Practical Ways to Destress and Stay Fit When You Travel

Whether you’re an expert world traveler, or a novice first timer, we all want to feel good when we travel. There’s already plenty of stress back home and there’s absolutely no reason to tag it along. Plus, you want to feel energized, revitalized and pumped during your entire travel-cation! It takes energy to have fun, and much needed rest and relaxation to keep things going.

For your next trip, here are some extremely practical ways to destress, stay fit, and ultimately, feel great whenever you travel.

#1 Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Need I say more? Adequate hydration is key to good health and overall wellness. It’s a quick and easy way to stay on top of your game and keep alertness at peak. Whether you’re into high octane fun, or just leisurely strolling, drink up!

#2 Walk More, Ride Less

One of the best ways to stay active when you travel is to mix it up with some sightseeing on foot. Make an itinerary where the sites are within a mile away. Give it a go! Before you know it, you have added 5 miles to your pedometer and you’ll feel good doing it.

#3 Relax and Revitalize

Sit back, relax, and just chill. Have a little bit of “me” time, sit by the beach, read a good book or even catch a nap. If you don’t mind spending for a little bit of luxury, pamper yourself with nice soothing massage. Trust me, it is worth every penny.

#4 Go on Nature Hikes

Raise your hand if you’re a nature lover! For those who find pleasure relishing nature’s flora and fauna, pack up your comfortable shoes, some granola bars, a water bottle, and go on a nature hike. Nature parks and hiking trails are everywhere. It will be one of the most refreshing workouts you will have ever experienced.

#5 Kickstart Your Day With A Nice Hearty Breakfast

“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” as the old saying goes. For breakfast, stay away from sugary cereals and artificial fruit juices. Instead, fill yourself with a bowl of heart healthy oatmeal, fresh fruits, high protein foods and maybe a cup of unsweetened yoghurt. For your caffeine fix, start the day with some fragrant antioxidant-rich green tea or some freshly brewed black coffee.

#6 Eat Small Frequent Meals

Eating too much in one sitting can make you groggy and feeling drained. When you’re on the go, eat small meals to get that constant supply of much needed energy throughout the day without the feeling of being dragged through your day’s plans. Bonus: You get to try different foods that you haven’t had before.

#7 Limit your Liquid Calories

When ordering a beverage with your meal, you can choose healthier options like iced water or unsweetened iced tea. Cut down on fruit juices, shakes or soft drinks. Of course, also limit your liquor and mixed drinks.

#8 Limit Your Alcohol Intake

This one’s a no brainer but at times we get carried away having a drink too many. While having some alcohol can help you relax, unwind and simply put, have fun, you really don’t want to find yourself passed out drunk the next day with a killer hangover headache.

#9 Leave Your Alarm Clock Behind

Of course, this one depends on how tight your schedule is the next day or how early you wanted to get started on your next adventure. One of the best ways to feel refreshed when you wake up is to wake up on your own. Forcing yourself to wake up especially during deep or REM sleep can make you feel groggy, irritable and tired. Allowing your body’s own circadian rhythm to do its job can help you wake up refreshed, naturally.

#10 Get a Comfortable Travel Pillow

Jet lagged? You almost have to let your body equilibrate to a new time zone. While you’re at it, you can always invest on a nice comfortable pillow for your long intercontinental flights. Planes are never the best place to sleep and feel fully rested, except maybe when you fly first or business class. But if you’re flying economy and wanting to doze off, might as well get as comfortable as you can without waking up with a sore neck.

#11 Stretch your Legs Especially on Long International Flights

Deep Vein Thrombosis(DVT) is often caused by sitting too long in one position, which can impede your circulation. Sitting too long on long intercontinental flights is a risk factor for this condition. Hence, do your body a favor by doing some stretches, or periodically take toilet breaks so you can give yourself a little break from sitting. Wear loose comfortable clothing and never wear tight pants especially on long flights.

#12 Hit the Gym

One of the perks of staying in hotels is their complimentary short term gym membership that comes with your room stay. Most hotels are equipped with weight machines and cardio equipments. If you like to stay in shape and burn off a few calories, then using your hotel’s gym equipments might be just what you need.

#13 Do Some Body Weight Workouts

Don’t have a complimentary gym at the hotel you’re staying? No problem. You don’t really need gym equipments to get your workout done. You can do body weight exercises in your hotel room, or any place where you can find some privacy. Just don’t do your pushups in the hotel lobby. People might start staring.

#14 Engage in Physical Excursions

Staying fit doesn’t have to be about lifting weights in the gym or running on the treadmill. Who says you can’t exercise while having fun? When vacationing, you can always book physically demanding excursions like rock climbing and snorkeling, or have fun playing beach volleyball or maybe badminton on the beach.

#15 Consider Taking the Stairs

Even if you consider your trip a personal vacation from going to the gym, you can still do a little bit of exercising by taking the stairs rather than taking the elevator to your hotel room. If you don’t want to walk 20 floors up, take the elevator to the 15th and walk the remaining 5 floors. It’s a great way to stay in shape especially if you don’t want to spend a lot of time exercising while you’re on vacation.