How to Stay Fit While Traveling For Work

Taking time off to travel and get away from work can help you de-stress, unwind, and recover (especially if you’ve been training hard in the gym).

Just because you go on vacation, doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice the gains you made in the gym!

Odds are, you’re probably going to eat out, have a few drinks, and walk right past the hotel gym. That’s okay!

In this blog post, we are going to equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to stay fit while on vacation.

Hotel Gym – is it worth it?

Every time I go on vacation, I tell myself that I will hit the hotel gym. Spoiler, I never do.

Working out is the last thing that I want to do while on vacation.

Depending on your destination of travel, you may easily rack up 10,000-20,000 steps… or more!

The amount of calories you burn while walking is dependent on your weight, speed, and distance.

To keep things simple, you can burn a couple hundred calories just by walking 10,000 steps.

To read more on how that is calculated, read this article from InBody here.

If you plan on sitting by the resort pool for 8 hours per day, you may want to consider going to the hotel gym for 30-45 minutes beforehand!

Here are 3 simple hotel gym workouts you can do:

1. Thruster complex
   • Start with a pair of light dumbbells and perform 10 reps of a double dumbbell thruster.
   • Continue to go up in weight until you are no longer able to perform 10 reps.
   • You can decrease the reps if you want to go heavier.
2. Barbell lift
   • There are very few hotel gyms that have a barbell and weights, but if they do, we recommend doing 5 sets of 5 reps of a deadlift, back squat or shoulder press at moderate weight.
3. Cardio
   • Hop on a bike, rower, or treadmill and hit a 30-minute timer.

Breakfast

The majority of hotels usually put out a Smörgåsbord of food.

Pastries, eggs, juices, fruit, meats, cereal, yogurts, etc. It’s an endless array of food!

It would be in your best interest to load up on as much protein as possible.

Say yes to eggs, sausage, deli meats, nuts, and Greek yogurt.

Avoid waffles, pastries, sugary drinks, and cereal.

Eating a breakfast that is high in protein will keep you fuller longer and ensure that you don’t crash while you are exploring a new city!

Eating Out

It is nearly impossible to meal prep and cook your food while on vacation.

Seriously, don’t bother.

If you are going to eat out, choose meals that are high in protein and low in starchy carbohydrates such as rice, bread, and pasta.

Examples of what to eat:

1. Steak and vegetables
2. Burgers (without the bun)
3. Fish and vegetables

Moderate indulgence won’t completely destroy your progress, but you do want to be conscious of the food and food portions you are putting into your body.

Alcohol

We recommend abstaining from alcohol as much as possible because it negatively impacts muscle recovery, hydration, and sleep, all crucial for people who work out.

Additionally, it impairs protein synthesis, slows muscle growth and repair, dehydrates the body, affects performance and recovery, and disrupts sleep, reducing hormone production for muscle recovery.

However, 1-2 drinks occasionally are usually fine because moderate alcohol intake has minimal effects on hydration, recovery, and performance if paired with proper nutrition, hydration, and sleep.

The key is moderation—frequent or excessive drinking can hinder fitness goals, but a drink or two won’t significantly impact progress if the rest of your lifestyle supports recovery.

Here is some more information on nutrition and alcohol that you will find helpful.

Conclusion

When you are on vacation, you’re away from home, away from your home, and probably not working out.

Don’t stress about finding time to workout, but instead, be mindful of the food you are putting into your body.