How to Be a Healthy Road Tripper: 6 Tips From Wellness Experts
Wellness on the road
It’s no secret that health takes a dip when we’re on vacation. But what about if you’re living on the road or going on an extra-long road trip? You can’t afford to let your health and wellbeing take a backseat for an extended period of time.
Luckily, you don’t have to stick to a rigid diet or miss out on experiences to stay fit and healthy on the road.
We’ve asked some health and travel experts to share their top tips for keeping your mind and body healthy while road-tripping – and they’re much more fun than you might think!
Why is it Important to Be a Healthy Road Tripper?
Road trips are much more demanding than regular vacations. From spending hours in a confined space on the road to hiking trails and whitewater rafting, both our minds and bodies take a toll.
Staying fit and healthy is essential for making the most of your road trip experience. It’s the difference between feeling stressed, lethargic, and unwilling to participate in activities and waking up feeling fresh, energized, and ready to make the most of your day.
With that in mind, here are six important tips from experts to help you stay healthy while road-tripping.
6 Tips for Staying Fit and Healthy on the Road
Read on for 6 ways to stay fit and health on the road.
Mental Health: Journal Your Trip
One of the toughest parts about being on the road is the long hours of driving. It’s not great for our bodies, and it can become incredibly tough for our mental wellbeing.
A great way to stay sharp and look after your mental health while travelling is to keep a journal. Get yourself a beautiful paper journal and start keeping track of your experiences, moods, and highlights as you go.
“If you’re travelling with kids or teens, journaling is a fantastic way to identify thought patterns and better understand any emotional tendencies that come up during a long road trip. Encourage your kids to write openly and explore their experiences and emotions in a judgement-free way.” – Jennie Lannette Bedsworth from Start Here Parents
There’s no right or wrong way to journal, so find a creative outlet that works for you. Whether it’s diary-style entries, bullet journaling, collage making, or sketching, you’ll find the mental toll of road-tripping easier to bear.
Physical Health: Find Local Fitness Classes
Ever wanted to go to a bungee fitness class? How about a goat yoga session? You might not have them in your city, but there are weird and wonderful fitness classes all across the country.
The next time you roll up in a new place, do a quick local search to see if there are any fun fitness classes you could take part in.
A research has shown that people who take regular fitness classes are less stressed and have a higher quality of life than those who work out solo, so there could be a real benefit to joining a new fitness class once in a while on your road trip.
“People often think that jiu-jitsu is only for the pros, but beginner classes have great health benefits. If you’re on the road for long periods of time, jiu-jitsu helps with mobility and flexibility – not to mention it can give you valuable self-defence training if you’re travelling solo.” – Alanna Kate Derrick from Gold BJJ
The key is finding classes you find enjoyable. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new. If you love it, you might have a new hobby to pursue; if you don’t, you can move on to the next city and try something totally different!
Mental Health: Turn Your Roadtrip into a Mini Game
There are some truly spectacular places to visit all across the US. But a lot of life on the road is just driving down long, boring highways.
The next time you find your mind struggling with the experience, turn it into a mini-game. And no, we’re not talking about hours of “I spy” or spotting license plates. Get creative and find a game you enjoy.
“A great way to combat road-tripping stress is using your imagination. So, start with a creative prompt like, if you ruled over a planet, what would you call it? Then, get lost exploring that new world together. There are no right or wrong answers – just enjoy the creative freedom.” – Emily Mendez from Blog of Tom
Research shows that mini-games like this provide an outlet for creativity and help us escape, which is something road trippers might need after hours of driving.
Physical Health: Break Up with Your Snack Addiction
When you’re traveling in a van all day, snacking is far too easy. Meal times go out the window, and you’ll start reaching for the handy bag of chips far more than if you were at home.
Breaking up with that unhealthy snack addiction will do wonders for your health while road-tripping. Instead, stick to regular meal times and allow yourself to eat as much healthy food as you like during those times.
If you fill up on nutritious, tasty meals, you’ll be far less likely to snack while on the road.
Just remember to get enough calories. If you’re hiking, cycling, or participating in other physical activities while travelling, you’ll need to boost your protein and calorie intake to avoid exhaustion.
Mental Health: Get Creative
When was the last time you carved out time to do something creative on a road trip? Whether it is sketching a beautiful landscape or writing a song, you’ll get incredible inspiration from the scenery around you.
“Poetry is a stunning way to let your creativity out on a road trip, and it doesn’t require any special equipment. All you need is a quiet spot to let your imagination flow.” – Emma Baldwin from Poem Analysis
Several studies have shown that creativity in any form helps lower stress, so find a creative outlet that you enjoy and incorporate into your next road trip.
Physical Health: Try Out Terrain-ing
Wherever your road trip takes you, you’ll find some fun and interesting ways to incorporate exercise into your activities. Terrain-ing is a form of training that uses the natural elements of the terrain.
Do a few sets of hill sprints in a national park.
Carry heavy rocks down to the lake before you go fishing.
Take the slightly harder, rockier route on a hiking trail.
Let your inner child loose and look at every new landscape as a playground. There are always new and exciting ways to exercise that make a real experience out of your new surroundings on the road. Just do it safely and within your personal limits.
Take Care Out There
It’s easy to talk about the excitement of going on an adventure and taking on a long road trip. But not many people talk about the challenge of staying physically and mentally fit while on the road.
Whether you’re a van lifer or planning your first cross-country road trip, use these expert tips to take care of your mind and body out on the road.
This article originally appeared on TheRoamWild and was syndicated by MediaFeed.
