Going on a road trip is one of the most exciting ways to travel and discover new places. Road trips give you an opportunity to rediscover your adventurous side, get in touch with nature, and reset your mind, body, and soul.
Taking a road trip offers many benefits, such as a chance to reset after a long work week, bond with your travel companions, get inspired by the wonders of nature, and make memories for life.
The problem with being on the road, however, is that it often forces you to break your daily routine. Fortunately, with a little bit of effort and some thoughtful planning ahead you can stay on the fitness wagon even while traveling.
Here’s what you can do to maintain your fitness routine on a road trip:
Plan your meals
Travelling creates a perfect storm for failure when it comes to sticking to a healthy diet. All those local restaurants tempting you with calorie-laden comfort food, charming coffee places with their buttery pastries, and street vendors selling sugary snacks can be hard to resist. This is why it’s crucial to plan ahead and bring plenty of healthy snacks.
Fill your reusable containers with fresh fruits and veggies, mixed nuts, air-popped popcorn, and healthy protein sources like beef jerky and string cheese. If you decide to eat out, research the area in advance to pull over at healthy restaurants and skip the fast food places. When you order food off the menu, avoid anything with the word “fried” in it, fill up on veggie appetizers, and steer clear of the complementary bread basket.
Beware of hidden calories
If you want to keep up your fitness routine while travelling, it goes without saying that you should do your best to avoid chocolates, cakes, and ice-cream. But what about those hidden calories that can creep up on you and throw you completely off course by the end of your road trip?
The worst offenders when it comes to hidden calories are butter, olive oil, spreads, condiments, salad dressings, fruit juices, and muesli bars, so try to keep your intake of these foods at a minimum while travelling. You should also watch what you drink as empty calories from beer and wine can quickly add up and wreak havoc on your diet.
Take creatine supplements
Long road trips can make it hard to meet all you nutritional needs and have enough energy to stick to your workout plan. This is why it’s a good idea to bring the right dietary supplements with you while travelling. Supplements can help you keep your energy levels up, boost your immune system, and help your body fight common infections and travel-related diseases.
Fortified creatine supplements like the ones at True Protein that combine creatine and magnesium will help you keep your body in top condition for an active road trip. Creatine stimulates your muscles to produce more energy during exercise and helps with the post-workout recovery, while magnesium improves the body’s ability to absorb creatine. These supplements are a great way for vegans and people who follow a gluten- and/or dairy-free diet to boost their energy levels and stay fit while travelling.
Creatine is also known to increase lean muscle mass, fight chronic fatigue, improve cognition caused by the lack of sleep, and help stabilize your blood sugar levels. The added benefits of magnesium include improved mood, fewer migraine headaches, increased insulin resistance, and lower chances of inflammatory diseases.
Stay active
Though going on a road trip will keep you away from your favorite gym for some time, this no excuse to ditch your fitness routine entirely. Staying active on a road trip is actually easier than it seems if you remember to pack some useful workout essentials. Throwing a pair of small dumbbells, some resistance bands, a jump rope, and a yoga matt in your suitcase will motivate to stick to your exercise regimen no matter where you go.
You should also make a point of walking everywhere – not only will this give you a chance to soak up the sight and sounds of every new place you visit, it will also help you burn extra calories and maintain your fitness level.
If you still haven’t chosen your destination, pick somewhere that’s fitness-friendly. Your best bet is to choose a road trip route that will give you plenty of opportunities to walk, jog, run, or swim. Not only will this be a great way to reconnect with Mother Nature, but it will also give you a chance to combine fitness and fun.
Get enough shut-eye
Last but not least, you need to make sure you’re properly rested during your travels. Sleep is an essential component of every effective fitness routine since it’s only during sleep that your muscles can repair properly and grow.
During sleep, your body produces human growth hormone (HGH), which is essential for achieving optimum athletic performance. HGH does not only help your muscles grow bigger and stronger, it also plays an important role in maintaining a healthy metabolism and may actually slow down the aging process.
Did you know that up to 70 million Americans suffer from a chronic lack of sleep? Sleep deprivation will not only ruin your road trip by making you moody and irritable, it can also cause a host of health problems, including high blood pressure, weakened immune system, and weight gain. Not getting enough sleep also increases the risk of having a road traffic accident, so make sure you get enough rest each night and try to stick to your usual sleep schedule while travelling.
Yes, travelling can make it harder to stick to your usual fitness routine, but that doesn’t mean you should let it ruin all of your previous work and hard-earned progress.
If you set some time aside to plan your meals, keep an eye on hidden calories, boost your diet with healthy supplements, stay physically active, and get enough rest, you can actually turn your road trip into an opportunity to take your fitness routine to the next level.
David Johnson is a versatile content writer known for his ability to breathe life into words and create engaging narratives on diverse subjects. With a passion for effective storytelling and a keen eye for detail, David crafts content that resonates with readers and sparks their curiosity. He is dedicated to delivering high-quality, informative, and enjoyable content, making him a respected voice in the digital landscape. Beyond the keyboard, David enjoys exploring the outdoors, immersing himself in literature, and finding inspiration in everyday experiences.
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