In this episode, we talk about how to take your fitness with you when you travel, how to pivot your business, ideas and passion, and finally, what it's like to write a book.

I’d like to reintroduce you to the man, myth, and legend behind Fittest Travel, Chris Castellano himself. I’m the host of a podcast called Facing Fear and recently had Chris on (you can listen to his episode here).

We decided to turn the interview into a blog so our readers can continue to learn more about Fittest Travel, tips for living a healthy lifestyle on the go, and of course, Chris himself.

SARA HAUCK: I met you through Instagram where I was inspired by your passion for health and fitness on the go. How did you get started with the idea for Fittest Travel?

CHRIS CASTELLANO: In 2016, I worked on Wall Street putting in 60-70 hours a week so it started as a small side project I would dabble in on the weekends. I blogged about how I worked out, bodyweight training and my fitness philosophies. I started to get a following asking for more on fitness tips while traveling. That’s when it hit me I could focus on this niche. Within a couple of weeks, I pivoted the entire blog and leaned into that focus.

SH: I want to highlight a part of your story that has nothing to do with fitness. The part where you said, “I pivoted.” Often when we put passion projects into the world, we think they have to be perfect or exactly right before we hit publish. I’ve learned through my passion projects as well, just start and put the work out there! You CAN change and pivot along the way, in face you will.

Without pivoting, learning can’t be present. I commend you on that choice.

CC: When I look back at the early days of the blog, I cringe sometimes because I didn’t have a lot of experience. I almost feel embarrassed, but at the very same time, I’m so glad I just went ahead and launched it. It wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t ready but I was learning to let go. I’ve learned so much as I’ve gone on and feel fortunate for that.

It set me up to pivot during the pandemic because the travel industry took a huge hit. A lot of revenue I was getting from my blog was from affiliate marketing commissions on people booking hotel rooms. Instead, I’ve tried to focus on different areas of staying fit wherever you are and building on the philosophy that you can take fitness wherever you are. We’re nomadic in the way we are, and you shouldn’t be reliant on one single gym, you can be adaptable.

SH: Exactly. And that’s what you’re here for to show us how we can maintain health and fitness in many adaptable ways. Where is the weirdest place you’ve ever worked out in your nomadic adventures?

CC: In 2008, I was in Iraq and had a non-combat injury where I fractured my ankle. I was in the Army Hospital in Baghdad for a few days with my leg in a cast. I was obsessive about my fitness routine back then and felt like I was wasting away! So one day I got out of bed and started banging out a few push ups. I knew I looked crazy, but luckily it was an Army hospital as opposed to a civilian hospital so it probably wasn’t too outside the norm.

SH: Adaptable fitness at its finest! If you can’t use your lower body, use your upper. For me, it would probably be when I was on a long-distance train from Germany to Italy. This was a six-hour trip so I was bored and found a space of 4 foot by 6 foot. I put in my headphones and did a few bodyweight movements for about 25 minutes. I felt GREAT afterward! Sometimes I do wonder how many SnapChat stories I’ve been on where people have captioned a video of me working out in a weird place…

CC: I have often wondered the same thing about myself.

SH: Once at an airport, I started doing yoga before a flight. A few rows over, this woman who was probably in her seventies, got down on the floor and started stretching too! It was the coolest thing to see that we can give others inspiration to better themselves through this passion we share.

CC: That gave me goosebumps. Sara, that is infection. And awesome. I love it!

SH: Can you share a few tips for anyone who has never considered working out while on the go?

CC: The first would be to plan ahead. Before leaving for your trip, commit to something, even if it is 20 minutes a day of movement. Then I would figure out what equipment you want to bring between sneakers, extra workout cloths and maybe a jump rope.

My second tip would be to bring healthy snacks and supplements. Eating healthy is a huge part of maintaining a good fitness routine on the go. I always bring protein bars and vitamins with me. When planning your trip, consider a hotel that offers room with a kitchen inside. You can save a lot of money, time and worry if you can make your own food!

SH: Can I ask you to share a little about your life in the Army and as a New York Firefighter?

CC: Absolutely. I enlisted in the Army in 2007 as a cavalry scout which means I was a specialist in finding the enemy and gathering intelligence. I felt an urge to do this for my country and military service has been a part of my family for generations. In 2008, I spent 15 months in Iraq and then came home to be stationed in Foot Hood, Texas. I currently serve as a staff sergeant in the Army Reserve in psychological operations.

In 2016, I was working for Morgan Stanley in finance while I was waiting to become a New York City firefighter. It’s extremely competitive to get in. Eventually, they got to my number on the list so I left my finance job and have been a firefighter ever since. It’s an incredible job between helping others, work-life balance and the challenge for me to stay on top of my physical fitness because my job requires that of me.

SH: That’s amazing. You’ve had some intense careers! You talk about both of them with so much joy.

CC: I’ve been very fortunate. I like that higher call to service and you can say I’m a little bit of an adrenaline junkie. I like jobs that are physically demanding and require me to push myself harder than I would otherwise.

SH: How have you faced fear in your career?

CC: When we go into dangerous environments like combat or fires, it can be very stressful and often overwhelming. A tool that has worked for me in those high stress situations is focusing on breathing. We’re trained to stop, take a deep breath and focus. It’s amazing how effective it can be.

Breathing techniques and the impact on mental health is a topic I’d love to cover more on Fittest Travel.

SH: Bringing it back around to Fittest Travel, what was it like to write your book?

CC: I learned a lot about writing from doing the blog and would end up getting lots of questions. I figured they would be best suited for a book! I decided to self-publish through Amazon. Luckily, Amazon makes the process pretty easy and seamless.

Actually writing the book was the challenging part. I would find time wherever I could. Whether it was early in the morning, after work or putting my daughter to bed. I wrote as much as I could when I could make it work for me. And now you can buy the book on Amazon, pretty amazing.