Fitness & Health on a RTW Trip

For many people, going on vacation is an excuse to indulge more than they do at home – and this is especially true in the categories of eating too much and not exercising. Dieting and working out, after all, are things that all but the die-hards think shouldn’t follow you on a break from your normal routine, right?

Well, if you’re traveling long-term, you can’t exactly abandon the idea of watching what you eat or working out entirely, or pretty soon you won’t fit into the clothes you’ve brought with you. Sure, you’re likely to be more active on a long trip than you would be if you were at home sitting in a cubicle all day, but it’s still a good idea to keep your health in mind when you’re making travel plans so you can make sure you’re spending most of your travel time traveling and not recovering from the latest sickness.

There are many schools of thought when it comes to how to stay fit on the road, and one of the biggest dilemmas to start out with is finding a way to work out and eat right that suits you. At first blush, you’d think that keeping up a jogging regimen would be the easiest way to get exercise, considering you can run anywhere and you don’t need special weights or equipment. But running while traveling isn’t as easy as you’d think, because not everyone totes proper running shoes with them on long trips. It’s important to consider whether you can maintain a running program while you’re traveling before you assume that will be the best option.

Whatever you decide upon for your exercise plan, the other component of staying healthy is watching what you eat. To a certain extent, people who work out regularly do so in order to eat what they like without repercussions – but if you’re more concerned about your diet then you won’t be content to just eat what the locals are eating without asking questions. If this describes you, then coming up with a traveling fitness and meal plan before you leave home (and then sticking to it) will be important parts of your trip planning process.

What are your best tips for staying fit and healthy while traveling long-term?

photo by AlphaTangoBravo/Adam Baker