great tips! I think people underestimate how intense of a workout that kayaking is – my shoulders burrrrn :)
For Jack, it was like cake, super easy and he got to show off his muscles. For me? oh my goodness. I felt like jello soon after!
Right on! You hit a lot of things we do, too. Walking and hiking when possible is KEY! And what’s more fun than snorkeling and swimming around in scenic waters? At home, it’s six days a week at the gym for us. So, on the road, it’s important to maintain while exploring.