7 Fitness Tips for Expats in a New Country

Moving to a new country means starting a new chapter – which also means starting a new fitness routine. With everything else going on, like setting up your new home and starting a new job, your health and exercise might have to temporarily take a back seat.

But once you feel more established in your new life abroad, you can start thinking about fitness again. Below are our seven health and fitness tips for expats who have just moved to a new country.

Explore on Your Feet

The simplest way you can keep your fitness up in a new country is to get outside and walk. Not only is this a great way to exercise but it can also help you to get to grips with your new home. You can either start exploring using maps as a guide or just step out your front door and see where the street takes you. Perhaps your new job is close by and you can walk there or maybe you can find your new favourite local restaurant or bar. Wherever you go, try to avoid getting a taxi if it’s not too far, and just walk instead.

Establish a New Routine

It might be tempting to try to wedge your old fitness routine into your new life. But this probably isn’t going to work. Your life will have a new routine so it’s important you work your fitness activities around your new schedule. This will make your day much more straightforward and make it easier to maintain regular exercise.

You might need to give yourself some time to find your new fitness routine. You might need to try out some different activities to find what you like. Or you might need to test exercising at different times of the day to find what works for you. It might be that you used to exercise first thing before work, but with your new job, you don’t have the time and need to exercise in the evenings instead. Perhaps you used to exercise on your lunch break, but now you live in a warmer climate and find the temperature is cooler and better for exercising in the early morning. Take the time to find what works for you, and then make sure you stick to it!

Find Free Fitness

You don’t necessarily have to join an expensive gym to start working out – unless that’s what you want to do! But if you’d rather not spend money on fitness, there are plenty of ways you can exercise for free.

Your new home might have some fantastic hiking trails or spots for swimming in lakes or the sea. Take a look at the parks and open spaces in your new area for jogging or cycling – or just put on your running shoes and jog around the block near your home. Lots of cities will have outdoor gym equipment, like pull-up bars, walkers, and rowers that you can use for free in public parks. Or you could find a secluded spot in the park and roll out your yoga mat for your own private yoga session. You can find lots of free classes online if you need a guide.

Join a Club

Joining a fitness club or class can be a great way of establishing a new fitness routine and also meeting new people. You can use this as an opportunity to learn a new type of exercise and skill or stick to what you know you already enjoy.

Most places will offer a range of fitness clubs, like yoga, dance, aerobics, or Pilates. You could also look at joining a sports club, such as football, hockey, or basketball. These can all help you to find like-minded people who share your interests, helping you to expand your social circle in your new home.

Take Part in Fitness Events

Many places will hold fitness events and challenges, like fun runs, sponsored walks, mud runs, and open water swim meets. Most of these events will be open to all people of varying abilities, so whether you’re well experienced or taking part for the first time, you’re sure to be welcomed.

Like joining a club, these types of events can be a great way of meeting new people who have similar interests to you. They can also give you a reason to establish a regular fitness routine, as you’ll have a goal to aim or train for.

Learn New Recipes

Moving to a new country is a great opportunity to expand your cooking repertoire. Whilst you’ll want to try the tasty delicacies at the restaurants, you should also research healthy local recipes to try at home. Find out what fresh ingredients you can buy at the local market.

Many places will hold markets where you can buy locally produced fresh fruit and vegetables. Try to find something you haven’t had before and see if you can incorporate it into your eating habits. You might just find your new favourite food, plus you’ll be maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.

Get the Best International Health Insurance

The best way to look after your health when you’ve moved to a new country is with quality international health insurance. Expatriate Group are experts in international healthcare, with over 100,000 customers in 182 different countries. Our international health insurance includes instant health cover and 24-hour support, with comprehensive protection. With Expatriate Group’s international healthcare insurance, you’ll have the peace of mind that you’re protected in every eventuality. From inpatient to outpatient care for expats, we have got you covered.

Get a quote today for international health insurance or contact us for more information.