How to stay fit while travelling

Wondering how to stay fit while traveling? It’s easy to put on extra pounds when you’re away from home whether you’re on holiday, a business trip or on the road long-term – all those good intentions often get forgotten along with your fitness goals. Read on for my top tips on how to stay fit and healthy while travelling because the fitter you’re feeling the better your trip will be.

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I’m having a bit of a fit kick lately which brought to mind lots of things I do to keep the pounds from piling on when I’m away from home. These tips will help keep you fit and healthy while travelling and you’ll hopefully enjoy your travels more with that extra level of fitness.

If I’m travelling for leisure then new tempting flavours and local food can be difficult impossible to say no to. When I’m working on an event or conference for my job it’s even worse.

Friendly hotel staff ply me with coffee and pastries and lunch is often grabbed on the run from a room service menu which usually means a club sandwich with fries eaten while working through a pile of emails. So unhealthy.

And you thought Event Management was glamorous huh?  Here are a few tips to help give your travels a bit of a health boost.

Get walking and hiking

If I’m on a city break I’ll walk miles and miles and can easily do 25k steps in a day in new cities. The walking and exploring balances out all the extra foodie indulgencies. Win win.

But when I’m working, although I’m on my feet more than when I’m in the office, I don’t really get the chance or the time to exercise properly. To counter this on a business trip I make sure I never take the elevator and always use the stairs – unless I’m on the 33^rd floor where I’ll get out a few floors below my room and walk the last few flights.

If you’re on a city break a walking tour is a great way to explore and get your steps in at the same time. If you’re out in nature then you’ll probably be hiking anyway. We did some amazing hikes during our stay in Alpbach, Austria.

On my Viking Rhine Getaway river cruise there was a walking track on the top deck. 13 circuits amounted to one mile so even on a small river cruise ship there’s no excuse!

Make use of hotel facilities

Mr Jones and I love sport so when we go away on holiday we’ll often take our tennis racquets and play a few games; and if there’s a course nearby we love a round of golf too.

Make use of fitness facilities like the hotel gym for strength training, cardio, spin class, racquet courts to get in extra some physical activities. If it’s a beachside resort then paddle boarding, surfing and body boarding might be available.

We also like to ski and find that we can eat pretty much all the naughty mountain food we want on a ski trip and not pile on any pounds. All that lovely exercise and fresh air is the key and I always feel so much healthier at the end of a week’s skiing.

Yoga

If there are no hotel or resort classes I use a yoga app on my mobile phone. There are apps from beginners to intermediate, free and paid for, with some that you can tailor to your own needs. I like Yoga Studio from the App Store. I can choose from 15, 30 or 60 minutes with levels from beginner to advanced.

Pre-recorded classes can be downloaded with wi-fi and used later even without a wi-fi connection. The great thing about yoga is that you don’t need a heap of equipment and it’s something you can spend just a little time on in your room and feel both physical and mental benefits.

Get yourself some black yoga leggings. Workout clothes can be worn anytime on your travels and are especially comfortable on long flights.

Yoga is one of the most accessible ways to stay fit while travelling, especially since it requires minimal equipment and space. For those inspired to turn their passion into a career, there are plenty of yoga studio jobs available that align with different skill levels and specialties.

Join a local fitness class

Joining a local fitness class is a great way to try something different and an easy way to meet new people. Always good if you’re in a new place and plan on staying a while. Anything from yoga and tai chi in the park to outdoor circuits on the beach can be joined.

Not only will it help you stay fit, you’ll also have a memorable travel experience. Ask your hotel concierge if they know of any classes.

Running or Jogging

Running, or in my case jogging, is an excellent way to stay healthy while travelling as you don’t need any special gear except a pair of running shoes which you can also wear during the rest of your trip. You can run practically anywhere; the street, park or barefoot on the beach.

At home there’s only a busy road to run on so I love it when I’m away and I can get out early morning before it gets too hot and run along a beach frpmt or around a resort.

If you’re not into running a brisk walking pace can be just as beneficial and there are loads of training programmes to get you to your first 5k like Couch to 5k (C25K).

Take a dip

If you’re staying in a hotel use the pool, if you’re near the beach take a swim in the sea. Swimming is a really good way to stay fit – especially if you’re not up to jogging or strenuous walking.

Hotel Room Workouts

You don’t always need to hit the gym to get a good workout, some of the best travel workouts can be done in your hotel room. And it doesn’t have to be a full workout or even a daily workout.

One of the easiest ways is to find an online fitness trainer who will take you through a good workout routine using body weight. You can find free workouts on Instagram or find a YouTube video. I especially like the ‘Caroline’s Circuits’ exercise routines. Look out for the bodyweight exercises or those using resistance bands which are very lightweight, take up little room in your travel bag and are great for a quick workout.

Eat healthily

A healthy diet tends to go out of the window when you’re on a trip and who doesn’t love a hotel breakfast? Many hotels have a healthy option breakfast menu and it’s often the easiest meal to eat at healthily. 

Avoid the fry-ups, carbs, croissants and sugary pancakes drizzled with maple syrup and go for eggs and high protein foods which’ll keep you feeling fuller for longer.  My favourite is an omelette which keeps me going for hours.

For lunch head to a local food market and pick up a picnic lunch and snacks that you could eat in a local park. That way you can choose healthy food and it’s a good way to support local people, businesses and make meaningful connections. Food markets are a great place for people watching and buying foodie gifts too.

I’m not suggesting you don’t indulge on your trip, I mean food is such a big part of the travel experience, just try to keep your eating habits in check. Start your day healthily and save the treats for when you’re eating out and there are less healthy choices around. You’ll thank yourself later.

Stay Hydrated

Drink water and lots of it, especially if you’re in a hot climate. Avoid sugary drinks. You can be dehydrated after a long flight. Drink at least three litres of water a day and you’ll feel much better for it.

I don’t travel anywhere without my Hydra Flask. I’ll fill it up with water at the airport (after I’ve been through security) and drink it on the flight. Then I’ll refill during my trip again and again. The Hydra Flask keeps drinks hot or cold for up to 12 hours. Great in hot weather and the best part is no single use plastics are involved so it’s a win for the planet and a good way to save money. Added bonus!

Fitness Trackers

The Fitbit Charge 6 is my latest fitness tracker. It’s a neat little gadget that acts as my personal motivator, trainer and dietician all strapped to my wrist. It keeps track of my activity, weight, heart rate and lets me log in food goals and calories burned and stops me reaching for that biscuit when work’s getting boring. 

The Fitbit Charge 6 syncs with the fitness app on my mobile phone to give me up to the minute stats and lets me know how I’m doing compared to the goals I’ve set myself. It also encourages me to be more active to reach my daily goals. It even tracks my sleep.

I’ve been using the FitBit at home but can’t wait to use it next time I’m away to track all my activity and how far I’ve walked when I’m exploring new places. I’m pleased to say this little gadget has given me a massive fit kick and made me much more aware of my daily activity and helps me avoid some of the bad habits I’ve slipped into.

Get plenty of sleep and relaxation

Jet lag, long layovers, late nights, an early morning or three… air travel can really mess up your sleep schedule and leave you feeling groggy.

Try and get 7-8 hours sleep and your body will thank you for it. You may have less hours in your travel day but you’ll get much more out of those hours.

I hope these ideas for how to keep fit while travelling have given you some ideas for future trips. Now it’s over to you – what’s your top tip?  I’d love to hear how you keep fit and healthy and still have a great time when you’re travelling…

And just in case you’re not feeling your best, don’t forget your travel insurance. I use Heymondo which I’m really happy with. Travelbunny readers get a 5% discount using the link above.

Last update on 2026-01-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API