7 Epic Travel Fitness Adventures (For All Levels) and Solo Travel for Transformation with Heidi Nicklaus (+ Jason’s Ultimate Travel Blunder)

Oct 28, 2025

Heidi Nicklaus, founder of HeidiRunsAbroad, transitioned from higher education to help travelers maintain wellness on the road. She shares how a transformative solo trip and couchsurfing spurred her epic travel adventures. From glacier kayaking to running marathons under the midnight sun, Heidi offers practical tips on blending fitness with exploration. She contrasts structured workouts with active travel and reveals her adventure bucket list, inspiring listeners to move and explore the world with purpose.

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ADVICE

Name Your Trip To Create Accountability

Label trips (runcation, active adventure) to create motivation and accountability for fitness goals.
Use an event or challenge (race, hike) to plan travel and lock in training and commitment.

ANECDOTE

Sun Gate Changed Her View Of Machu Picchu

Heidi visited Machu Picchu by bus but reflected on how hiking the Inca Trail adds depth and perspective.
Watching hikers reach the Sun Gate showed her why hiking to a site changes your relationship with it.

ANECDOTE

Tried Via Ferrata As 'Climbing Light'

Heidi tried Via Ferrata in Kosovo and found it accessible compared with technical rock climbing.
The route offers fixed rungs and safety gear, making cliffside views achievable for many hikers.

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What would your travels look like if you planned them around the most epic, life-shaping active adventures you could dream up?

Heidi Niklaus is the founder of Heidi Runs Abroad LLC, where she helps travelers, expats, and digital nomads maintain their wellness routines on the road. With a background in higher education at Rutgers University, she pivoted into fitness instruction, became a long‑term traveler, and is now planning her move to Sofia, Bulgaria.

In this episode, Heidi shares how a divorce, a career pause, and a couchsurfing connection sparked a global lifestyle. She also shares her active travel and fitness adventure bucket list, ranging from volcano sunrises and glacier kayaking to a marathon under the midnight sun.

You’ll hear how Heidi traded structure for uncertainty and why she now helps travelers maintain their wellness routines on the road. She shares practical insights on how to blend movement with exploration, and why fitness doesn’t have to take a back seat just because you're abroad. Heidi’s bucket list and personal stories will challenge how you think about travel and inspire you to create your own list of active travel adventures.

What’s one adventure you’ve always thought about doing, big or small, that would get you moving and exploring? I'd love to hear what they are, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message.

Tune In To Learn:

How couchsurfing and solo travel unlocked a new chapter for her
Why fitness wasn’t always part of Heidi’s life, and how she made that shift
Advice on staying active and finding the balance while traveling (even on “vacation”) • The difference between intentional exercise and being physically active while traveling
Why labeling your trip a “runcation” or “active adventure” actually matters
The seven fitness adventures on her bucket list (plus three bonus picks)
How movement during travel doesn’t need to be a “workout”
Nutrition tips to balance indulgence and wellness abroad
How to start your own bucket list to help you prioritize your travels
And so much more

Resources:

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