For many, travel comes with many bittersweet feelings. On one hand, you are excited to finally get a break from your 9-5 job and enjoy a relaxing break; but on the other hand, you may feel a lot of stress and overwhelm.

As a personal trainer, one of the most common concerns I have from new clients is a fear of binge-eating while on vacation. They want to enjoy their trip and sample all of the cultural food; but also worked so hard leading up to their vacation and don’t want to return home feeling uncomfortably overstuffed and out of shape.

The good news: you can enjoy meals on your vacation AND stay on track of your health and fitness journey.

At Growing Goddess Coaching, we prioritize flexible nutrition, realistic habits, and building life-long skills that build confidence and help you adapt to every situation life throws at you.

You don’t have to go on vacations feeling anxious about staying on track and leave feeling guilty about how much you ate, how little you exercised, or how your body changed.

Here are 5 simple tips to help you maintain your fitness while traveling.

Remember: Context Is Important & Flexibility Is Essential

You are on vacation - and your routines and habits during your day to day will not be the same while you are traveling. In fact, you may not have a routine at all as you navigate jet lag, busy exploration days, and a difference of food options accessible and available to you.

You could visit a local grocery store to meal prep, sign up for a week pass at a gym, and have a strict and rigid routine set in place to stay on track. You could. However, this can cause a lot more stress and limitations while you’re on vacation.

You cannot apply your expectations and routines back home while you travel.

This is not to say that you should throw all of your hard work and progress out the window. I’m not saying that at all.

It’s important to remember the context of the situation and travel, in general, requires a lot of flexibility.

Why create rigid guidelines for yourself in a situation where there isn’t much foundation for routine in the first place?

These expectations, while possible to upkeep, will just add a lot more stress and overwhelm to your vacation.

There are other ways you can stay own track AND enjoy your vacation.

Find Vacation Activities That Keep You Active

Cliff jumping in Bali, Indonesia with my Husband

Fitness is more than just lifting weights in the gym. While travelling, active excursions is one of the easiest ways to incorporate daily movement into your day.

On our trip to Greece, my husband and I created a half-day self-guided walking tour of Greek archeological sites. We purchased a combination pass that gave us access to the Acropolis and slopes + 5 additional archeological attractions and went on our way. During this day trip, we did lots of walking, but it didn’t really feel like a workout because we were having so much fun. By the time we returned to our hotel at Noon, we had already accumulated over 16,000 steps!

Likewise, on our winter trip to the Canadian Rockies, alongside walking through Banff National Park, we went ice skating on lake Louise. This was a full body workout that was so much fun!

Or on our trip to Bali, we booked a full day hiking excursion where we hiked through rice paddies, went sliding down a natural waterslide multiple times, went cliff jumping besides a mini waterfall, and did lots of walking to two waterfalls.

Pick Accommodations In Central Areas And Walk Most Places

Walking everywhere (or at least most places) is another super easy way to stay active and maintain movement while traveling.

While we know staying in central areas isn’t always the most cost effective (especially if you are a traveler on a budget), accommodations in a good area is one of the top expenses worth investing a little more into for us.

In doing so, you may even find you save a little more money by removing the need to book private transfers or renting a car, all together (which can add up and get VERY expensive).

We really enjoy walking in central cities while traveling because it’s a cost-free option to really get to know the place you are visiting. You may meet the locals, enjoy the vibe, and even come across some hidden gems along the way - all while moving your body!

Be Flexible AND Honest About Your Meal Choices

One of the BEST parts about traveling (at least for me lol) is eating the local food. I genuinely believe one of the best ways to get to know the culture of a community is by enjoying food by locals.

However, its important to be honest with ourselves with the quality of foods we choose to eat.

Flexibility AND self-accountability can co-exist on your health journey. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing experience - one or the other. You can have both.

We know that vegetables are important for supporting our immune system - especially when we’re more likely to get sick while traveling.

We know that protein is important for muscle recovery - especially when we’re walking a lot and possibly waking up with sore legs.

We know that carbs are important for energy, but complex carbs are generally better sustainable fuel than simple refined carbs.

We know that dietary fat gives us energy, supports cell function and growth, and plays an important role in the absorption of vital nutrients, but foods high in trans fats aren’t great for our heart health.

We apply things daily at home. Don’t let these nutrition basics suddenly slip your mind while traveling.

How do you find balance between enjoying travel eats and keeping nutrition basics top of mind?

Find compromises and continuously ask yourself “how can I make this better?”

Maybe that looks like ordering a Greek Salad on the side of your Gyro platter.

Maybe that looks like sharing a dessert with a friend or your Partner after enjoying a nourishing meal first.

Maybe that looks like eating fast food for one meal, then enjoying balanced sit down meals for the other two.

Maybe that looks like walking to dinner each night (and it’s an effortless task because you are staying centrally, like mentioned in Tip #3 😉. AND walking back to your hotel afterwards is a great practice for regulating blood sugar post-meal).

Maybe that looks like stocking up on water in your hotel to drink throughout the day, then enjoying special drinks like wine or soda during dinner.

This can look different for a variety of people; and based on the context of your situation - including what’s accessible, your financial budget, your personal preferences, etc - your strategy for balance may look very different than someone else.

What is important is that you’re being honest with yourself about what you can do to find balance between enjoying delicious food on your trip and keeping nourishment in mind.

Carry On Practicing Basic Nutrition Skills & Habits

No matter where in the world you may be, the basics work.

Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and be mindful.
Listen to your hunger cues and eat when you are hungry.
Eat until 80% full - and if you have food left over, pack it to-go.

These simple nutrition skills and habits will aid digestion and prevent you from leaving each restaurant feeling uncomfortably full while on your Holidays.

Often we think “I’m on vacation and I’m spending a lot of money… I NEED to make this worth it by eating until I’m overstuffed and can’t walk.” But the truth is - this is a scarcity mindset around food.

If you’re full, it’s okay to stop eating and ask to take the rest to go.

Maybe you have a fear of insulting the chef because you’ve heard in certain cultures it’s disrespectful to leave food on your plate. And while this may be true in some cultures, no matter where in the world you are, most places will know you are a tourist and give you leniency. There are very different expectations when you’re in a restaurant and when you’re enjoying a meal in someone’s home. The reality is, you’re on vacation and you’ll probably never see these people again.

Do what you have to do for you. After all, this is your vacation and your body.