On fitness & nutrition while traveling
I am on the last week of a big trip, and I’m ready to confess - my fitness and nutrition were NOT what they typically are when I’m at home.
I was visiting my boyfriend’s family in Denmark, and he was eager to show me all of his favorite restaurants - the bakery, the ice cream parlor, the hot dog stand, the fish n’ chips shop. I was without phone service, dumbbells, a knowledge of the running routes or any time at all to meal prep.
In other words, I wasn’t perfect. But to be honest - I didn’t want to be. I wanted to try the bakery that my boyfriend loved since childhood, and the ice cream he’s told me so much about. I wanted to eat the sausages and fried fish that Denmark is known for. I wanted to be able to take a break, slow down, and spend time with his family without stressing about fitting in a workout. Actually, exploring the area, getting a feel for the culture and spending time with his family were MORE important to me than sticking to my routine. I had priorities for the past several weeks that had nothing to do with fitness and nutrition - but a lot to do with wellness.
I think that there was a point in my life when I would’ve gotten back from Denmark and felt the pressure to “get back on track” - eating 100% healthy and doing even more workouts to “make up” for my previous few weeks. But guess what? I got back on my dad’s birthday, so we had MORE hot dogs. And birthday cake. And after several days without running, my run this morning was shorter and harder than I wanted it to be.
I hope, very much, that I will go on a lot more trips and celebrate a lot more birthdays in my life. All of that isn’t getting “off track” - it’s all part of the track, and part of the feeling of “wellness” that I am seeking. So I looked for opportunities to move in ways that felt good, like walking on the beach or riding a bike around Copenhagen. And I reminded myself of what my REAL priorities were.
When I get back into my routine, I’ll be excited to jump into running and meal prepping again, but I won’t be beating myself up for how I’ve enjoyed spending the last few weeks.
The summer is a big travel season, and I’d love to hear about your experiences with fitness and nutrition on your trips - and about the other priorities that you focused on that went beyond your physical health!
