Five Ways to Stay in Shape While Travelling

One of the most challenging things I find about travelling is the battle to keep in shape while I’m doing it! Perhaps it’s the abundance of new foods to try, or the long drives, flights, train rides, boat rides… you get the picture. For some strange reason, I usually lose weight at the beginning of my journey, only to find it slowly creeping up on me over the following months. I’m trying to break that pattern these days, so I thought I’d share some of my tips and tricks with you!

1. Explore the area by foot

Spinning around at the Opera House!

This is one of my favourite things to do when I am travelling! Not only does walking keep you active, you are much more likely to find hidden away areas that wouldn’t be visible from public transport. I’ve stumbled across so many gems while walking around, that I’m actually disappointed when I have to take a bus or train. I’m not saying that you have to walk around an entire city,(and please don’t walk around alone in super sketchy areas), but try to take a break every now and again from public transport. When I was in Brussels, a friend and I decided to walk around near our hotel, and ended up finding the coolest little bar hidden down an alley way that we never would have seen if we had taken the bus.

2. Watch your food and drink intake
This is a hard one, especially when you are surrounded by all sorts of yummy new food and drinks from the local cuisine. What I mean is, don’t overindulge at every single meal, and you’ll be kind to your waistline and your wallet. If you have the option to prepare some of your own food, do it. These days, I’ve been ordering bulk amounts of groceries online once a week from Coles, and then preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for both myself and Jake. Saturday evenings or Sunday afternoons are when we usually splurge on an afternoon/evening meal somewhere. Obviously, since we are in an apartment, this option is doable. If your hostel/ hotel room has some cooking facilities, try to at least do a couple of meals of your own. I remember when I was studying abroad in England, my school only had a cafeteria where the options were pretty limited, but we did have the opportunity of making ourselves a packed lunch on days where we had field trips. I have many fond memories of sitting on the steps of the National Gallery, looking out over Trafalgar Square, while munching on a cucumber and hummus salad. There was something so satisfying about eating something I had prepared and knowing that it wasn’t drenched in oil!

3. Participate in local activities
In Australia? Give surfing a go! In the Rockies? Try snowboarding! Ok, so I’m probably not the best advocate for sporty type things, especially when it involves snow and things being strapped to your feet. Let’s just say I’ve attempted to ski three times, and the third time was not the charm. Don’t let my lack of athletic ability deter you though. If you are in a place well known for sporty pastimes, it’s a a great way to sneak in some fitness and make some great memories.

4. Use an app 
Short on time, space, or a combination of both? There’s an app for that! Actually there’s quite a few. Lately I’ve been using Sworkit, which gives me a customized workout based on what kind of exercise I want to do, and how much time I have. None of the workouts involve any equipment or much space, so if you have time to kill between flights, or just want a quick little workout in your hostel dorm, throw it on and away you go! Besides, who wants to spend all their hours working out when there is so many new things to see and do?

5. Take advantage of park space
We’ve all heard of Central Park, but there are many other great public spaces in cities all over the world. Big or small, parks are not only the perfect place to stretch your legs, but they also tend to be a gathering spot for community and you might be surprised at what you find! My mum, for example, had a blast dancing with the other ladies in the little square outside their apartment complex. And lately, I’ve been spending hours at Centennial Park, next door, walking around.

Of course, there are more ways to stay fit than the ones I’ve just mentioned. If you have any suggestions, make sure you let me know!

I thought I’d end this post with a gallery of photos from my recent walks around Centennial Park!

Oh heeeeeey, just on my way to workout!

I would love to hang out on this little island, except….

Argh! Bird central!

Yeah, wayyyyyy too many birds for my liking!

Beautiful!

I keep having a run in with these two geese… every time I try to get closer to the water, they come after me!

Keeping guard!

Nice little pathway…

More workout leggings 🙂