My in-laws recently took on a weeklong road trip with their oldest grandson; upon conclusion one of the comments about the experience was how hard it had been to eat vegetables when dining at restaurants.  I had a chuckle, we often feel the same way, staying fit and healthy on the road is a real challenge.  So many things can get in your way; we don’t have a daily routine to workout in, restaurants offerings can be shockingly unhealthy, there is NO consistency to equipment or availability of hotel gyms.  I gained more than 15 lbs. in the first few years of travel life, now for those who knew me before some of that was welcome.  I was a model and spent a minimum of two hours at the gym five days a week; I was fit but very thin.  This is not a statement seeking attention or validation of my size, I am very happy with how I look but it’s fitness that is always a concern.  I can tell you that unwittingly we eat a heck of a lot more butter and sugar than we would like because of restaurant food.  So I thought I would share a little about how we stay fit on the road.  I can tell you we have tried many things and like anyone working out, variety is the key.

• In-room exercise videos are gold.  We are both fans of T25 and Insanity; you can take them anywhere!!  Neither of these systems requires external equipment like weights or kettle bells.   Beach Body also has an app subscription option to give you mobile access to many more programs; there are a number of similar services out there.  Videos you can do in your room or if the hotel gym has the room are great.

• Find a routine that is going to work for you, a time of day or a system that you can do and keep yourself accountable too. I run, it’s free and it feels great. It is not always possible to get in a run due to work schedule or even feasible in the hotel area. When I can’t run I either do T25 or a yoga video.   This is incredibly hard to do and to stick too. We do not live in routine but figuring out what you can do will be the key.

• Use a Calorie counter until you figure it out. There isn’t really one that is better than the other, all are useful. Deciding what and how much to eat is much easier when you get a hint of how many calories are in a dish. You would be amazed at how bad certain places are; Olive Garden is the worst!! Also make sure you count your booze too; that is a HUGE problem when you first start out. It takes a long time to train yourself to not have a beer or wine with dinner. You spend a lifetime thinking of eating out as an occasion, then it becomes just part of your day. Nearly all of us gain the “freshman 15” from booze starting out.

• I use a fitbit, I LOVE my fitbit. LOVE LOVE LOVE my fitbit. Yes I workout and my job does keep me active but having a fitbit and using the app lets me know when I’ve gotten lazy. It is a great tool to keep yourself going.

There is no one way to stay fit but being conscious of the pitfalls will help.

***This is part of a series of posts called “Travel Tuesday“, each covering topics unique to our lifestyle***