So you’ve been killing your diet while at home. You’re hitting the gym, being consistent with sleep and overall making great progress. Things couldn’t be better, really! But then… you have to [ insert elaborate travel plans ] and you’re at a loss. Will all hell break loose at the airport? Will I find myself snacking on M&Ms on a red eye? What will I do when I get to my destination, throw all fitspo caution to the wind?
Yes, this was a bit dramatic (and hopefully gave you a chuckle) but it’s not far off how our thoughts can spiral out of control. Traveling and sticking to your health and fitness goals can be incredibly daunting! Luckily, I travel a lot and have come up with a few easy travel hacks that are crucial for myself, and the clients I coach as well.
Bring food with you on your travel day
You never know what could happen at an airport. Delayed flight, canceled flight, missed connector… the list goes on. While many airports have healthy options now, I’ve always found it best to bring food with me for that day. When I’m prepping this is a non-negotiable; but even during offseason I typically bring at least a meal, if not more, with me.
Food can go through TSA no problem as long as it’s solid food. No liquids over 3 oz can go through security; so the same rules apply for food. They may check it, but it shouldn’t slow you down too much. If you do bring ice packs, they must be 100% frozen. This is because explosives can’t be frozen. Yes… I asked haha.
Carry an empty jug
Something I hear all the time from clients is how dehydrated they were when traveling. I get it, a small bottle of water is like $67 and getting water on the plane can be a bit of a hassle. Also, when you get to your destination, unless you’re total #meathead status and grab gallon jugs, you’ll likely end up dehydrated, too.
To solve this problem, bring an empty jug or large thermos through security. Once you get through, go to Starbucks or another restaurant and get that bad boy filled up with ice and water! This will make your travel 100x easier, and a lot more cost effective.
Order food for your destination
Most of the time I’m educating clients on the wonders of Icon Meals, but since y’all are reading this you already know about the fabulous convenience these meals provide! To me, the biggest advantage of Icon is the ability to be delivered anywhere, meaning any hotel or Air B n B I’m staying at! I mentioned I travel a lot, so this is a total lifesaver for me.
Even if you don’t plan to have Icon for all of your meals while traveling, ordering a few will be incredibly helpful for keeping you accountable! The custom or signature meals would be most appropriate for a hotel, so you don’t have to deal with the mess of portioning food out. But if you’re at an Air B n B, the by the pound products would work perfectly too, since there will be a full kitchen!
Pack all supplements
Our bodies love consistency, so staying on the routine of our daily supplements is critical for overall health, digestion, immunity and our goals. What I’ll do is throw in a few Micro Factor packs from 1st Phorm, daily nutrient packs that are conveniently pre-packaged for you, in my bag along with portion out my other daily supplements [ fish oil, hair skin and nails, Vitamin D ] in a pill divider.
I also pre-portion 1st Phorm’s Level-1, protein powder, Optigreens 50, greens + digestive enzymes + probiotics, and Project-1, pre workout, for how many days I’ll be there. Having all of these in snack bags ready to go will ensure I stay on track. For ease of packing, I’ll put the Micro Factor and all baggies into a shaker bottle or two! We all know how space is a precious commodity with packing.
Plan when you are going to train
Your travels may take you on a super busy work trip, or a vacation, or something in between. Regardless of the trip, planning training for the week is important. Just saying ‘I’ll figure it out when I get there’ will most likely lead you to not getting to the gym.
Plan your split for the entire week, including when you are home. For example, if you are traveling on Thursday, and work out 4 days per week, plan to train Monday through Wednesday at home and then Friday, at your destination. Regardless of how you split it, make sure you plan ahead and of course, pack the right clothes :)
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For those who enjoy audio learning too, I’ve linked a YouTube video I made on this topic, below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXA87yFlBSE&t=43s
Laurin Conlin, owner and head coach of Team LoCoFit
MS Exercise Science
IFBB Bikini Pro
@laurinconlin @teamlocofit
www.teamlocofit.com
