First Weeks Abroad- London, Florence, and Rome

Staying Fit While Abroad

For the next 15 weeks, I will be fulfilling a lifelong dream of living and studying in Europe. Follow my journey through the EU as I learn how to adapt to my surroundings and give advice on how to stay fit during a trip abroad!

Two weeks ago, I boarded a plane and left my little town in the USA to study abroad for a semester in Europe. My first stop, London, lasted three days, and then my group packed up again and flew to Florence, Italy. Now, we have just moved to Rome, which will be our home and place of study until May!

Before the Trip

Before leaving for Europe, I made sure to prepare for the cultural differences between the US and Italy. I knew that because the Mediterranean lifestyle that Italians live typically keeps them in shape, there would be less opportunities to exercise in traditional gyms. I was a little worried that a lack of fitness centers and typical gym equipment would prevent me from maintaining my fitness regimen. I was also concerned about having healthy options and keeping a balanced diet. I didn't want my three main food groups to be pasta, pizza, and gelato while abroad (although that may seem like a delicious diet). With that in mind, I set off to Europe, prepared to adapt to my changing environment.

Here is a picture of my suitcase with Cocky, my school mascot, who will be traveling with me throughout my journey! I love my school so much and am so glad to be able to bring a small piece of it abroad with me!

Traveling

Traveling was probably the biggest challenge to staying active throughout the day. Between flights, train rides, and bus rides, it is difficult to stay active on travel days. My advice for staying active on travel days is to try your best to move as much as possible, but don't stress if you can't fit in a workout on a travel day. I found that on many travel days, the best I could do to stay active was walk around the airport during layover. However, traveling can be hard on the body, so it is more important to stay relaxed and rest on travel days than to worry about making time for a workout. If you find you have time to sneak in a quick workout session or walk between flights or bus rides, that's great, but if not, just try your best to be active on non-travel days.

This is the interactive map that was displayed at my seat during my flight to London!

Walking...LOTS of Walking
(and climbing, and hiking, and staying active)

I think that it's appropriate to dedicate a section of this post to walking. For anyone who has travelled to Europe before, you know that walking is the best mode of transportation for exploring and sightseeing in new areas. Before leaving for my trip, I was told that walking would be a large part of my daily routine in Europe. I thought I was prepared- at my home campus, which is pretty large (and hilly), I walk to all of my classes. However, after walking a total of over 10 miles on my first day in London, I realized that I would be walking more this semester than I have ever experienced. This is not a bad thing at all- walking is great for your heart and is an excellent method of staying active throughout the day! For anyone planning to travel to Europe, I suggest that you embrace walking as the best mode of transportation around the city you're visiting. It's how most of the locals get around, and it allows you to stay in shape while experiencing some of the most breathtaking scenery the world has to offer.

Here is some gorgeous scenery from London (left) and Florence (right) during some of our walking tours.

This is a typical report from my phone after a day of exploring in Europe. It's pretty satisfying to see how far I've walked every day (about 20,000 steps per day) since I left the US!

Eating Healthy in the EU

Navigating the cuisine in a new country can be a challenge. Every country and culture is very different, and regional cuisine varies greatly from place to place. For example, in London, there were health food stores on every block, and every meal included a protein and vegetables or fruit. The food available is very similar to common foods in the US, and restaurants are willing to accommodate special requests. This is an ideal scenario for health-conscious travelers like me.

This was one of my favorite dinners in London- a kale salad with shredded chicken, apples, avocado, walnuts, and feta cheese. So good!

Impressed by the food offered in London and hoping for the same luxury in Italy, I boarded the plane to Florence. After my first few days in Italy, I realized that the cuisine would present a challenge to healthy eaters like myself. Carbs rule in Italy- between the pasta, bread, and pizza, it's almost impossible to find a meal that doesn't proudly display a carbohydrate as its main asset. Italy is also the land of gelato, which, although delicious, isn't exactly a health food. And, although Italians are extremely warm and welcoming, they are very offended by any request to alter the food they offer. To them, food is not just something you choke down while you run from one class to another. It's something to be labored over and enjoyed for what it is.

Although it was a bit of a challenge to adjust to the meal offerings in Italy, I eventually learned how to mindfully order and prepare food here. It is very important, whether at a restaurant or at home cooking, to maintain balance in your diet (yes, even in the land of yummy carbs and gelato). At times, it can be tough to find the fully balanced meal that we're accustomed to in the US, but with some creativity and willingness to try new cuisine, it is possible to eat a well-rounded diet in Italy. Although typical Italian restaurants may only have 25 variations of pizza and pasta, local markets have some of the freshest (and most budget-friendly) produce I've ever had. Also, in Italy, preservatives and processed foods are almost nonexistent, making for much cleaner, healthier food options in cafes and grocery stores. In order to eat healthy in Italy, my advice is to eat as much fresh produce as possible, stick to whole grain breads/oats, and eat sweets sparingly (as tough as it may be to say no to the gelato).

Here are some of the healthier food options in Italy. Above (top) is a picture of the foods typically offered at breakfast- fruit, yogurt,  seeds/nuts, fresh bread, and fresh juice. Above (bottom) is a picture of the homemade granola I made every morning from the breakfast bar- oats, pumpkin seeds, flax, coconut flakes, and walnuts (sometimes you have to get a little creative)!

Exercising While Traveling

Although walking is a very effective method of staying in shape abroad, it is also important to exercise as much as possible- you have to offset the gelato somehow, right? Although there aren't many traditional gyms in Italy, it is possible to stay in shape with at-home or hotel room workouts. For the first two weeks in Europe, I lived out of a hotel room and used Pinterest to find workouts that I could do without equipment in small spaces. Now that I am in an apartment, I will continue to do at-home workouts, combined with outdoor runs and other outdoor activities. As much of a challenge as it may be to workout in a hotel room, it is worth the reward of feeling reinvigorated, healthy, and in shape during your trip abroad!


Above (left) is a picture documenting my first hotel workout in Florence, because if you didn't take a Snapchat, did it even happen? And above (right) is a great full-body Hotel Room Workout for those who are traveling without access to a gym!

Stay tuned for weekly posts about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle while abroad!