Healthy tips for travel days are a hot question we get asked by fellow RVers. While heavy travel weeks make RVing exciting, they are also very challenging. From fitness to nutrition to mindset, everything can get thrown out of whack. Here are my top 8 tips for staying on track on travel days.
1) Adjust your workout schedule as needed for the week
Whether you resistance train 2 times a week or 5 times a week, it is recommended that you have set days that you do it on. The same goes for your cardio goals. The more consistent routine you have week after week, the more adherent you will likely be to your program. During travel weeks, you may need to be a bit flexible, and move items around. This means you need to plan ahead for the week before you even get to the travel day.
If you have long travel days, it may work best to make travel days your rest days and get your training in on the other days. We recommend keeping resistance training a priority above cardio. And, if you must do a workout on a travel day, squeeze it in before travel rather than after. Not only will you have more energy for a more effective session, but the chances of you skipping it after travel may run high.
2) Get a good night’s sleep the night before
Go to bed early the night before travel. Ever notice that when you are sleep-deprived you get extra munchy and feel hungover even if you don’t drink? Being sleep-deprived throws your gremlin and leptin out of whack and makes you really snacky. Sleep is extremely important in general, not just on travel days. But emphasizing it here on travel day will help to set yourself up for success. And speaking of feeling hungover, don’t drink any alcohol the night before travel. Even one or two drinks can disrupt your sleep and your food choices.
3) Make time for a morning walk
The time and distance will depend on your timeline for your travel day. If you have time for your normal walk time, whatever that may be, do it. If you don’t, squeeze in what you can. Get your blood moving and get some fresh air, even if it’s only 5 minutes long. If you happen to be in a location where you don’t feel safe walking in the dark before dawn, such as a Walmart parking lot, do 5 minutes of air squats in your RV instead.
4) Have your meals scheduled
This is also a critical habit for every single day but is emphasized for a travel day. Scheduling your meals keeps you on track, keeps you from snacking, and prevents you from making poor decisions if you wait too long and get hangry. A meal schedule will vary greatly from person to person. Some people eat two meals a day and others may eat five times a day. I generally find four meals a day to be a great number to keep you satisfied without any snacks. A good example of four meals scheduled out looks like 7 am, 11 am, 3 pm, & 7 pm.
5) Don’t skimp on drinking water
Don’t skip water just to save bathroom stops. Not worth it. Plus the stops are great to get up and move and get some fresh air. Take advantage of rest stops for easy in and outs off the freeway. They are also great if you happen to be RVing with dogs. Pay attention to the rest area signs as many will tell you how many miles between the current stop and your next opportunity. Try to target 60-120 ounces of water per day.
6) Have prepped food planned out for your meals en route
Let’s use the example times schedule of 4 meals a day from above being 7 am, 11 am, 3 pm, and 7 pm. I would try to have meal #1 and meal #4 cooked in the RV before and after travel. This would leave meal #2 and meal #3 for during travel and consumed en route while driving. En route meals will ideally be fast, and no cook. I like to have prepped containers that are made ahead of time. Keep it simple. A Tupperware with some grilled chicken, quinoa, and snow peas works just great reheated in the microwave. Another easy no-cook option is a protein shake and some rice cakes, or a protein shake and a piece of fruit. Or swap out the protein for some canned salmon. Keep it protein-centric. Don’t waste a fun meal on fast food or gas station food. Not worth it. Take advantage of having your kitchen on wheels! It really is an advantage! This brings us to our next tip…
7) Have your splurge meals planned in advance
Splurge meal, cheat meal, fun meal, whatever you wanna call it. Plan it out and have it controlled, and in moderation. When you have it on your schedule, it keeps you on track during the week(s) leading up to it. We typically eat out 2 days per month. In regular situations, sometimes it’s more, sometimes it’s less. One meal out per week is a good goal to shoot for. Or just look at how many meals you currently eat outside of your home and slash it down. Having these events scheduled out gives you something to look forward to, and a reason to stay on track today.
8) Check your mindset
If you find yourself stressed or being negative about your situation, remind yourself of everything you do have to be grateful for. Be thankful for the ability to travel, for your health, and for your family/friends. Thankful to have OPTIONS for what to eat. The luxuries of available, healthy food, and a functioning body. Put on some podcasts that motivate you, or music that gives you energy.
Hopefully, these healthy tips for travel day give you some ideas for areas that you can improve. While everybody’s goals are different, so are everybody’s travel styles. Find what relates to you and see what healthy changes and habits you can implement on your next travel day!
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