We’ve been hearing from a lot of traveling challengers this month. These smart tips will help you stay strong and keep up a regular barre3 practice whether you’re going camping with friends or flying off for a fun vacation.
1. Pack smart. If you’re traveling by plane or train, don’t carry all your books and electronics in your arms or try to shove them in your purse either. (Carrying all that weight on one side encourages shoulder strain.) Instead, invest in a backpack to hold your carry-on items, books, laptop and more. That way, you’ll support healthy posture and free your arms up so you can multi-task with ease.
2. BYOB (Bring your own ball.) If you want to keep up a barre3 practice on the road, all you really need to bring is your barre3 Core Ball. You can deflate it completely and lay it flat in your suitcase or deflate it a little bit and use it as low-back support or as a pillow en route.
3. Stay hydrated. Water helps our bodies function properly. When we’re hydrated we’re better able to digest food, eliminate toxins, and stay energized. That’s why it’s so important to stay hydrated all the time, especially when traveling. (In fact, if you’re traveling by plane, it’s even more important to guzzle water because the low humidity on airplanes makes us more susceptible to dehydration.) Make sure you pack a water bottle in your carry on so you can refill it as needed. You can also bring a travel tea mug and pack a few varieties of tea in your bag. Then all you need is hot water to start hydrating.
4. Prevent snack attacks. You could rely on the foods found at fast food chains and airport snack shops to curb your hunger but their selection often favors unhealthy, heavily processed foods. Instead of indulging in these types of snacks, pack your own healthy alternatives to munch on while you’re en route to your destination. A few of our favorites are these adorable Chia Pod treats, our no-bake barre3 Bars, our nutrient-packed Raw Carrot-Cake Energy Bites, and crunchy Pacific Superfood Snacks Kale Chips. Once you arrive at your destination, you can restock on healthy grab-and-go items at a grocery store so you have good options on hand whenever hunger hits.
5. Make movement your mission. Whether you’re stuck on a train or road tripping with friends, travel days can require a whole lot of sitting. Make a goal to break up sitting time by incorporating movement throughout your day. You could stretch on a plane to prevent stiffness, do seated twists in the passenger seat, stop by a rest stop for a quick walk or crank out some lunges during an airport layover. Or try a barre3 online workout using our mobile app! Moving in small bursts throughout the day will keep you feeling energized and help your body recover faster after a long day on the road.
6. Find ways to sleep better. Fighting jet lag is no fun so plan on treating your body with a little extra TLC while you adjust to time changes. You can bring an eye mask to help you sleep on a plane or use calming scents like lavender to relax your body once you’ve arrived at your destination. You might also pack some all natural CALM or melatonin, which helps regulate sleep and wake cycles, to help you adjust to a time change.
7. Break up your workouts. Travel schedules are notoriously unpredictable so you shouldn’t worry about committing to long workout sessions while you are away. Try fitting in one 10-minute workout at a time instead. It’s easy to carve out time for 10 minutes of exercise, whether you wake up with some sun salutations, enjoy a short walk after lunch or sneak in a barre3 online total body workout after soaking up some sun by the pool.
Have you found ways to stay dedicated to healthy habits while you’re traveling? We’d love to hear them in the comment section below.
