How to Maintain Your Exercise and Wellness Habits While You Travel With Apps and Tech

Traveling is exciting and broadening, but stepping outside your usual routine and surroundings can also be stressful. By using a few apps, videos, and other devices, you can avoid a lot of the discomforts and anxieties that can arise when you’re on the go. Here’s how to keep up some healthy habits to beat stress during travel, while still enjoying every minute of your vacation.

Make A Little Time For Fitness

For many people, taking a few minutes to stretch or get their heart rate up can make the whole day more relaxing and enjoyable. After all, exercise is an amazing way to help manage stress. Here are some ways to make time for fitness on the road.

MadFit

To start, follow some at-home workouts that don’t require equipment. For instance, this full-body HIIT workout from MadFit doesn’t call for any equipment or jumping around, so it’s fine to follow in an apartment or hotel as well. Just fire up your phone or tablet and get moving.

Next, you can drop into a local class or gym with help from an app. For instance, ClassPass provides access to fitness classes and gyms all over the world. Everything from cycling classes and rock climbing to Pilates is on the app, so you’re likely to find an activity you love nearby. Plus, it’s a fun way to explore a new gym or learn from a different instructor.

Download: ClassPass for iOS | Android (Subscription required, free trial available)

Stretch Out While You’re Traveling

It’s easy to feel cramped up and uncomfortable after sitting in a car or plane for several hours. Thankfully, some simple movements can help alleviate those common discomforts. These small stretches can help you feel more at ease and relaxed when you’re on the go, even when you don’t have a ton of space to move around.

Daily Burn

This video from the Daily Burn demonstrates some stretches you can perform on an airplane without annoying the other people in your row. Roll out your neck, rotate your ankles, and stretch out your spine a bit. They’re also great stretches any time you’re seated for a while, so this is a good video to keep bookmarked.

Yoga with Adriene

Even if you can’t go into a full downward-facing dog on the airplane, this routine from Yoga with Adriene is well-suited for airplane seats. Inconspicuous but helpful, these exercises will bring movement to your neck, shoulders, and upper back. Breathing exercises help you relax even more.

Freedom Physical Therapy Services

Follow along with Rachel to learn some upper-body stretches that are the perfect antidote for those long car rides. Gentle stretches for your neck, mid-back, and shoulders offer relief.

Lindywell, Pilates + Balanced Living by Robin Long

Passengers during lengthy car rides will appreciate this Pilates-based series of stretches. Help open the spine and hips with these simple exercises that you can do almost anywhere. They’re great if you deal with muscle tension after sitting still for long periods of time.

Manage Jet Lag

Traveling across multiple time zones can leave you feeling exhausted and groggy. However, you can help alleviate the symptoms of jet lag by staying hydrated and sleeping on the plane, according to the Mayo Clinic. Here’s how to make both of those tasks a little easier, even when you’re on an especially long flight.

To make sure you drink enough water, use a hydration app such as Plant Nanny or Water Reminder. It’s a fun way to challenge yourself to meet those hydration goals.

Next, consider using some of the best headphones for sleeping to block out the sounds of noisy passengers and other distractions. Super-comfortable and designed for rest, some of these models (such as the Hearprotek Sleep Earbuds) also have noise-canceling features. With the right pair of headphones, you can set the stage for a more restful flight.

Lastly, a sleep mask can do wonders to increase your chances of actually sleeping on a plane. For an even more luxurious experience, consider a smart sleeping mask such as the Glo to Sleep Advanced Sleep Therapy Mask, which uses gently dimming lights to help you relax.

With a water bottle, headphones, and sleep mask, you can rest easier on your flight and help mitigate some of the harsher effects of jet lag.

Set Yourself Up for Successful Sleep

If you’re someone who struggles to sleep well in an unfamiliar space, let technology help you out. Play a few calming YouTube videos on your phone or tablet to relax your body and mind after a long day of traveling. It’s a simple way to unwind after sightseeing or other travel activities, as well as make your hotel, hostel, or other new space feel more like home.

City of Hope

First, do some breathing exercises to wind down before bed. The simple instructions and gorgeous nature scenes in this video from City of Hope are particularly calming. Enjoy the soothing music and guided visualization exercises as you let the day’s stresses melt away and focus on your breath.

Goodful

Next, follow a guided sleep meditation from Goodful. You’ll follow along with gentle instructions to release feelings of tension and anxiety from your body. The calming narration and invitation to let everything go are especially lovely after a long and strenuous day.

Lastly, try bringing a portable white noise machine or play audio from some of the best white noise apps to create a soothing soundscape for your hotel room or Airbnb. With a huge selection of sounds to choose from, apps like Sleep Sounds and myNoise make it easier to drift off wherever you are.

Make Travel Less Stressful With Apps, Videos, and Gadgets

Navigating new areas, spending long hours in a car or plane, and dealing with unexpected delays or other challenges can make even the most relaxing travel plans a bit stressful. Thankfully, with the help of a few apps, videos, and other gadgets, you can overcome many common pressures from travel. Create a comfortable environment, take a minute to breathe and relax, and even find ways to sneak in a workout or stretching session. In no time you’ll be in the right frame of mind to fully enjoy your travels.