About a year ago, I found a gym I absolutely love—mostly because I don’t have to sweat on a treadmill by myself. Instead, I go to awesome, super-fun group classes. But as you already know, I also travel a lot, and I didn’t want to lose the gains in my strength, endurance and fitness I’d made. As a result, I figured out how to stay fit on vacation.

Quite a few people have asked me what I do to work out, or if I work out, when I travel with kids. This post will answer that question!

So if you’ve ever wondered how to stay fit on vacation, especially if you’re a mom, keep on reading. I’m going to cover what I do (hint: I’m not obsessed with clocking in at the gym). I’ll offer ideas on how you, too, can stay healthy when you travel—without missing out on fun!

Interested? I’m pretty sure you are. And make sure to read to the very end. The last tip is something everyone can do.  

11 tips for how to stay fit on vacation

1. Get active right when you arrive

You’ve just sat on a plane for half the day or driven hours on a road trip. Your back and hips are tight; you feel lethargic. Well, the best thing to do to stay healthy on vacation is to get your body moving.

Whether that’s taking the kids to the pool right after you check in, going for a walk or asking your partner to hang with the kids while you go to the hotel gym for a half-hour, I guarantee you’ll feel better after you get your blood pumping a bit.

2. Book physically active activities

When you head to a new place, you might visit museums or find the best ice cream in town (just me??). That’s awesome! In addition, mix in a few physically active ways to explore the destination, and you’ll be on track to stay in shape on vacation.

For example, when we recently went to Bend, Oregon, I rented a four-seater “bike” contraption from Wheel Fun Rentals and pedaled myself and the kids along the river. We got to see this Central Oregon town from a different perspective—and my legs were definitely sore after pedaling us up a few hills!

3. Get the kids involved

Whenever I do something, my kids want in, too. (Except if I’m eating a salad. They want no part of that.) So when I exercise on vacation, they want to participate!

What this looks like for you might be different than me. Perhaps you want to jog alongside your child as she rides her bike on a trail near your hotel. Maybe you’ll move the furniture in your AirBnB rental to make room for a giant family yoga session. Or you might do like me and tolerate your preschooler as she climbs on you as you try to pulse during a makeshift barre workout.

4. Take advantage of the hotel gym

Yes, I know, most hotel gyms aren’t that impressive. But you can actually get a good workout in with nothing more than a treadmill and a few weights.

One of the best things about using the hotel gym on vacation: It’s super convenient! All you have to do is walk down the hotel hall and BAM! You’re ready to work out.

5. Exercise first thing in the morning

Sometimes when we’re on a family vacation, I wake up earlier than my kids. I’ll leave Hubs in the hotel room with the littles and sneak in a quick workout. That way, I’ve exercised and showered before the kids have finished breakfast. And that, my friends, is a freakin’ awesome way to start the day.

What’s more, when you exercise in the morning, you won’t let other plans (and excuses—I’ve been there too!) get in the way of staying fit on vacation.

6. Don’t let perfect get in the way of good enough

I’m pretty sure you’ll agree that exercising even for 10 minutes leaves you healthier than before. So don’t hold yourself to an ideal of a heart-pounding hour-long workout or nothing. Just do a little!

7. Invest in a workout subscription

If you never know how to exercse when you’re not taking a class, a workout subscription might be your best bet. As a general rule, barre classes are great for staying healthy on vacation: You don’t need equipment and can do the moves literally anywhere. I also like the Les Mills subscription because the Body Pump tracks push me way harder in the hotel gym than I’d half-ass on my own.

8. Try out a local workout class

This is one of my favorite tips! When I’m on a trip, I look at spending a little extra money on a new workout class as I see other things on vacation: I expect to pay for more things than I would at home. So just as I eat out many meals on vacation—something I never do at home—I find a workout class or two in our destination. It’s like a treat for myself, a little something special while I’m on vacay!

9. Incorporate physical activity into sightseeing

When I was recently in Boston, it was so easy to stay fit while traveling. I ended up walking miles and miles every day (though I can’t tell you how many because grrrr the pedometer doesn’t work on my phone). And walking—the Freedom Trail, for example—is pretty much built into everyone’s visit to Boston.

So no matter where you are, see if you can walk or bike as part of your sightseeing plans.

10. Try something new

One easy way to turn exercise from something you have to do into something you get to do is trying something new. After all, incorporating new experiences into travel is a sure-fire way to make the trip more exciting and memorable, according to research.

For example, on a recent trip, the aerial yoga studio SwetStudio in Boston let me take a complementary Deep Stretch class. I’d never done a full class of yoga in silks before and was a little nervous but decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did! The instructor was so welcoming to a newbie like me, and I felt energized—not only from the exercise but by the confidence boost I got from going outside my usual routine.

Is there a new-to-you class or activity you could try to help stay fit on vacation?

11. Do a little at a time

Research shows that you don’t have to exercise a lot of minutes consecutively to reap the health benefits. So do a little bit of exercise at a time to stay fit on vacation.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Do a wall sit while you brush your teeth. Race your kids to the end of the block. A few minutes here and there add up!

You’re now set to stay healthy on vacation

Something tells me that after reading this, you’re feeling that staying fit on vacation now feels at least a little bit more doable. After all, you just took in 11 tips to build exercise into any vacation (including ones with kids!).

Here’s the thing. When you exercise on vacation, you’ll be in a better mood—and that leads to making better memories with your family.

When you make staying fit while traveling a priority, you’ll be healthier in the long term. That means you’ll be able to enjoy more vacations with your kids in your long, healthy life.

Feeling the motivation? Then on your next vacation, feel the burn, too. Or at least a simmer. Maybe in between ice cream stops.

Stay healthy, friends, and travel well!