Top 6 Tips for staying fit while traveling the world [Guest Post]

6 Travelers’ Tips for Staying Fit

Travelling has a way of unsettling exercise schedules and upturning healthy eating plans. If it wasn't hard enough sticking to a consistent routine on your own turf, the uncertainty and unfamiliarity of travel makes it all the more challenging. But motivation goes a long way. So get yourself organised, lace up those sneakers and hit the ground running!

1. Plan Profusely

Make sure you leave with the right mindset and sufficient planning. Vague ideas will make it simply too easy to find excuses to sideline the exercise once you’re there – you’ll be too tired, too preoccupied, too busy to fit it all in. Be sure to pack enough workout gear and don’t hide those running shoes in the depths of your suitcase where they’ll not surface again until you get home. Instead, line them up besides the door to serve as a constant reminder.

2. Supermarket Shop

It’s often tempting to indulge in a cheeky portion of chips or a bottle of Coke when you’re out and about, confronted by a whole host of tasty new food options. Check out the local supermarkets and food markets, stocking up on anything filling yet healthy that you can easily carry around with you to satiate that inevitable hunger – bananas, rice cakes and trail mixes all make for great on-the-go snacks to put you on for a full day of exploration. Not only less calorific, but also a great way to save some pennies.

3. Run Regularly

Running has to be one of the best ways to experience a new city from an entirely unique perspective. Go for an early morning jog to beat the crowds and get an alternative view of the some of the city’s touristy spots. Check your map before and just get going – you can always spontaneously adapt your route if you happen to come across a welcoming little side street or a lovely river trail, the likes of which tend to be sprinkled around European cities.

4. Live Locally

Have some certain criteria in mind when you’re looking for a place to stay. A kitchen with cooking facilities will give you much greater control over your diet and help avoid any fast food binges, while a nearby canal or river will make the prospect of a run significantly more inviting.

5. Drinking Dilemmas

Granted, there may not be a whole lot of options, but it is possible to experience a city’s nightlife without the guilty conscience of the calorific beers and the fuzzy head the next morning. A coffee in a late night, dimly-lit cafe or a single glass of red wine at dinner won’t throw off your routine too much but still allow you to sample some of the after hours entertainment.

6. Maintain Motion

Just keep moving. Exercise doesn't always have to be a hugely extensive and exhaustive process, you are on holiday after all! Even just a few basic but proactive measures will help keep your fitness levels up. Climb those church and steeple tower stairs, walk around parks or hire a bike – there’s no greater motivation to stay active than to do it a midst new sights and scenes.

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Susannah Taplin is part of the team at GoEuro, a new Internet platform that helps travelers compare and combine air, rail, bus and car travel options. Northern Norway is next on her list of places to explore - one day she’d like to attempt the Tromsø Midnight Sun Marathon!

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[highlight]Remember before going traveling to download your free copy of 99 Workouts, No equipment Required -- perfect for hotels, parks, gyms and the track.[/highlight]