Can You Be Fit and Strong on a Road Trip?

I’ve had to make a few trips out of town this year and I’m wondering if it’s possible to be fit and strong on a road trip. It’s definitely a challenge,

Eating While Traveling

My trips this year have been road trips. I’ve learned to pack food for the journey because trying to eat on the road is not great. Stopping to eat at a restaurant takes time and choices aren’t great anyway. That leaves eating at a fast food restaurant or grabbing snacks from a gas station. I remember reading Michael Pollan’s Food Rules. One of the rules was don’t buy food where you buy gasoline. There’s a reason for that. Gas stations are now mini restaurants; some have fast food franchises tucked inside the station. It’s challenging to find healthy, unprocessed food in one of these places. You might be able to find an apple and sometimes you’ll see a cup of hummus with a few veggies but there’s not a lot.

So, I pack easy to eat things for in the car. I might bring apples, nuts, a snack or protein bar that I’ve bought at home. (Don’t forget to check out Chris and my sampling of protein bars!)  I also make sure to have lots of water in the car with me. I usually fill a couple of my sports bottles and then throw in some extra bought bottles of water. I have run out of water while stuck in a traffic jam and it makes a miserable experience even worse.

I usually start my morning travels with a travel mug of coffee.  Finding decent coffee on the road is not always easy. It seems like there are Starbucks and coffee shops everywhere but it turns out not to be true.

Exercising While Traveling

Days filled with long drives are usually days when I don’t hit my step goal with my Fitbit. When I know I’m going to be in the car all day, I try to get in a brisk walk before starting the drive. I’m usually eager to get on the road so that walk is usually a short one.

When I stop for gas or a bathroom break, I try to walk around the gas station or rest area and not take a straight line from the store to my car. I also try to do some stretching exercises at those breaks. I can usually find a step to do some heel drops if nothing else.

The problem with sitting in the car all day is that it’s tiring. It’s amazing how it saps the energy from your body.

Sometimes when I reach my destination, I’m able to get in a good walk. That is energizing for sure. Other times that doesn’t happen and I’ve learned to just accept that it’s not going to happen and I’ll not worry about reaching my goals that day.

Fit and Strong on a Road Trip?

I think it’s not easy to maintain a healthy way of eating and moving while on the road but with some planning, it’s possible to not go too far astray.

Do you have any suggestions? Anything that works well for you? Please share your ideas!