Ways To Maintain a Healthy Routine While Traveling

It can be easy to get off track from a healthy routine when traveling. Sometimes it can feel like it’s not possible to be healthy and have fun at the same time. This is so not the case, with some planning both can be combined to make sure you have a good time and stick to your routine. Here are some ways to maintain a healthy routine while traveling.

Sleep

As much as possible try to get enough rest when traveling. This can be one of the hardest things to stick with but also one of the most important for making healthy decisions during your trip.

Many studies show that lack of sleep affects the appetite. It is controlled by our neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers where the nerve cells communicate with each other.

The two neurotransmitters that affect appetite are ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin promotes hunger and leptin signals being full. When we don’t have enough sleep these signals can be disrupted leading to an increase in appetite and not feeling full.

It has also been shown the food choices we make when sleep deprived tend to be higher in calories and carbohydrates. Try as much as possible to stick with a night routine close to what you do at home. If you always have tea at night, do the same when traveling. This will signal to your body that it’s time for bed.

Plan Your Meals

Planning ahead for what your meals are going to be is important if you’re trying to stick to your healthy routine. Whether you are cooking or making dinner reservations, having a plan for healthy options is the best way to avoid unhealthy temptations. Plan ahead by finding restaurants that have healthy options. You’ll also want to plan a balance of when to indulge. You’re on vacation and don’t want to over restrict yourself.

Make Physical Activity Part Of Your Itinerary

When traveling you can be more creative with ways to get your physical activity in. If you’re in a city, doing some sightseeing while walking is a great way to get a few miles in while also enjoying the city. Say you’re on a beach vacation, things like walking the beach or bike rides are fun activities. Most hotels have gyms in them now. Do some quick workouts everyday, it’s better than nothing.

Stay Hydrated

Make sure to keep water on hand when traveling. When traveling by plane there is even more of a need to hydrate with the increase in altitude and cabin pressure. Dehydration can also make jet lag worse. Travel with a reusable water bottle to make it easier to always have water around. Dehydration can lead to fatigue and confusing thirst for hunger. You tend to feel more full when properly hydrated.

Fitness Apps

When you don’t have access to a gym fitness apps can be a great way to still get in a workout. Most apps have quick workouts that don’t require any equipment or a lot of space to do them. A good one is the Nike Training app, there are many different types of workouts to choose from. AllTrails is another great app to find walking trails in your area.