Traveling this holiday season?
Traveling this holiday season?
Traveling can throw off your healthy habits and make consistency a challenge.
You’re away from home, without your usual workout space and schedule.
Your kitchen that’s stocked with fresh PROs (produce and protein) is miles away.
So, what’s your plan?
Give up and wait until the New Year?
Nope, not a chance.
You will never feel healthy or reach your goals if you have the all-or-nothing mindset.
So this week, I’m sharing simple, practical tips to help you feel great while traveling—no matter where the holiday season takes you!
Why This Matters
Sitting in a car, riding on a plane, sleeping on a different mattress, eating out at restaurants—these scenarios can frequently leave your body feeling stiff, achy and miserable. These tips will show you it doesn’t have to be this way!
FITNESS SIMPLIFIED
Long hours in a car, train, or plane can leave your hips and lower back feeling tight and achy.
Fitness Tip To Stay Healthy While Traveling
Gentle Stretches for Tight Hips
When your hips feel tighter than the Tin Man without his oil, stretching is essential.
But some moves, like the classic "figure-4" stretch, may feel impossible.
Your hips need to rotate smoothly in all directions within their sockets.
And when they can’t, it leads to discomfort or pain.
A great way to address this is with gentle stretches that target hip mobility.
Improving your mobility with specific stretches can help reduce both hip and lower back pain, keeping you more comfortable during and after your travel.
Gentle Hip Rotational Stretches for Tight Hips, Sciatica, & Low Back Pain
- Lean back to open up your hips, placing your weight on your hands behind you.
- Drop one knee gently inward, then outward, pressing into each stretch for a few seconds then switch.
- Do 4-6 reps per side.
Extra tip: If the chair is easy, move down to something lower, like a yoga block. You can even do these sitting all the way down on the floor.
Did You Know...
- Since these can be done sitting, you can do them almost anywhere. Just please not WHILE you’re the one driving - for everyone’s safety.😉
- Hip internal and external rotation are essential movements for your hips, but it’s very common to lose this type of mobility as you age.
- Combining these hip rotation stretches with a hip flexor stretch (like this one) can be just what the doctor ordered after a long car ride or a bad night of sleep!
NUTRITION SIMPLIFIED
The #1 nutrition habit people neglect while traveling?
Nutrition Tip To Stay Healthy While Traveling
Stay hydrated.
When you’re out of your routine, it’s easy to forget to drink water regularly.
But staying hydrated is crucial to feeling your best while you travel.
Dehydration can leave you feeling tired, achy, bloated, constipated, or even uncomfortably hot or cold.
An easy way to boost your hydration—without relying solely on water—is by eating fruits and vegetables with high water content.
Foods like cabbage, cucumber, and watermelon help keep you hydrated while providing essential nutrients.
Bonus: Whole, raw fruits and veggies make perfect travel snacks!
They’re portable, don’t need refrigeration, and can be packed into individual snack bags for easy access on-the-go. Win!!
Here’s a great salad recipe that you can make ahead of time and pack in a cooler for the road.
Cabbage Chicken Salad
More ideas for fiber-rich foods:
- Homemade trail mix with pecans, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries & dark chocolate chips 😋
- Grapes and mandarin oranges
- Carrots and peppers
MINDSET SIMPLIFIED
Why Do You Want to Be Strong and Healthy?To play with your grandkids?
To enjoy your favorite hobbies?
To stay independent and confident while caring for your loved ones?
The holidays do a great job of highlighting what’s most important in your life, and why it matters for you to be healthy.
So when it feels tough to stick to your healthy habits—and it will—try to remind yourself of your “why.”
If you find yourself traveling to see friends and family this week, do what you can to continue to show up for your health and for your body in small, simple ways.
The holidays do not have to derail you!
Mindset Tip To Stay Healthy While Traveling
Stay Focused on your “Why”!
THE TAKEAWAY
Traveling doesn’t have to feel like a setback.
Focus on small, doable actions that align with your fitness and nutrition goals, so you can enjoy your trip without losing momentum.
- Gentle Stretches for Tight Hips
- Stay hydrated
- Stay Focused on your “why”!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Self Care Simplified podcast
Ep 414: The BEST Strategy to Avoid Overindulging During the Holidays!
Ep 264: Staying Hydrated - Four Ways You May Be Drinking Water Wrong
Ep 209: How Out of Shape Will You Get (and What Will you Lose First) if You Take Time Off?
SPECIAL RESOURCE
These hip pain relief stretches are great for helping to relieve deep hip pain and hip tightness. I've put together four simple stretches you can do almost anywhere to help instantly relieve your pain and tightness. Ideal for a busy travel week!
Stretches for Deep Hip Pain Relief.
Until next week... Be strong
