If you know me well, you understand how important my commitment to living a healthy, active & fit lifestyle is to me!

My daily schedule and routine pretty much revolve around it.  So even though I love to travel, I love seeing new places and experiencing different cultures, there is one thing I don’t love about traveling: how easily it can disrupt the healthy routine I’ve worked hard to establish. So when I travel, I need to insure I find ways to maintain that lifestyle with the flexibility and creativity needed to fit my new routine and surroundings.

If you’re of a similar mindset to mine, I want to share what I do to keep my commitment to wellness and not lose my mind when new routines need to be incorporated into those travels.  Luckily, my fiancée Dan is very perceptive and accommodating as he knows I get anxious when my routine gets too out of sorts.  And he too is very committed to his own wellness, so it helps when your partner shares the same mindset.

At home, being active is simply part of my everyday life. My routine can include strength training, running, yoga, walking, or hiking. I don’t necessarily do all of those things every day, but I make movement a priority every day.

The same is true of food. I follow a whole-food, plant-based diet, and I feel my best when I’m eating that way.

Then I travel.

Suddenly, my normal schedule is turned upside down. I’m sitting in a car or on an airplane for hours. Meals happen at unusual times. I’m eating at restaurants more, and my usual workout space may not exist. And sometimes a full day of sightseeing leaves very little time for exercise.

I’ve learned, though, that traveling doesn’t mean I have to abandon my healthy habits. I just have to approach them differently.

I Don’t Need My Normal Routine—Just My Commitment to It

One of the biggest changes in my thinking has been realizing I don’t have to recreate my exact routine when I’m traveling. At home, I might have a structured strength-training workout, go for a run, practice yoga, and get plenty of walking throughout the day. On vacation, that may not be realistic.

That’s okay.

What matters to me is staying active every day. If I have access to a gym, I’ll use it. If I don’t, I’ll find another way to move. Maybe it’s a morning run, a yoga session in my hotel room, a long walk while exploring a new city, or a hike if I’m somewhere with trails. Sometimes my “workout” is simply walking all day while sightseeing.

And I count it.

I don’t believe every workout has to be intense or happen in a traditional gym to be worthwhile. Movement is movement, and when I’m traveling, I try to take advantage of whatever opportunities are available.

When There Is a Hotel Gym

If my hotel has a fitness center, that’s a bonus. I enjoy strength training, so I’ll often incorporate some type of resistance workout when equipment is available. I don’t necessarily need a complicated program. I can get a good workout with some basic strength exercises and then add some cardio too.

If I’m a runner, I may use the treadmill—or better yet, get outside and run somewhere I’ve never been before. There’s something special about running in a new place. It gives me a completely different perspective than seeing the same streets from a car window.

And after a long day of traveling or sightseeing, yoga can be a great way to stretch, slow down, and reset.

When There Is No Gym

No gym doesn’t mean no workout.

I’ve become pretty comfortable creating my own workout wherever I happen to be. A hotel room can provide enough space for bodyweight strength exercises, yoga, stretching, and even a short cardio workout.

Squats, lunges, push-ups, planks, and other bodyweight exercises don’t require much space or equipment. And even when doing a traditional workout, I still always walk.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to stay active while traveling, and it’s also one of the best ways to experience a destination. I’ll walk through neighborhoods, explore downtown areas, find a trail, or simply take the long way when I have the time.

If I’m somewhere with good hiking opportunities, even better. Hiking combines exercise with one of my favorite things about travel—being outdoors and exploring.

My Whole-Food, Plant-Based Approach to Travel

Food is probably the biggest challenge for me when I travel.

At home, eating whole-food plant-based is relatively straightforward because I control what goes into my kitchen and onto my plate. Again, my fiancée/chef Dan is the designer of the menus and creates healthy delicious meals so he keeps us on track.

Traveling is different. I’m eating in restaurants, airports, hotels, and sometimes places where healthy plant-based options aren’t obvious. But I’ve learned I don’t have to compromise my entire approach just because I’m away from home. I look for foods which are as close to their natural form as possible—vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, whole grains, potatoes, and other plant-based foods.

At restaurants, I don’t hesitate to ask questions or make simple substitutions. A vegetable-based entrée may be an option, or I might combine a few side dishes to create a meal that works for me. I also look for familiar foods when I’m traveling: oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, salads loaded with vegetables and beans, grain bowls, vegetable soups, roasted vegetables, potatoes, rice and beans, fresh fruit, and other plant-based choices.

I don’t expect every meal to be perfect. I simply look for the best whole-food option available.

I Pack Food When I Can

One of my best strategies for staying on track is bringing some food with me. This is especially helpful when I’m traveling by car or when I know I’ll have a long travel day.

If I have healthy food available, I’m much less likely to find myself extremely hungry and settling for whatever happens to be most convenient. Depending on the trip, that might mean packing fruit, nuts and seeds, oatmeal, whole-grain foods, vegetables, or other plant-based snacks that travel well. I think this is one of the simplest things I can do to set myself up for success. It’s not about bringing an entire kitchen with me. It’s about having a few good choices available when I need them.

Road Trips: I Make Movement Part of the Drive

Road trips can be particularly challenging because there can be hours of sitting. I try not to think of the drive as one long period of inactivity.  When I stop for gas or food, I take the opportunity to get out and walk around. If I have time, I’ll take a longer break and stretch my legs.

And food requires a little planning. Road trips make it incredibly easy to grab whatever is available at a gas station or fast-food restaurant. Having some of my own whole-food plant-based snacks with me changes that. It also gives me more control over what I’m eating without taking away the fun of stopping somewhere interesting along the way.

Air Travel Requires a Different Strategy

Airports can be challenging for anyone trying to maintain healthy habits. There are long periods of sitting, limited food choices, delayed flights, and plenty of opportunities to snack simply because I’m bored or because food is available.

I try to approach air travel with the same philosophy I use everywhere else: plan and make the best choices I can. I’ll walk through the airport when I have time rather than sitting at the gate for hours. If I can find a healthier plant-based meal or snack, I’ll choose that over something I know won’t make me feel good.

And I remind myself that I don’t have to eat just because food is being offered.  Onboard the flight, if they offer a plant-based or vegan option for a meal, I’ll choose that if I’m hungry.

Staying hydrated is also important, particularly during long flights.

Once I arrive, I try to get back to moving as soon as possible. Even a walk after checking into the hotel can help me shake off the effects of sitting and traveling.

I Give Myself Permission to Enjoy the Experience

Following a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean I want to spend my travels worrying about food and exercise, although I’m always conscious about it.

If there’s a local plant-based restaurant I want to try, I’ll enjoy it. If I discover a great farmers market, I’ll explore it. If a day of sightseeing means I walk for miles without doing my normal workout, that’s perfectly fine. And if my routine gets completely disrupted for a day, I try not to beat myself up about it. I simply start again the next day.

That’s an important part of my approach. I don’t view healthy living as an all-or-nothing proposition. One missed workout doesn’t undo my fitness. One meal that isn’t exactly what I would normally eat doesn’t undo the way I generally eat. What matters is what I do consistently.

I Look for Opportunities Instead of Excuses

Travel has taught me to be creative. If I can’t run, maybe I can walk. If I can’t lift weights, maybe I can do bodyweight exercises. If there isn’t a gym, maybe I can practice yoga in my room. If I can’t find my usual meal, maybe I can build something from the available plant-based options. If I’m sitting in a car all day, I can take more frequent walking and stretching breaks. If I’m flying, I can walk around the airport and make better food choices along the way.

There is almost always something I can do. I just have to look for it.

My Goal Is to Feel Good While I’m Traveling

Ultimately, staying healthy while I travel is about being mindful.

It’s about how I want to feel. I want to have the energy to explore. I want to be able to hike a trail, walk around a new city, get up early for a run, or spend the day sightseeing without feeling sluggish. 

I want to enjoy the food I’m eating and know it is nourishing me. And I want to come home from a trip feeling refreshed—not like I need to spend the next two weeks undoing everything I did while I was away.  My goal is to not gain weight when I travel, so that’s why I take all of these options into consideration and do what works each day.

So I’ve stopped thinking of travel and healthy living as competing priorities. They can actually work together.

A new destination can give me a new place to run. A new city can give me miles of walking. A beautiful landscape can become a hiking adventure. A local market can introduce me to new plant-based foods. Travel may disrupt my routine, but it doesn’t have to disrupt my commitment to taking care of myself.

For me, that’s the key.

I don’t try to be perfect when I travel. I simply keep moving, choose whole plant foods whenever I can, plan ahead when possible, and stay flexible when things don’t go according to plan.

And then I enjoy the journey.  I hope this gives you some ideas on how to maintain your healthy lifestyle while traveling.  Yes, it’s a challenge…but it’s also so worth keeping your commitment to yourself!

If you’ve got any tips to share with me, I’d love to hear them!  Kat

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