Fitness & Travel

For me, one of the more difficult parts of planning for a trip is making sure that I work on my fitness before I actually travel. I have really struggled with both my weight and fitness level over the years, and I have learned that theses issues can truly impact my enjoyment and ability to participate in new adventures.

A while back, I worked hard for more than a year to lose my excess weight and to build up enough strength so that I was able to participate in a wider array of activities and didn’t feel that I was holding my family back when we planned our travels. For various reasons, I now find myself again needing to lose a decent amount of weight, and in addition to dropping some pounds I also plan to work on my fitness and strength. With an another trip on the horizon, one that I believe will be fantastic if I get myself back into shape, I have renewed my commitment to improve my health.

I know I’m not the only one who has had setbacks in this area, so I’ve decided to be honest and share my own experience here. Currently, I am being very careful with what I’m eating and I am also going to the gym several times a week to boost my strength and endurance. In addition, I am tracking my steps and working to average about 15 - 20 thousand per day (as I know from past experience that tends to be my average when touring).

I know from experience that fitness is also something that can change at a moment’s notice and can necessitate altering planned vacations. Several years ago, as a highlight of a month long trip, I was planning to take the steep hike up Masada, an ancient fortress by the Dead Sea in Israel. Prior to the trip, I worked out daily, using a treadmill at an incline and making certain I could comfortably climb the elevation I would need to trek up the mountain. Unexpectedly, a medical issue requiring surgery popped up 10 days before our trip, and at the time of travel I couldn’t even walk up a small hill, let alone attempt this steep climb. With this change in ability came a change of mindset; I now felt lucky to even be able to go on the trip. The takeaway: always remember that plans can change, and that there are ways to work around these changes. In my case, I took a tram to the top of Masada and was there to greet my family when they made their way to the top.

What do you do to physically prepare for your travels? What fitness setbacks have you overcome?