The thought of adhering to a plan whilst travelling seems to shake some people up, but it really is as simple as when you’re at home.
Mind over matter!
Ensuring you have to right mind-set when planning your trips, will enforce the necessity to keep focused whilst you’re away. You know what to do, but your mind automatically wants to turn on “holiday mode”! You know what I mean, the approach where you want to veg out on the beach all day, drink beer, and eat pizza! Sounds good, but it won’t do your waistline any favours, and will negatively impact your progress.
Now of course I’m not preaching that you shouldn’t enjoy yourself. Man, if it’s a vacation you should love every moment and make many memories. If it’s business, you can equally get positive experiences from the trip. Life should be nourished, and travelling allows us to visit different places, learn new things, and meet a variety of people.
Be stronger, healthier, and better than the person you were at home!
It takes a very disciplined and determined individual to stay on track whilst travelling, and for this you’ve already accomplished progress in mind-set. So the easy part is the physical side. Parts 1-2 taught you how you can achieve your nutritional requirements and how to fit some kind of workout in if the environment wasn’t very “fitness” orientated; go back and check them out if you missed it.
These points in Part-3 will help you bind it all together, and keep you on track to being the very best you can be.
#1 TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
You know the score by now. Recording your progressions results in the ability to analyse your performances. How are you supposed to remember what you did yesterday, let alone last month, if you don’t document your training? This still applies when you’re away from home!
You don’t need anything fancy to track your workouts; a simple pen and notepad will do. For those of you who love your technology, there are many tracking apps available, so just pick the one that suits you best.
When away, the likelihood is that your training sessions will be different to those you’d normally be performing, so document your session outline, reps, sets, rest periods, energy levels, and how you felt afterwards. The information can be very basic, but just enough to give you a comparison point for the next time you schedule a session.
You should always aim to be better than you were yesterday!
#2 BUDGET FOR YOUR MEALS
Before you leave, make a spreadsheet in preparation for your expenses. Outline your absolute essentials on the sheet, including your nutrition as an essential.
It can be challenging to meet nutritional requirements when away from home, especially if you are in a surplus of calories to gain size. This costs money, right?! So by accounting for this expense PRIOR to your trips, will ensure you have adequate finances to meet your needs.
Sometimes it pays to allow a little extra into your nutritional budget, to allow for price differences from where you’re used to. It also prevents you from having to be restricted to budget foods such as bags of rice to get in your carb allowance. My guessing is that you’ll be eating out more often also, which needs to be taken into account.
To stay focused on your goals, you may need to cut budget on other items. Do you really need that six-pack of beer? Is it essential you get that pizza, just because other travellers have done? I’m not suggesting to go without things, but it pays to bear in mind costs and the fact that once the non-essentials are removed, money will be more readily available.
#3 MAKE YOURSELF A PRIORITY
Whether it’s a family vacation, or a scheduled business trip, ensure you make time for yourself. By planning yourself into your diary, you’ll have something visual to focus on, and more often than not, will ensure you adhere to everything you have outlined for the day; including you!
One of my favourite sayings is; “Fit your own mask first”, taken in context from when you place the oxygen mask in an aeroplane on yourself first, and then help others. Without oxygen; you are unable to help those around you.
I apply this to life as a whole. Your family, friends, colleagues, and heck, even your pets, will benefit if you prioritise yourself. It’s not a selfish act the put yourself first, as many think. In fact, it’ll be the best thing you can do for your life. So whether you’re home or away… FIT YOUR OWN MASK FIRST!
#4 DO THE BEST YOU CAN
You won’t always have the best options available to you. It may be that the only place to eat is some “greasy spoon” style joint, or you’ll be stuck in the airport where they only sell salads that require a small mortgage to purchase! This is life! You just need to ensure you make the very best you can out of a situation.
#5 PLAN AHEAD
I can’t preach this point enough, and you’ll notice I use it in many of my informed articles. Planning and preparation really is the key to consistency, which leads to goal adherence.
You’ll have an idea of where you’re going, and as I outlined in Part-1, you can check out the amenities available to you in the area, even calling the hotel in advance to see if you can borrow some basic kitchen facilities. In Part-2 I provided you with exercises that you can achieve within your hotel room, but it’s always worth checking out the local area to see if there is a gym in close proximity to you, especially if your stay is more than 2 days.
Whatever you’re currently working on to improve yourself and your lifestyle – fat loss, muscle gain, maintain strength – you can continue working on whilst travelling by conforming to the points outlined in this series.
Leave the whales in the sea this summer!
As harsh as the saying goes, no-one wants to look like a beached whale on their holidays, and there’s little point messing up all the hard work you’ve applied prior to your trips, to ruin it when away.
Keep active. Eat well. Plan ahead.
Enjoy your travels.