How to prioritize your health on travel days

It is much easier to stay on track when you are in your normal routine. However, you can still work towards your goals while away from home. Whether you are traveling for work, heading home for the holidays or planning a family road trip, here are a few tips to help you stay on track while  on the road or in the air. 

Plan ahead- Stock up on vitamins as traveling can be tough on your immune system. Getting in extra exercise and nutritious meals before a trip can also give your health a boost. Make a plan for physical activity while you’re away- try a new workout class in the town you’re staying or make sure the hotel has a fitness center before you book, plan family activities that include movement - a hike, walking around the zoo, playing at the park, etc. If you have a long drive, make a plan to stop at various parks along the way to get out and walk since you’ll be sitting so much. 

Stay hydrated- On a road trip, pack bottles of coconut water. Buy a couple of the gallon water jugs to refill reusable bottles so you don’t have to continue buying water at the gas stations. On a long road trip, I will bring a filtered water pitcher on the road and then use that in the hotel rooms to refill my reusable bottles for the day. We can get very dehydrated while flying so bring those reusable bottles and fill them up once you’re through security. Bring a hydrating face mask or lotions to apply while on the plane to help your skin from drying out. Foods like cucumber, celery and watermelon have high water content and can help you feel more hydrated.

Pack healthy snacks- The temptation is real on the road. The convenience of a drive through or the fried food and an alcoholic drink at the airport at 11am for the sake of “vacation”. Now, I’m all for enjoying yourself but at least for me, I know I need some healthy options to feel my best. Snack ideas: nuts and seeds or trail mix, meat sticks like Chomps, dried fruit, protein bars (watch the ingredients as these can be loaded with sugar, chemicals and fillers, inflammatory oils. Or make your own!), homemade baked goods- make a batch of healthy muffins before your trip, pack and freeze them until the day you leave then just grab and go. Here’s one of my favorite muffin recipes: Chocolate Chip Muffins. Easy to eat produce like mini cucumber, carrot sticks, cut bell peppers or sweet peppers, jicama, small tomatoes, berries, apples with almond butter packets. 

Healthy meals- If you will be eating at a restaurant, look for lighter options since you most likely are not moving as much on a travel day. On my recent road trip I was in a pinch and needed a quick meal. I was able to grab a salad with grilled chicken at Wendy’s and it hit the spot. I felt great and wasn’t tired after a heavy meal which was important since I still had some driving to do that day. I have learned from a lot of time on the road that sometimes fast food and gas stations really are your only options! That can be frustrating, but even most fast food places will have a salad, grilled chicken, wraps and you can make the most of it. Try to plan ahead with your stops and look at menus to decide ahead of time what to eat. If you’re on the road, pack a cooler with sandwich meat and tortillas, etc and make a wrap when you stop - turn it into a picnic at the park and go for a walk afterwards! 

Movement- Try to move your body first thing in the morning before a busy travel day which will most likely include a lot of sitting. When I’m on the road, I have a protein rich and filling breakfast first and then I’ll grab coffee and go for a walk. Even better if I can walk to breakfast or coffee. Usually when we travel, we have deadlines and boarding times and we are on other people’s schedules so it’s important to control what you can and move your body before the day gets away from you. Walk the airport and listen to a podcast or people watch while on a layover. If you have a long drive, make a plan to stop at various parks along the way to get out, explore and walk since you’ll be sitting so much. If there is no fitness center at the hotel, find a no equipment travel workout on Youtube to do in your room.

Always always always check ingredients in packaged foods. This can be frustrating because it seems like most processed foods have so much sugar or inflammatory oils, but I promise with a little planning and research there are much better options available. This is one of the best habits you can adopt in general, not only when traveling. Real, whole foods will always be best when available. Once you make health a priority and establish healthy habits, it becomes much easier to navigate changes to your routine in a healthy way. If you are looking for extra support and guidance, fill out the application to work with me here. I’d love to meet you! -CS