Road trips give you the ultimate freedom to stop and take a break from your travels at any time you want. Yet, traveling by car also comes with the downside of spending hours sitting that make it harder to burn off calories and maintain your muscle mass. Making sure to use these six strategies will help you stay in shape no matter where your road trip takes you.
1. Include Exercise Breaks In Your Itinerary
Most likely, you’ve included time to eat and sleep in your road trip itinerary. Scheduling time for workouts is just as important as remembering to stop for lunch. Keep in mind that your exercise breaks may need to be shorter than normal. Including time for short and intensive workouts allows you to squeeze exercise in when you might not have tons of time available.
2. Look for Opportunities to Walk
Although you might feel sore after sitting for so long, it’s important to stretch your legs whenever you can. For instance, you might choose to take a quick walk around a park if you stop to let your dog out for a potty break. Or, you could opt to enjoy walking through a downtown area as you shop for souvenirs.
3. Plan Healthy Car-Friendly Snacks
Fast food restaurants are a temptation that can become too hard to ignore if you let yourself go too long without eating. Instead of stopping off for a breakfast sandwich or burger, consider bringing along some fruit and nuts to eat whenever you need a quick bite. If you need to replenish your food stash, you can also stop at grocery stores for a healthier lunch than you’ll find in most fast food chains.
4. Use Pockets of Time to Do Body Weight Exercises
It’s amazing how much exercise you can do by spreading your workouts out through the day. On a road trip, you might find yourself standing in line, which is a great time to do a few calf raises. Or, you might do some squats while you wait for your traveling partner to get ready for the day.
5. Choose a Workout Brand With Multiple Facilities
When you know you travel regularly, it’s good to choose a fitness membership that offers you the opportunity to workout at multiple locations. You’ll benefit from being able to stick to your favorite workouts that you know are effective for burning calories and strengthening your muscles. Opting to work out in a familiar place also helps you to get back into your routine once you return home.
6. Pack Your Favorite Workout Clothes and Gear
Leaving yourself with no excuses is one of the most effective ways to ensure that you won’t skip your workouts. Make sure to pack your yoga mat, leggings or running shoes. Having clothes in your bag will remind you to workout, and you’ll enjoy more effective workouts when you are comfortable.
Going on a road trip doesn’t have to interfere with your workout plans. While you’ll need to do some planning, making exercising just as important as eating and adding fuel to your car helps you to have more energy for seeing the sights at your destination.
