Staying Healthy While Traveling During the Holidays

It's the holiday season, which means it’s time for holiday travels! Where are you headed this year?

Whether you are traveling to visit family or for pleasure, it’s important you don’t abandon all wellness goals. You can stay healthy with our top successful tips. Let’s dive into all the ways.

EXERCISE

You should be getting at least 30 minutes of exercise everyday. You can easily achieve this while traveling, since you can get in a good workout anywhere!

Stuck at the airport? Take a walk to different terminals.

Going on a road trip? Take a rest stop every few hours to stretch those legs. Do some squats, jumping jacks, or run-in-place.

Staying at a hotel? There may be a gym where you can lift weights or walk on the treadmill. If there’s no gym, do an ab routine or perform bodyweight exercises in your room.

Exploring a city? Travel by foot and you will quickly reach your 10,000 steps.

We know holiday travel is a hectic time. Try one of our HIIT workouts for a fast and efficient calorie burner. No excuses.

PACK HEALTHY SNACKS

While traveling, your snack options are limited and your healthy snack options are even more limited. Plan ahead and pack single-serving snacks, such as mixed nuts, grass-fed jerky sticks, low-sugar/high-protein power bars, no-bake energy bites, homemade granola, fresh veggies with hummus, or our favorite - 2 scoops of collagen and a scoop of matcha whisked into vanilla unsweetened almond milk. How yummy and filling!

STICK TO WATER OR LOWER CALORIE, LOWER SUGAR DRINKS

Liquid calories add up fast. While a Starbucks coffee can give you the needed energy boost to help Aunt Lucy shop for a last-minute gift, these drinks are filled with sugar and won’t keep you full. If you do need caffeine, drink a plain coffee with unsweetened almond milk and a few drops of Monk Fruit extract if needed. Or, try some green tea.

Similarly, skip the breakfast juices and sodas. These are just empty calories. Opt for infused water or unsweetened tea instead.

EAT BEFORE A FAMILY OR FRIEND GATHERING

You’re attending a dinner party later, how fun! Make sure you eat a well-balanced breakfast and lunch that are very high in protein and healthy fats with some colorful-fiber-rich veggies. That way, you won’t overeat later. You will also have ingested most (if not all) of your daily vitamins if the dinner party dishes aren’t the healthiest options.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

The holidays are filled with a lot of food all of the time. And when you’re traveling, you often eat at restaurants with huge portions.

Be choosy. You don’t have to eat everything on your plate.

Eat all of your meals slowly. Savor every bite. When you’re full, stop eating. You shouldn’t feel stuffed after finishing a meal.

If you have a sweet craving, go ahead and eat a cookie for dessert. Have one (or two) and then stop. You will be satisfied. If you deprive yourself of all sweets and sugar, it’s more likely you will end up binging later.

GET SLEEP

With little sleep, you will be hungrier and more likely to overeat. You will also be sluggish and more likely to skip a workout. Not an ideal combo.

DESTRESS IN A HEALTHY WAY

We get it. Spending time with family and in-laws can be stressful. Instead of turning to food to calm your nerves, take a walk instead. Or, blast some tunes, clean the bathroom, read a book, and yell to the wind. The key is to direct your energy to another activity.

MAKE HEALTHY HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

No matter your reason for travel, create healthy traditions. Take a walk after a meal, play a game of basketball, clean up the kitchen as a family, or have a dance contest.

We bet there are a few sport-watching lovers out there. Healthier habits include standing up during commercials and squatting during halftime. Also, enjoy a meal after the game has finished. We all know how easy it is to down an entire bag of chips while rooting for your favorite team. Distractions = overeating.

STAY ACCOUNTABLE

We know it’s hard to stick to a schedule while traveling, especially with kids. Your normal routine has been uprooted. While it is okay to have some flexibility, stay accountable to yourself and your goals by not abandoning healthy habits completely.

For example, make sure you choose foods that offer nutritional value. Find time for a 15-minute walk some time in your day. Get to bed at a reasonable hour so you can enjoy all your activities the following day. You got this!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

It’s important to enjoy your holiday travels and spend quality time with friends and family. However, there is a “right” way and a “wrong” way to travel. The “right” way is to stay on track with your health and wellness goals… with some flexibility.

Remember the basics of exercising, eating nutritious meals, and partaking in calming activities when stressed. Safe travels, all you ROCKin women!