Vacations and traveling can be so fun and exciting... but for those of us who thrive off routine and structure within our healthy fitness lifestyles, traveling can be pretty overwhelming and often a stressful time. I can only speak for myself but for many years, especially after I had my three kids, I had to keep a strict routine just to keep my sanity. In fact, I’ve often joked that my life can sometimes feel like that movie, Groundhog Day. Wake up, coffee, emails, cardio, kids, work, train, cook, kids, clean, repeat…
Traveling is a great way to add some spice to your life, see new places and explore the world but it can also feel like it derails you from that daily grind and focus. For many years the thought of traveling got me anxious. My mind would go into panic mode about my routine. “I need my morning coffee as soon as I wake up! Where will I do my cardio? Will we find restaurants with healthy food selections? Will I be able to drink enough water? How will the time change affect my sleep?” The thought of getting so off my routine gave me so much anxiety that for many years I opted to just stay home. Well, let me tell you, I missed out on a lot of fabulous trips, opportunities and life experiences. What a shame! It wasn’t until my 30’s that I realized that this “fitness lifestyle” I created was my life and because I made it my lifestyle it can go and exist wherever I go! My lifestyle did not have to stop just because I was traveling. Now, don’t get me wrong, it took me some innovative thinking and plenty of planning and prepping to basically learn how to mimic my lifestyle no matter where I went. Here are my top travel tips that I do every time I travel now to help ensure my fitness lifestyle doesn’t get completely derailed.
1. Flight snacks! I always bring my own snacks for the flight. People think I’m crazy when I pull out a huge bag of cut veggies, turkey or chicken in foil or
Devotion protein muffins but I’m sure glad I have it all especially on long flights! I usually make a dozen protein muffins and they hold up great even if they get smooshed in my bag.
2. I rarely ever eat breakfast out when I travel. I figure out how many days I’ll be gone and pre-portion out servings of oatmeal in little zip lock baggies. I pack plastic spoons and sometimes even 1-2 small plastic bowls and then I also take the same number of packets of
Devotion Nutrition protein powder with me. Most hotels I have stayed at have coffee makers so as long as I have hot water from the coffee maker, I’m able to make oatmeal and
protein pudding for 1-2 of my meals! How easy is that?
3. Supplements. I always pack my daily doses! Depending on your travel destination, you'll want to keep your
Vitamin D3 levels on track so you can really enjoy yourself! Also, long flights, jet lag, and even long road trips can affect your immune system, so I definitely recommend taking our
Immune Support daily before and during travel! Nothing ruins a fun trip faster than seasonal depression or getting sick on the road!
4. Coffee is the other big morning issue. One time I was going to Las Vegas and I knew the hotel did not give us a coffee maker. I actually went on Amazon and bought an electric hot water kettle that I was able to plug in in the room, boil water and make instant coffee packets I brought! The coffee was hot and delicious and I was able to enjoy a cup as soon as I woke up every day! Of course I bring
Flex Flavors and
Devotion protein and a shaker to make a
protein creamer for a latte to start the day!
5. I always pre-portion snacks like almonds and bring protein bars and beef or turkey jerky as well. Traveling can be tough with snacking so as long as you have quick easy snacks with you, you won’t end up starving and eating the wrong things along the way.
6. Water! I always splurge on a big bottle of water as soon as I get where I’m going. Most nice hotels have fill up stations so I use that bottle a few times and make sure I continue to refill it. The flights always make me retain water so flushing water as much as you can once you arrive and continue to travel is a must!
7. Eating out at restaurants when you travel can be tough! The mind set on a trip or vacation is already that you want to enjoy but I’ve had the tendency to enjoy way too much and that gets me in big trouble and not feeling great the next day! I try hard to stay away from fried foods when I travel. Even ordering the healthiest looking thing on the menu can be deceiving. Order as simple as possible if you are trying to keep it tight. Order veggies steamed, no butter or oil and try to order your meat grilled or blackened. I love to make my own dressing with lemons and salt and pepper, a Golden butter
Flex Flavor and some vinegar. Get creative to keep the extra calories low!
8. Workouts! I’ll be honest, often the first thing I check for in a hotel where I stay is if it has a gym. Getting in my morning cardio and staying on my routine is so important to me so I always make sure I wake up with plenty of time before my day begins to get in a quick workout. If the hotel or house I am staying at doesn’t have a gym, I either take myself outside for a run and enjoy the new views, do some tabata style plyometrics in my room or even head to town and see if I can get a daily pass to a local gym. If I’m only gone for a couple of busy days I will completely take off from the gym. It's a perfect time to let my body rest and recover but if I’m on a trip for an extended period of time, I will find a way to get some exercise!
9. Sleep! Oh sleep or lack of sleep can really make or break a trip. Time changes can be tricky and I just learned that on a recent trip to Alaska with my kids. Not only was there a huge time change but Alaska also didn’t get dark until 3am this time of year. I didn’t want my sleep pattern disrupted so I brought my
Devotion PM Recovery tub with me and continued to take my scoop every night just like I do at home. I try to keep the same routine at night just like in the morning. I use my
Lavender Pain Stick on my neck and apply my
lip balms before bed as well so those all came too!
Don’t get it twisted, I am far from perfect on trips. Do I make a huge effort to stay devoted to my lifestyle, yes, but do I also let go and have some fun, of course. The trick is not going too far from our routines so when we return we don’t have a huge mess to clean up. Lord knows I have returned from trips looking and feeling like a person I was not very pleased with. So don’t be overly hard on yourself. Be prepared, keep it tight in certain areas, enjoy new foods and experiences and continue to practice healthy traveling!
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