Achieving your fitness goals, especially if you travel a lot, is not easy. New environments, limited time on the trip, struggles to find healthy food options and a hassle to find a place to workout… Travel unbalances even the fittest and most committed fitness addicts. If you travel as much as I do (or even more!), you will know that finding a solution to the not-exercising-while-traveling problem is very important.
There is, however, a way to stay on the track while traveling. It’s called “working out with a partner” 😊 Magic! So let’s get down to the benefits of having a workout buddy on your trip.
- Motivation to workout on your trip
As we all know, exercising involves a lot of effort, sticking to the plan, and quite often, making sacrifices for the sake of achieving them (no delicious French food on your trip to Luxembourg…). That is why having a “support system” in place (your life partner, a friend, a family member or even colleague on a business trip) while traveling is so important. As the old saying goes, “together is always better”, so there is more chance that one of you will motivate the other to explore what fitness options a new location has to offer or tempt each other out for a morning run.
If you are traveling solo look out for a potential exercising partners! Meeting a hardcore runner at the breakfast table at the hotel could transform your trip to Iceland to a half-marathon preparation, so be open for all opportunities to workout/run/hike/cycle with someone new. According to research, the benefits of having a workout buddy on your trip include support and motivation in the successful achievement of fitness goals, so accountability does work!
- Easier to try new workout places
Statistically speaking, people do not like to be in uncomfortable situations and trying new things in a new location. Hence going to a new gym or exercise class while traveling (especially if there’s a language barrier) might not be something a lot of people voluntarily do on their trip.
It is much easier to try new things together with someone, that’s why having a workout buddy on your trip is great. It makes not only visiting unexplored (fitness) places easier, but also gives you two an opportunity to workout literally, anywhere. If you’re alone doing squats on the rooftop in New York (talking from the personal experience here), people might question that. However, if two of you are doing an intense circuit out there – you can never know, someone might even ask to join you!
Going back to scientific foundations for this – the studies say that if you exercise with someone, there is a high chance you will invest in physical activity 1.4 times more. Whether you’re travelling, or not, having a workout buddy will help you to stay fit with an added benefit of the workouts being fun! 😊
- Efficient use of time
Accountability and result efficiency aside, one of the key benefits of having a workout buddy on your trip (thinking pragmatically here) is that you actually end up spending time together. Given the busy-ness of everyone’s schedules, especially on a trip or while visiting someone abroad, it is important to use every opportunity you’ve got to move – preferably, together. You will not only get your daily fitness quotient in, but will be doing so whilst spending time with someone important. If you would like to hear more on that, have a look at TwoFit’s Healthy Body and Healthy Relationship guide.
Further still, given the stress relief and mood and energy enhancing properties of exercising, it is most likely that exercising together with someone while traveling will make you feel happier and more energised afterwards. Having a workout buddy on your trip also improves communication in a relatively stressful situation, gives you both an opportunity to vocalise your emotions and provide feedback.
- Easier to stick to the plan
Maintaining a healthy diet is always the toughest challenge on any trip. Firstly, in a new country everyone gets obsessed with trying all the “local” foods and drinks that they can find. Secondly, quite often finding healthy food options that you might be used to are difficult (had this experience in India, making miles in New Delhi, looking for a non-Indian and non-junk food restaurant). Thirdly, if you’re staying in a hotel or B’n’B, having the means to cook a meal or having a fridge to store some healthier foods might not be an option.
That is why having a workout buddy on your trip is so good. You can not only burn all the calories you both ate in the local restaurant together, but also keep each other on track. Sticking to the plan together is much easier.
Finally, in the worst-case scenario you can share ONE cake, instead of having a dessert each…. 😉
You do not have to sacrifice your holiday to stay fit and healthy. More mindful nutrition and at least 20 minutes of exercise a day can do miracles and all of this is so much easier achieved with a workout buddy on your trip. Test it yourself!
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