Staying Active on the Road

Some days the tour itinerary requires prolonged airplane or bus or train hauls from one place to another. We get tired of sitting for too long. Besides, extended inactivity creates health problems. That’s how we stay active during our travels:

At an airport and during flight

International passengers have to check-in at least 3 hours before the flight. It is just too much time for us to sit before we board the plane.

The boarding areas are usually not spacious. That’s why we start walking as soon as we arrive at the airport. We try to get the major part of our walk before we go through the security.

Since each of us travels with only a small carry-on bag with the wheels and a small backpack which we attach to the carry-ons, we can walk for an extended period without getting tired.

After checking in and passing the security most passengers flop in the chairs and stay there until the boarding time. We continue walking as soon as we arrive in the boarding area. By the time we board the plane we have walked for an hour or longer and are happy to sit down.

During flights, we often leave our seats, stretch and walk down the aisle.

At a hotel

We always get up early and walk near the hotel before breakfast. Most good hotels have a gym, and we try to use it whenever it is possible.

During tours

During pit stops, instead of going to the souvenir shops, we walk around the store and the parking area.

When we were in Rio de Janeiro, instead of going on the expensive optional tour which would require several hours on the bus, we took a long walk from our hotel through three famous beaches – Leblon, Ipanema, and Copacabana.

We watched the parade with Disney characters, hot air balloons launching, people dancing, swimming, playing soccer and volleyball, and, of course, we enjoyed the beautiful views of the ocean and mountains. We returned to the hotel completely exhausted but proud of ourselves.

We were even more pleased when we found out from the receptionist that the distance from our hotel to the end of Copacabana beach and back was 12 miles. That’s why we were so tired!

Fitbit

We use Fitbit to count the distance of our walk and try to make at least ten thousand steps a day. On all our walks, we always carry a small backpack with a water bottle, umbrella, hats and sunscreen.