How We Stay Fit on Wine Holidays

Right now Erin is California and Courtney is in Spain. If you follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, you know that we’re having a pretty good time, and happily stuffing our faces as we waddle from winery to restaurant and back again.

Such is the life of a travelling sommelier. No, we don’t expect you to feel sorry for us (it’s a pretty good life), but at the same time there are some pretty significant challenges that come with this type of career. Namely, the challenges of zipping up your pants.

We don’t talk about it all that much, but you’ve seen a few posts here about our focus on living a healthy life, and on social media, where we occasionally post about our fitness adventures using the hastag #healthywino.

We’re convinced the two things in life that women love the most is drinking wine and being thin, but one often comes at the sacrifice of another. However, over the past few years we’ve implemented small initiatives here and there to try and keep us at our fittest, given our considerable gastronomic indulgences. But when travelling far from home, where routines are left on the tarmac and often your schedule just isn’t your own, how exactly does a wino stay a #healthywino?

Below is a simple list of how we do it. By no means are we doctors, certified fitness trainers or nutritionists, this is just a few things we do to keep our skinny jeans on. Definitely check with your healthcare professionals before implementing any new fitness regimen, and definitely do not sue us if you try out some of our suggestions and they don’t work out. We’re all grown ups here, so we all get that right?

Alrighty. Go pour yourself a big glass of Chardonnay and settle in to read the list. And, as always, if you have any health hacks of your own, leave your hints and tips in the comments below!

1. Schedule Workouts into Your Travel Plans

Seriously. When it comes to work travel where we are guests of a winery or company, we generally get the itinerary at least a few days in advance. That gives us a chance to see when we get our breaks, and if there aren’t very long breaks scheduled, what time we have to get up in the morning to squeeze in a sweat sesh.

At InterVin, where three days are spent judging wine and the nights are booked with fabulously indulgent dinners, we saw there was a few hours between judging and dinner on Day 1. So, we hit the gym instead of joining our colleagues for afternoon beers. There was plenty of time to catch up later, and getting a quick endorphin rush perked us up for the late night ahead.

2. Maximize the Workout Time You Have

Let’s be real. Travelling, whether for business or pleasure, means a pretty full schedule without huge blocks of time to yourself (not like at home where you have oodles of free time at your disposal, right ;))

When out of town we give ourselves a little bit of leniency. Normally at home in Toronto, we each get in 4-5 workouts a week. During Monday-Friday business trips, we only make plans for 3 sessions.

We also take advantage of High Intensity Interval Sessions, as it’s not always easy to get in an hour at the gym – often 30 minutes is the best we’ve got. Depending on the facilities and what we have at our disposal, that may mean a run on an outdoor trail, hitting the hotel stairs for a few rounds, or getting on the treadmill for alternating fast and slow paces.

3. Research the Facilities

Take a few minutes and look up your hotel. What’s they gym like, are there nearby places to take in a yoga class, or is there a great trail for a run or hike? As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail, so knowing what to expect can save you time when you arrive.

And get creative: when we were in Santa Barbara a few years ago, we rented an apartment. We didn’t have a gym, so we did what the locals do and hit the waterfront for a brisk run.

Watch What You Eat

Say what?!?! You’re on vacation! We know, we know. We feel it, too. There are great ways to sample all the local cuisine without completely blowing your caloric budget.

Some of our tricks include ordering vegetarian meals which tend to be lower in fat and calories (though not always), opting for a lighter lunch (which also helps combat the 3pm slump), and not finishing the plate (portions are usually over-generous), and saying no to dessert.

When Erin was in the Okanagan last month, she was tempted by the hand-tossed pizza, but instead ordered an equally delicious quinoa and kale salad with grilled prawns and avocado for lunch. That night, after a day of eating a drinking, she opted for a lentil dish instead of duck confit. Both lighter meals were astoundingly delicious, and she was able to off set some of the rest of the day’s indulgences.

Have a Good Breakfast

You’ve been hearing this PSA for years. But we find that starting the day with a fairly filling breakfast, that includes a good amount of healthy fat, lessens your appetite for the rest of the day – and you have the next 12 hours to burn off that breaky.

Choices for us include veggie filled omelettes, breakfast burritos (just watch the cheese and sauces), and even oatmeal with fresh fruit.

For us, a muffin and a coffee (even the low fat blueberry bran), doesn’t necessarily save any calories and just leaves us hungry a few hours later.