I love to workout. It’s not just about burning off calories. For me it’s a certain feeling I have after a great workout. I feel energized, healthy, strong, and know I’m doing something good for myself and my body. In a nutshell, you could say that working out keeps me sane.
And that’s not to say that sometimes I don’t feel like working out. Just like I’m sure many of you, I struggle with motivation to get to the gym or to head out for a run. Knowing how good I’ll feel after my workout usually helps to get me moving. There’s one time that this struggle is extra real, and that’s when I’m traveling.
Since I’m living the European expat life for just 8 months, my travel calendar is extra booked. I’m trying to see as much of Europe as I can in this short time, and that means lots of back-to-back trips and less time at our home base of Barcelona.
I wanted to share with you the struggles I’ve been feeling when it comes to working out while traveling. Even though I know it’s okay to take days off, when I take too many off (which really only happens when I travel), I feel guilty. I’m working through all these feelings, and here’s a bit about where I’m at.
Recent Travels
In the past two weeks I went on two big trips, first Italy for a full week and then two days later, Amsterdam for 4 nights. These two trips could not have been more different in terms of my fitness routine.
In Italy I packed workout clothes and a jump rope (lol, ya know, just in case!). On this trip I worked out exactly ZERO times. I walked a lot, but no workouts. I indulged in pizza, pasta and gelato, as one must in Italy.
Then came Amsterdam. Again, I packed lots of workout clothes (though I left the jump rope home this time ;)). On this trip, I worked out 4 times–I went on a run, did a spin class, a barre class and a bootcamp.
I felt different coming back from these two trips. After Italy I felt guilty and ready to get back to my gym routine. While I loved Italy, a big part of me wanted to return to Barcelona so I could get back to my routine and workouts.
Quite the opposite, after Amsterdam I felt energetic, healthy and still ready to hit the gym at home, but less desperate to get there ASAP. While I may have felt different mentally, it’s important to note that physically there isn’t a difference. Skipping a week of workouts or working out extra hard for 4 days will not impact you long term.
What I Learned
My learning from these two trips is that sometimes workouts happen, sometimes they don’t, and both situations are okay. My hotels in Italy didn’t have a gym and I could have gone running or done a body weight routine, but I wasn’t feeling it. In Amsterdam I had hotel gyms and tons of boutique studios to try, so I made it a big part of my experience in this new city.
I also now know that I’m more likely to enjoy my trip and live more in the moment (with less guilty feelings), if I can do some sort of workout. Even if it’s a short 20 minute jog, my mindset will be more positive and I won’t be counting down until I can get back in the gym.
Working out While Traveling, Do or Don’t?
For me, it’s pretty clear that I like to workout when I travel. If you can relate, here are some of the reasons you may workout while traveling:
DO:
- You love to workout. If it’s something you love to do, of course you’d want to do it on vacation.
- Wake up with energy. Get the body moving, especially after stiff flights.
- Keeps you in a routine. If you workout on the regular, there’s a reason for it. Why break that routine just because you aren’t at home?
- Experience the city in a new way. Hiking trails, runs, new studios, all great to do while traveling.
- Burn calories. Traveling often means lots of eating. Burning off some of the calories can feel good.
- Lots of travel. If you travel infrequently and want to skip workouts, no biggie. But if you travel every week, skipping workouts really adds up.
It’s not the case for everyone. Some very valid reasons you may choose to skip working out while traveling:
DON’T:
- You hate working out. If you don’t actually like it and you’re on vacation, why force yourself?
- You need a break. If you go super hard at the gym on a regular basis, maybe you use vacation as a time to recover and focus on other things.
- Packed schedule. Long flights, long tours, you get the picture.
- Uncooperative travel companions. If you can’t fit a workout in easily, it might seem easier to skip it than inconvenience your fellow travelers.
- Nowhere to workout. Sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be the space for a workout.
If you fall into the “don’t” category for working out while traveling, that’s perfectly fine. Everyone should do what makes them happy and if working out while traveling is going to stress you out and ruin your experience, that is okay. I’ll admit I’m a bit jealous of people who go on vacation and don’t even think about working out.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Do you workout while traveling, or do you prefer not to?
For those who do like to workout while traveling, check back on Monday–I’ll be sharing my top tips to make it happen and in a way you’ll actually enjoy!
