Traveling for work doesn’t have to derail your fitness routine. As a virtual health and fitness coach, I understand how challenging it can be to maintain healthy habits while on the go. I travel teaching healthcare professionals across the country for CEUs and am often “on the go” with long work days on the weekends while during the week fulfilling my physical therapy clinician role, leadership training and coaching, in addition to both in persona and virtual coaching clients for health and fitness. When traveling for vacation, I’ll still prioritize time with my family but maintain consistency with some creativity and intentionality towards my health and fitness goals.
With a little planning and flexibility, you can stay on track with your workouts, nutrition, and overall health—even when you’re out of town.
1. Prioritize Nutrition
Maintaining a balanced diet is key to feeling your best on the road.
- Plan Ahead: Pack protein bars, nuts, or other portable snacks to avoid relying on unhealthy options.
- Make Smart Choices: Choose lean proteins, whole grains, and plenty of veggies when dining out. Look for grilled or baked options instead of fried. But let’s be real, if there’s a local place that’s unique that you want to try. A single meal or two will not derail your progress. It’s the consistency that’s essential over the length of several weeks and months that matter.
- Stay Hydrated: Carry a refillable water bottle to ensure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day. Make it convenient to drink by keeping it with you like you would your phone or wallet.
2. Walk and Explore
One of the best perks of traveling is the opportunity to explore new places. Turn your travel destination into a chance to get more movement in. If you have down time to do things like watch TV, there’s time for exploration.
- Walk Instead of Ride: Whenever possible, walk to meetings, restaurants, or sightseeing spots. Of course this is contingent on the area you’re in.
- Track Your Steps: Use a fitness tracker to stay motivated and set a daily step goal. If you’re used to aiming for 7500 or 10,000 steps, this helps keep you on track to maintain burning more calories and staying active daily.
- Take Advantage of Breaks: A 5-15-minute walk can be a great way to clear your mind between meetings or presentations.
3. Schedule Your Workouts
Traveling often means a packed schedule, but making time for exercise is crucial.
- Hotel Gym: If your hotel has a fitness center, block out time in your day to use it. Early mornings or evenings often work best. I’ve seen some great gyms and very questionable gyms (more often the case).
- Hotel Room Workouts: No gym? No problem! Bring resistance bands or use bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, planks and other bodyweight exercises can be done to fulfill a workout without missing a beat.
- Local Gyms: If you prefer a full gym setup, research nearby facilities. Many gyms offer day passes unless you have a membership to a franchise or chain gym that might be national.
- If you’re unsure what to do check out my free downloadable workout on my website!
4. Stay Consistent with Your Routine
Consistency is key, even if your workouts look a little different while traveling.
- Stick to a Schedule: Treat your workouts like an important meeting.
- Be Flexible: If time is tight, even a 15-minute workout can keep you on track.
- Celebrate Small Wins: Any effort counts. Doing something is better than doing nothing.
Yes, many times I’ve done a 10-15 minute workout in addition to walking and justified it as a successful workout when it’s not the usual environment or situation.
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