Healthy While Traveling
Traveling – whether for work or play – can often lead to unhealthy choices, especially when you are pressed for time. Making unhealthy choices can lead to impaired mental and physical performance, and leave you feeling tired and uninspired. Staying active is crucial for you to feel your best and make healthy food choices. The saying “abs are made in the kitchen” is true when describing how much your diet impacts your lean mass and overall health. Even the best workout program can be derailed by a poor diet. Regardless of why you are traveling, here are a few tips on staying active and healthy while on the road.
- Rent an Airbnb with a kitchen instead of a hotel room. The rise of services like Airbnb means that you can choose to stay in a place with access to a kitchen so that you can prepare your own food. Airbnb lodging is often much cheaper than hotels, and a full kitchen means you have control over the nutritional value of what you’re preparing.
- If you’re on vacation or too busy to cook while traveling, research healthy restaurant options close to the area you’ll be staying in. Knowing your options ahead of time means you’re not ducking into the nearest hamburger joint when you’re too hungry to choose a healthier option.
- Customize your order when going out to eat. Most restaurants allow you to sub-portions of their menu for healthier options. For example, consider ordering sweet potato fries instead of traditional fries or taco fillings in bowls instead of between buns or wrapped in a flour tortilla. Ask for a half portion or split a meal if possible; it’s no secret that American portions are high in calories. A smaller portion size can shrink your waistline AND your bill.
- Walk to your destinations whenever possible. Walking around the city you’re visiting is a great way to get an authentic feel of your locale while staying active. Look for nearby hiking trails and parks that provide beautiful scenery while you stretch your muscles. If you’ve got the time and inclination, there’s always the option to turn your leisurely walk into a brisk jog or run.
- Take a kettlebell on the road! Kettlebells are the perfect piece of workout equipment to travel with. A single kettlebell takes up minimal space and can be used to effectively blend strength and cardio training. Traveling often places time constraints on workouts, and kettlebell lifting is a fantastic solution for burning calories, building lean muscle, and engaging in high-intensity workouts with a minimal time and space requirements.
If you need a good travel workout to do, we recommend performing the following circuit five times with one minute of rest between exercises. If you’re unable to fly with a kettlebell or locate one in your hotel gym, we have a couple of solutions. Look into purchasing a portable kettlebell. These are kettlebells that can be packed easily and filled with water or sand once you’re ready to use them. The second solution would be to complete the following workout using a dumbbell of similar weight or rely on bodyweight alone. We recommend using one kettlebell for this workout at a weight that allows you to use proper form.
Squat Jump
- Hold the kettlebell by either side of the handle at chest level.
- Move with control into a deep squat. Explode upward to jump off the floor. Keep the kettlebell at chest level and upper body stable.
- Land lightly and descend right into the next squat to avoid jarring the lower back.
- Perform 10-15 jump squats.
Single Arm Swing
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell between and slightly ahead of your feet on the ground.
- Hinge forward with a neutral spine and a slight bend in the knees as you grasp the kettlebell handle with your right hand. The left arm can lightly tap the kettlebell on the other side (it will mirror the right hand throughout the movement).
- Pull the kettlebell back through the legs and when your arm reaches your hip, forcefully extend the hips and contract the glutes and core to bring the kettlebell up to chest level.
- Let the kettlebell descend back down the same path, waiting to hinge at the hips until your arm hits your hips.
- Perform 10-12 swings per arm.
Thruster
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and a kettlebell in rack position in your right hand. Let the kettlebell rest on your bicep and forearm. Keep the left arm to your side, making a fist with the left hand and contracting the left arm muscles for extra tension.
- Keeping your spine neutral and your core engaged, push your hips back to come into a squat.
- Propel yourself back into a standing position. In the same fluid motion, press your right arm up and overhead. Make sure the weight of the kettlebell is stacked over your joints. Pause at the top.
- With control, lower the kettlebell back the rack position as you transition into a squat to repeat the exercise.
- Perform 8-10 thrusters per arm.
Curl
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your right hand grasping the kettlebell by the top of the handle. Your arm should be straight down by your side with your palm facing forward.
- Keep your core tight as you curl your arm up and tighten your bicep. Once you’ve reached the top of your curl, slowly lower your arm until you have only a slight bend in your elbow.
- Perform 10-12 curls per arm.
Crunch
- Lay on your back with your feet on the ground and your knees bent. Hold the kettlebell above your chest with both hands.
- Keep your back straight and your core tight as you lift your shoulder blades off the ground and crunch up. Gently touch your knees with the kettlebell, then lower yourself back to the starting position.
- Perform 15-20 crunches.
Thank you for reading us. If you have other tips and want to share them with our reader, please feel free to use the comment box below.
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