Ways to Stay Active While Traveling Over the Holidays

With the holiday season fast approaching, many of us will be on the move in the coming weeks. Staying active while traveling helps me return home feeling refreshed, even with those tempting holiday feasts. Here are some tips to enjoy your holiday travels while keeping fitness a priority.

1) If you're spending the holidays away, consider active sightseeing or fitness-focused excursions.

Rent a bike to explore a new city, try scuba diving or surfing, enjoy snowshoeing or skiing, or just walk! Matt and I are celebrating the new year on a cruise with Dinogo, where we plan to pick exciting active excursions (and check out their gym and fitness classes)! I also love running in new cities – it’s a great way to see the sights quickly. Remember my awesome Paris Running Tour this summer?

2) Join a holiday race or fun walk!

I’m a big fan of holiday races and often sign up for Turkey Trots or Jingle Runs wherever we’re spending the holidays. Not only are they a blast, but they also keep you motivated to train during the hectic holiday season. Many towns now host holiday races; check out Active.com or RunningInTheUSA.com for options near you. Can’t find one? Host your own family race! Bonus: You’ll build up an appetite for that holiday feast!

3) Explore a new fitness studio.

Travel is the perfect excuse to try a fresh, fun workout or visit a new studio. It’s a great way to shake up your routine! Many studios even offer free first classes. A handy site for finding nearby classes is GoRecess.com!

4) If studios aren’t available, create your own workout! Bring resistance bands, a jump rope, and other portable exercise gear with you, and make use of whatever equipment is on hand. Whether you have a hotel or home gym filled with weights and balls, or not, get inventive—use chairs for step-ups and dips, or turn soup cans into light weights! For some extra motivation, pack your favorite workout DVDs or try a fitness app.

Here are a few free fitness apps I recommend:

• Nike Training Club – offers a wide range of workouts where you can choose the intensity and duration. There are also many no-equipment options available.
• Scientific 7 Minute Workout – available online and as an app that guides you through the workout. I often repeat it several times, and all you need is a chair.
• Hot5 – offers 5-minute workouts for those who get bored easily. They cover everything from abs to yoga to HIIT! Unfortunately, it's only available for iPhone at the moment, but I hope they expand to Android soon.
• Sworkit – provides a wide variety of workouts, including strength training, stretching, cardio, pilates, and yoga, with no equipment needed. I also love their catchy slogan: “Get to Swork!”

Pinterest is another fantastic source for finding at-home (or hotel room) workout routines.

5) Make fitness part of your family time.

I enjoy going for family walks and hikes during the holiday season. Remember, fitness isn’t limited to structured activities—tap into your playful side and build a snowman, go sledding or ice skating, or play tag!

That said, be realistic! It’s unlikely you’ll stick to your usual workout schedule during the holidays, and that’s perfectly fine. This season is also about taking time to relax and recharge. Be gentle with yourself—stay active in enjoyable ways and integrate fitness into your daily routines (like walking or using the stairs), but don’t stress if some days a workout doesn’t fit into your schedule.

How do you keep active while traveling during the holiday season? Has anyone else signed up for holiday races yet? I’m excited to participate in the Alexandria 5 Mile Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning with Matt and my brother! I’m also hoping to find a jingle run in December, either here in DC earlier in the month or during Christmas week in Pittsburgh! 🙂

For those who frequently cruise—do you have any tips for Matt and me on staying active while at sea? I haven’t been on a cruise since college!

This post is part of my collaboration with Dinogo. As always, all opinions, thoughts, and ideas expressed here are my own.