Working Out on the Road

Working out and staying healthy on the road while traveling does make it a little more difficult to stay in shape. Especially as a mom, we are always on the go.

While traveling, it’s hard to keep a gym membership anywhere because you are picking up and leaving frequently and it’s difficult to retain any sense of accountability. Because, let’s face it, who would know if I didn’t work out today besides me…and I’m not telling:)

Working out from home takes a huge amount of discipline. Nobody is watching so I tend to quit when the going gets tough. Plus, you are at home, which makes it extremely hard to escape our domestic duties that we seem to get caught up in and working out tends to get pushed to the back of the line.

As well as making sure we get our workout on, eating healthy is a HUGE hurdle. When you travel, eating at new places and experiencing local cuisine is one of the BEST parts of exploring new areas.

This is where we have been working on this being a “lifestyle” and not a constant “vacation”. The first month we traveled I made excuses for not working out and eating bad because I kept telling myself, ” It’s okay because I am on vacation”.

Lets just say I packed on a few “vacation” pounds and that is when I realized this was going to take some discipline and a new mindset. These are definitely some hardships we have faced during this traveling lifestyle, but I know this is a common struggle for everyone out there who is trying to run a family and stay healthy.

Here are some steps we have taken to help us get back on track as a family, as well as traveling for months at a time.

Keep Moving – We love exploring new areas as a family. This is one of the main reasons we began this journey. So what better way to explore a city than walking, running, or biking throughout a new area? Lots of cities have tons of beautiful parks to visit and help you stay active.

Parks are a great way to let your kiddos have some fun while you get in a workout. Get creative! Use a park bench to do push-ups, triceps dips, step ups, or whatever exercises you enjoy. Push your kid on the swing while doing squats or whatever it takes to get moving. Run the stairs or hills at the park.

You might feel a little silly at first, but just focus on what is important for you and your family, which is a healthy lifestyle and spending quality time together.

If you have a small toddler that can’t quite play on their own yet and needs constant supervision (believe me I get it) then incorporate them in your workout as well. Put them on your shoulders and do some squats and lunges or try some push-ups with them on their backs and give them kisses as you go up and down.

Our daughter likes to ride on our backs as we do push-ups which makes it a game for her and extra resistance for us. They just want your interaction, attention, love, and to be involved in what you are doing.

What better way to explore a city than walking, running, or biking throughout a new area?

Accountability is tough on the road because I have nobody to meet at the gym or at a group fitness class. My husband and I have to be accountable to ourselves and each other.

Most of the time we try to work out together like going for a run or bike ride. Although sometimes depending on our daily schedule or the weather, our workouts don’t always well….work out. When this occurs, this is when we have to get creative and dig down deep.

I was recently invited to a Facebook group that has a daily workout and when you have completed it you make a post on the page and the group holds you accountable. That is a great option for those nobody is watching kind of days that make us get up and get going.

At the end of the day, we have to look to ourselves for motivation by what is driving us. Are we working out to look and feel better for ourselves, or to get healthy for our family? There are many reasons for this drive so focus on the end result you are aiming for.

Turn your I cant’s into I don’ts – If we tell ourself we CAN”T eat something then of course we WANT it and feel deprived. That is why the moment you start a diet you feel hunger and and want everything in sight. Instead, tell yourself I DON’T eat that instead of I CAN’T eat that and this mindset makes temptation a little bit easier when you see donuts in the break room at work and nobody is watching;)

Have a plan and a goal – I have noticed if I don’t have a workout plan or a goal, I wake up in the morning and think…hmm should I work out today? If given the choice we will usually hit the snooze button or get too busy as the day goes on or whatever the excuse may be.

If we have a plan and follow it, we are more likely to get up and get it done. A goal is for motivation and not to beat yourself up. If you didn’t reach your goal or you missed a workout tomorrow is a new day. Get back on that horse and begin again.

Drink more water not sugar – This struggle is real yal! Believe me, I love me some sweet tea, fruit tea, pretty much anything with sugar involved but consuming liquid calories is DANGEROUS! It will pack on the pounds quick and provides little to no healthy nutrition in return.

Replace your sugary drinks with water (I know you know this) and take water with you everywhere you go. I invested in a good water bottle that keeps water cool all day and I catch myself drinking more and more water because it stays refreshing. Sugary drinks is a hard habit to break, but this is so important to follow.

Do what you love – We are more willing to workout if we love what we are doing. If we enjoy a certain activity we are more willing to work harder at it and stay motivated to keep that activity going.

Whatever that may be for you, it is important to focus on those activities. Just keep in mind if you LOVE to walk but HATE to run this might take more time to burn enough calories to keep off the weight but if you enjoy it then go for it! Just stay moving.

Meal prep – Planning your meals ahead of time is key to staying on track and not making so many of those last minute fast food stops. I once heard you can eat your way out of any workout regimen and that is so true.

It’s so much easier to consume calories that to burn them. Planning mealtime out is not only a money and timesaver in the long run, but it will help you say no to those “unplanned” food options that came about because you don’t have time to cook or those stressful days leading to “stress eating”.

To put in simply, it doesn’t take a big fancy expensive gym to workout. Be creative and stop making excuses. It’s all about moving and getting your heart rate up. Get active as a family and even involve them to make the process more fun.

Comment below to let us know what you enjoy as a family to stay active and share any ideas you have to get moving on the go.

#arkansas #littlerock