Tips for travelling fit this winter
With winter fast approaching, it can be easy to forego the good routines we’ve established to keep fit on the road. Colder mornings and darker nights encourage us to stay inside and fill up on satisfying comfort food before curling up in a warm bed after a hectic day’s travel.
Staying on track with exercise and healthy eating during the cooler months is important for regular travellers who may be more susceptible to winter colds and flu. That’s why we’ve pulled together some handy tips to help you stay on track and in shape this winter while travelling on the road.
1. Keep it simple
Staying active and eating well doesn’t need to be a complicated affair, and it’s particularly important to keep things simple during the winter months when we are feeling less motivated. Look for easy ways to stay on track during your work trips; plan for short, intense workouts that can be done in the comfort of your hotel room, stock your carry-on luggage with healthy snacks like fresh fruit or nuts to avoid the onboard snack binge and choose fresh food options from the room service menu. These small, simple actions compounded over time will go a long way to helping you maintain your health and fitness during the cold months.
2. Get straight to it
If you’re like most of us who like to keep fit while we travel, you start off the day with great intentions to hit the gym or the pavement at the end of the day. But, by the time you get to your hotel room, your resolve starts to waver as the forces of procrastination conspire against you; there’s those offers of a drink at the bar or dinner at a nearby restaurant, the rationalising thought that you can always get up tomorrow and exercise, or perhaps you the site of your hotel room bed acts as a trigger for sleep. You can combat these thoughts by removing as many barriers as possible to getting to that work out. For example, have your work out gear packed on top so it’s the first thing you see when you open your suitcase, or better still, head straight to the hotel gym change room before you head up to your room. By getting in even a short burst of exercise, you’re doing yourself a physical favour and what’s more, you’ll have a huge sense of accomplishment knowing that you’ve won the war on procrastination for another day.
3. Look for indoor exercise options
You might be a die-hard, early morning walker or runner who is completely comfortable with braving the cold, crisp air to get some exercise in before the work day begins. For the rest of us, working out in winter means hunting down conveniently located in-door exercise options. Some hotels will offer exercise classes in their gyms, or there may be a nearby fitness centre that offers single entry passes which are perfect for out-of-towners. If you’re short on time or know that your best option is the one closest to you, find a routine you can do in your hotel room. Resistance bands are a great option if you’re looking to do some strength training, or pull together a short, high intensity routine based on body weight that requires no equipment. Whatever your plan is, make sure it’s something you can stick too, that you can do anywhere, and which can be modified to suit the amount of time you have to exercise on any given day.
Keeping fit and healthy in winter can be a challenge but not impossible. If you’re a regular traveller, a little forward thinking and determination is all you need to stay on track and in shape. Follow our tips and stay the course; come summer, you’ll be grateful you put in the effort.
