How To Stay Active And Avoid Sedentary Lifestyles On Your Travels

Going places is one of the best joys of life – being able to explore different places, cultures and things. But planes, trains or cars can leave you feeling lethargic and in no shape. Basically, since you’re then going to be healthier and more energized, you’ll be able to take advantage of that vacation a lot more. How to stay active and stay away from a sedentary lifestyle during your travels — here are some practical tips:

Plan For Physical Activity

Take some time to plan how you’ll stay active before you even leave for your trip. You could decide to set aside a portion of time every day for a little workout, or opt for sightseeing activities that incorporate strolling or choose destinations that offer the capacity for open air exercises like climbing, cycling or swimming. Setting a fitness intention for your trip will increase your odds of complying with your plan and ultimately staying fit as you travel. If I am traveling, I enjoy watch experience the local sights and things to do as it reminds me to keep active and learn a new place to experience together.

Walk As Much As Possible

Walking is one of the easiest and most effective ways to be active when you’re traveling. It’s a great way to explore your destination and the sights, sounds, and smells of the area all at a comfortable, low impact pace. Instead of taking taxis or using public transport on short distances, why not try walking to the next attraction or to close by restaurants? Most cities have pedestrian friendly streets and scenic walking tours that will keep you walking and discovering hidden gems.

Use Hotel Gyms Or Nearby Fitness Centers

Fit practically everywhere you go: More and more hotels have fitness centers with treadmills, stationary bikes, and weights so you can keep up with your workout wherever you are. If your hotel doesn’t have a gym, most cities have local fitness centers or gyms you can pay for a day pass at. Or, benefit from the apps or online videos around bodyweight workouts you can do from the hotel room. Things like squats, lunges, pushups, and planks, all without the special equipment and great for getting your heart pumping.

Try Active Sightseeing

When you’re off travelling somewhere new, think about making your sightseeing an active experience. Try things such as bike tours, walking tours or even kayaking which use different muscle groups and keep your body moving. Quite a few cities around the world will actually let you rent bikes or participate in a bike sharing program if this is something you want to do, and also keep active. You’ll get a great workout, but also get to experience your destination from a whole new perspective. When you visit places with many natural features, visiting, hiking, mountain climbing, exploring national parks, etc are great ways to stay healthy and spend time in nature.

Take The Stairs

Whenever you go into any kind of building, take the stairs instead of the elevator. There’s nothing like climbing a flight of stairs to attack your legs and glutes and hike up your heart rate. If you’re in a high-rise hotel try to walk up a few flights when you can to your room. Plus, it’s a simple yet effective way to keep fit without having to spend much time or energy. And it works to counteract the hours sitting you’re going to do on your travels.

Stretch Regularly

Prolonged sitting can stiffen the back and legs and impede circulation and cause discomfort. To nip this in the bud, make sure that you stretch often, when you are traveling. If you’re not driving, take breaks every so often, even if you’re on a boat, bus, or plane, and get up to stretch and move about. Stretching your back, legs and arms gently can achieve release of tension, improve your posture, and reduce the chances of muscle stiffness. You can feel more energized and ready to begin your day of exploring by attending morning yoga sessions or doing a stretching routine.

Stay Active In The Evenings

The day of sightseeing or travel takes it out of you, but just because you don’t feel like doing much after a day like that doesn’t mean you have to be sedentary in the evening. Rather than bumming around in the hotel room, or binge watching TV, opt to participate in some light activity – going for an evening walk, doing a gentle yoga routine or lounging in the hotel pool are all good ideas. The benefits of being active in the evenings are two fold: reducing the harmful consequences of prolonged sitting, and preventing a sedentary end to the day.

Join Group Activities Or Classes

There are many group activities or fitness classes at a ton of travel destinations that are great for staying active, and socializing, too. You could enroll in a local yoga class, a dance lesson or a group hike. These activities will get you moving on your trip, and in a fun way and will allow you to meet other travellers and immerse yourself in the culture of your destination. Instead, try to find local events or fitness studios that design one off classes during your trip.

Conclusion

While it might not be hard to be active, we can’t always be. If you have the right mindset, and make a little planning, you can be getting in physical activity when you travel. Walking, sightseeing, hotel gyms and local activities are the machines you need to avoid a sedentary lifestyle to keep both body and mind ready to face whatever exciting adventures await.

Nieka Ranises