If you’re the kind of person who’s always traveling, it can be hard to stick to a health and wellness routine. As someone who wasn’t home for more than two weeks during the first half of the year, I know how tough it can be. But because I’ve been working with a nutrition coach over the last year and a half, she has helped me stay on track — both with my workouts and nutrition, even while traveling.
I also just got back from an eleven-day trip to New York and successfully went to the gym on four of those days, so I'm pretty proud of myself and was inspired to publish this. On that note, here are some of the best fitness products and nutrition essentials I’ve brought with me on my travels to stay on top of my routine!
Fitness Travel Essentials
Between January to May of this year, I was constantly traveling back and forth from home to the mountains of Lake Tahoe. I stayed with some friends in a small cabin that had very limited space. If we moved the coffee table off to the side in the living room, it had just enough space to fit two yoga mats. As a result, I had to bring as little workout gear as possible, so I started my hunt for the best equipment for exercising while traveling.
Here are the top three essentials that helped me stay on top of my workouts ⬇️
Workout Bands
While these workout bands don’t completely replicate the feeling of using actual weights, this type of bodyweight workout equipment serves as a great lightweight alternative. Some workouts you can do with these include:
Bicep curls
Several types of rows
Chest flys
Lat pull downs
They come in a compact drawstring bag that’s portable enough to bring anywhere and come with five different resistance levels that can be stacked on top of one another for even more weight.
Mini Fabric Resistance Bands
These fabric resistance bands are so packable, you can put them in your purse or backpack. They pair well with the other resistance bands I listed above. For the smaller resistance bands, I like the fabric ones better than the rubber kind because they don’t roll down or fold over in the middle of any exercises. Some workouts you can do with these include:
Banded glute bridges
Banded squats
Standing leg abductions
Wall sits with knee abductions
To level up your game, you can opt for the heavy band. Alternatively, you can start out with the light or medium bands since it comes with three levels of resistance.
Jump Rope
In terms of the best travel workout gear, I’d say the cheapest, most lightweight option would be to get yourself a jump rope! Having a jump rope can help get your heart rate pumping — no matter where you are. Whether you’re in a hotel room, a park, or even at the beach, a jump rope is a portable and effective way to stay active and energized during your travels! Even with just 10 minutes of jump roping, you can get a great cardio workout in before all your vacation plans.
Nutrition Travel Essentials
Unless you’re someone born with an incredible metabolism or athletic genes — both of which I do not have — in order to reach your fitness goals, you likely need to also stay on top of your nutrition. Here are a few things I’ve brought along with me, even on a weekend trip, to stick to my nutrition goals.
Digital Kitchen Scale
I’ve been tracking my macros since January 2022, so this scale is an everyday essential for me. It’s so thin and lightweight; I can fit it in the pocket of my carry-on bag. I’ve even carried it in my purse and gotten funny looks from friends after trying to slyly whip it out before dinner.
I log my food using MyFitnessPal, and the scale allows me to accurately weigh food so I can keep track of my daily protein, carbohydrate, fat, fiber, and calorie intake. One thing I like about getting food delivered instead of eating at a restaurant — both while I'm home and traveling — is that I can weigh out my food more easily and set aside some of it for another meal.
Isopure Pineapple Orange Banana Protein Powder
I had to try several brands of protein powder until I found the two that were right for me. The first one is this delicious pineapple flavored one by Isopure. I usually mix it with water, which is why it works great for travel, and it tastes like juice! At the time of writing this, I’ve restocked on a tub of this more than ten times.
In case you were wondering, the second protein powder that has worked well for me — but is less travel-friendly — is this plant based vanilla protein powder. The reason it’s less “travel-friendly” for me is because I usually blend it with water and frozen strawberries, but I don't always have access to a blender while traveling. Either way, I love it and at the time of writing this, I’ve ordered 28 tubs between March 2022 and August 2023.
Rubbermaid 1/2 Cup Containers
These half cup containers fit exactly one serving of Isopure Protein Powder, which is perfect for when I’m traveling for a few days, so I don’t need to bring a whole tub with me! I simply fill each container with one scoop and pack in my travel bag for daily use.
Blender Bottle Shaker
Since we’ve been talking about protein powder, you need a shaker to combine the powder with water! I personally like Blender Bottles because they come with two storage containers that you can pack your protein powder in if you only need two additional servings for another day. If you need more than two, that’s where the half cup containers I mentioned above come in handy.
Compostable Snack Bags
I’ve managed to successfully live in a Ziploc-and-foil-free sustainable household since January 2020 until I found these compostable snack bags! They’re great for weighing out single serving snacks like prosciutto, roast beef, or these nacho cheese protein puffs to bring while I’m in transit, going to the beach, a park, or a hike.
On-the-Go Snacks
Speaking of snacks — if I’m on the road or on a plane, I tend to look for savory snacks. Instead of spending on overpriced airline food like a $7 tub of the smallest pack of Pringles (speaking from experience) or settling for whatever’s available at the nearest gas station, I always make sure to pack high protein snacks with me. Check out my favorites below.
Chomps Pepperoni Turkey Sticks
Chomps turkey sticks are the best snack for when I’m on-the-go. Even if I’m not traveling, I’ll grab one of these pepperoni turkey sticks when I’m driving to a late dinner to hold myself off or if my stomach is grumbling before heading to a workout. These are a true saving grace during a day of non-stop errands too! Since I discovered them, I’ve always made it a point to pack one stick for every day of any trip.
Flock Chicken Chips
I love these chicken chips for more reasons than one! First, one bag is exactly one serving, so I don’t need to weigh them out beforehand. Second, they taste amazing enough to be a guilty pleasure snack — but with high protein. Plus, they come in four different flavors: original, barbecue, Hattie B’s Nashville hot chicken, or salt and vinegar.
For more ideas of high protein snacks, check out my top five picks here!
This article contains affiliate links, which means that as an Amazon Associate, I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase. This helps offset the costs of my website! However, this does not impact my reviews or recommendations. All the products I have recommended above are ones that I believe in and have personally used myself.
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