Going Somewhere?

I have a few athletes hitting the open road (and skies) and we've been prepping and planning for how to maintain nutrition habits on vacation without restriction or guilt or stress, and with lots of fun and joy and eating delicious food.

That got me to thinking... I know that nutrition and fitness around travel can feel like a big obstacle.

Some people go on diets just to go on vacation! Which I don’t recommend. Yo-yo-ing in and out of diets almost never results in long-lasting benefits and can put you at a higher risk of poor relationship with food and your body, and poorer body composition.

Instead, let’s talk about some travel tips to take the stress from a 10 to a 3 (unfortunately I can’t help with middle seats and scary drivers):

• Prioritize protein and minimally processed foods early & often. Airports and gas stations do indeed have hidden nooks of nutrient-dense foods! String cheese, bananas, shakes, bars, nuts, and yogurts are a great starting point.

• Wiggle wiggle wiggle (safely). Move periodically, even if you’re stuck sitting. Do some calf raises and tibialis raises. Get a little booty circle going in your seat. Push the back of your head into your headrest to stretch your neck. Prop a sweater or water bottle behind your lower back for support during long trips. Bodies are meant to move and it’ll feel better for your entire trip if you move it.

• Enjoy new stuff! Take a walking tour. Savor a local dish. Try some fruit you’ve never seen. If you want to squeeze in travel wods there’s plenty out there but it’s okay to use sightseeing activities as your movement too. Your gains won't go away, I promise.
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  Deep health habits mean adjusting the dials, not stopping and starting. That makes for a happy pre-and-post vacation you!