Jeff Johns is the co-founder and editor of Latitude 34 Travel Blog. Through 65 countries on 6 continents he has accumulated a seemingly endless stream of odd information, interesting stories and helpful tips and tricks to better travel. Jeff’s goal is to visit all 204 countries on Earth before he is too senile to remember them all. His true passions lay in honest visual storytelling, documentary filmmaking, Thai food and a good laugh. Together with his girlfriend Marina, they run Latitude 34 Travel Blog as a source of helpful information for those who love to travel or those who simply dream of it. If you’d like to get ahold of them, send them an email at hello@latitudethirtyfour.
1. Honestly, do you find it hard to stay fit when traveling? If so, what is the biggest challenge for you?
I always feel better when I have a good routine, and traveling is one of the best ways to ruin that! While traveling can be unpredictable, hectic and exhausting, it is possible to make your fitness a priority and make sure you feel healthy and energized during your whole holiday. The biggest challenge for me is finding the best time of day to work in a quick workout. Usually I opt for an early morning jog, which is the best time for me to workout – unless of course we are out late the night before! If running is not an option (but seriously, you can run anywhere), there are some easy in home workouts you don’t need anything but your own boy weight to complete.
2. What do you think about vegetarian/vegan/raw food diets? Do you follow any of them?
While I do not follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, some of the best foods I have eaten on the road have been vegetarian or vegan, such as in Nepal and India where most of the population does not eat meat. I think that the most important thing to staying healthy on the road, or at home, is to know your body, eat when you know you need and make sure that it is of high quality.
3. What sports do you practice on the road?
I love playing basketball, but rarely am I able to find a basketball court while traveling. I stick to running, as you can really do it anywhere, and it is as easy as stepping outside. Running is great because it allows you to get some exercise and explore the surroundings around you. Before we moved to Phuket, I registered to run the Phuket International Half Marathon, which was a blast and helped me stick to my running routine during the first three months living abroad.
4. Do you think mental or spiritual side is also important when staying fit? Is meditation close to you?
Mental and spiritual strength is very important when staying fit, where you’ve got to put mind over matter. Especially while traveling, maintaining mentally strong is critical to staying fit. Plans easily change, your diet can go out of the window and it is really easy to throw it all out and loose your momentum. While I don’t meditate much, I do make certain that I spend portions of each day without technology. While we work online and it takes a lot of work to run Latitude 34, our travel blog, I have to take a time out away from the articles, posts, tweets and all that to breathe in the fresh air and realize where I am.
5. Your top 3 tips for other travelers to stay fit when traveling?
For me, the most important things to help me stay fit on the road are to always bring my running shoes, to wake up early no matter what and to make sure I find yogurt wherever I am to start my day out with a healthy breakfast and help my tummy manage the change in diets.
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