Katie Austin’s Expert Tips For Stress-Free Travel

Here are some tricks that help the fitness guru stay on track when she’s not home and allow her to enjoy her summer getaways.

Hi everyone!! My name is Katie Austin and I am beyond excited to announce the official launch of my weekly column in SI Swim, Katie’s Column. For those who don’t know me, I’m a fitness personality, creator of my own workout app (check it out here!) and host of my newly released Snapchat Originals and YouTube show called Healthy Hacks!! On top of that, I’m a 2022 SI Swim ROOKIEEEEE!!!!

I want to bring you guys into my lifestyle. Each week, I’ll be sharing the best healthy recipes, free workouts, lifestyle tips, relationship advice and so much more! I want to bring you weekly positivity by sharing my accessible and realistic tips for you to feel like your best self every. single. freaking. day!

So to kick things off, let’s talk summer travel.

It’s basically summer, and summer is synonymous with travel. Whether that’s going back home and visiting your family, a reunion trip with your friends, a destination wedding, a romantic getaway with your partner or a family vacation, travel is bound to happen, especially during those warm summer months.

Staying on track when you’re traveling is tough, and I will be the first person to admit that! With 17 weddings and multiple international trips this summer I know I’m going to need a routine that is realistic but also still keeps me accountable. The worst feeling, in my opinion, is coming back from a trip having eaten/drank too much and not moved my body for multiple days in a row—I feel like I’m so off track that I don’t even know where to start…ever been there?!? It’s not fun.

So I want to share with you a couple summer travel tips and tricks that not only really help me stay on track when I’m not home, but also let me enjoy my travels and, ultimately, feel like my best self both while I’m traveling and when I get back home.

Summer Travel Tips

1. Hack Your Packing

Find a packing routine that works for you so that you don’t get stressed out every time you need to pack! Keep it simple, pack pieces that you can wear multiple times, be realistic...do you really need that third pair of pants? Probably not! You can actually check out all of my top tips for packing in my Hack Your Packing video on YouTube.

2. Move your body every single day

Sometimes this could mean walking and exploring a new city or dancing the night away at a friend's wedding or getting in a 10- or 15-minute workout at your hotel. It doesn’t matter what you do, it's just important that you take the time to take care of your body every day. If you’re looking for some workouts that you can do anywhere, anytime, I’ve got nearly 200 workouts on the Katie Austin App that are perfect for when you’re on the go. All you need is yourself and five feet of space. I have great low impact workouts that are perfect for hotel rooms as well.

3. Try to keep a good sleep schedule if you can 

I know that is easier said than done, but if you can try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time as you normally do, transitioning back to reality after your trip will be much easier.

4. Drink lots of water

I feel like when I travel, I’m usually always on the go and sometimes forget to hydrate. Being dehydrated can lead to sleep issues, skin issues and bathroom issues, so we definitely don’t want to mess with those things. Two times to especially remember to drink water: a glass in between each cocktail and a glass for each hour of your plane ride. That way, you’re not too hungover and you’re not dehydrated wherever you land.

5. Mind Your Mental Health

Don’t forget about your mental health. If meditating or journaling is something that you do when you’re at home, keep up that practice while you’re traveling. That will help you stay grounded and focused on enjoying the moment you’re in. Even five minutes of meditation helps. If you’re into self-help podcasts, I love the Jay Shetty podcast, Skinny Confidential and Andrew Huberman. I learn so much from those.

Last thought I want to leave you guys with: Enjoy every moment! The memories that we make with our friends, family and loved ones are truly what life is all about. So please don’t stress if you’re worried about having that second bowl of pasta, or getting dessert, or having that extra glass of wine....just enjoy every bite, every sip, every laugh and every memory because we only have one life to live!

Xx

Katie