After my wife, Hayley, wrote about “making time” for health and fitness we got some great feedback from readers. Now Hayley is following up with a post on how to keep fit while traveling.
When you consistently work hard on your health and fitness, the last thing you want is for all that hard work to go to waste when you're on vacation, travelling or away from your normal routine. Paul and I believe in “training for life”; being able to enjoy experiences, run up and down beaches, cycle through new cities and climb mountains to catch the sunrise without burning out.
When it comes to keeping fit on the go, what you do will largely depend on how much you want to do, whether you are travelling long term, for a quick holiday or on business. Regardless of where you are and the length of your stay, chances are you have a few options to help keep fit.
EMBRACE THE OUTDOORS
As a tourist, you're likely to spend a decent chunk of your time exploring new cities and places. Whenever you can, walk around, experience the beauty of the city and get in touch with nature. So many places offer walking tours which are a great way to get in some exercise and learn the history of a beautiful city at once.
Find a local park or beach and head out for a jog first thing in the morning, this sets you up for a great day and is the perfect way to keep your cardio up. During out travel adventure, I've been getting up and going for a 40-50 minute walk almost every morning. It's the perfect way to start the day!
FIND A GYM
If you want to keep up your strength, finding a gym is key. If you're lucky enough to be staying in a hotel with a gym then look no further, otherwise, check out Google and find somewhere local with a few weights and machines. Gyms may not be fully equipped with your usual favourites but sometimes all you need is a couple of heavy dumbbells. Get in a workout a few times a week, it doesn't have to be everyday, especially because you're on holiday. The most important thing is to keep active and move your body regularly!
Joining a class or finding a local CrossFit box is a great way of keeping fit and meeting new people at the same time. There are Crossfit gyms all over the world and so many gyms offer group fitness classes. Google is your best friend here and most places offer ‘drop in' rates or weekly passes! Embrace yoga if you're in Bali or try out a Muay Thai class in Thailand.
When we were staying in Canggu, Bali, we made great friends with the locals and regulars at CrossFit Wanderlust.
HOTEL WORKOUTS
If you're strapped for time, in an isolated area or somewhere where getting outside just isn't going to work, try a few at-home style workouts. Routines that take anywhere from 10-20 minutes and can be done with little to no equipment right in your hotel room. There are so many places to find good no-equipment workouts. The Nike Training Club App is free and has plenty of options, or try a quick search on YouTube.
If you're going to bring even one piece of equipment with you, I recommend a skipping rope. Great to get your heart rate up, 5 minutes will have you exhausted!
Here's a quick routine you can try out for yourself, it requires NO equipment, can be done in a small space and is done within 15 minutes. I recommend timing yourself for part a. so you can repeat it and keep working on beating your time!
Hotel Room Workout
(We would regularly do this workout while traveling when we didn't have access to a gym).
Warmup:
- 3 x 50 Star Jumps (Alt. 50 Single Skips if you have a rope)
- 30 Seconds High Knees Running on the spot
- 30 Second But Kicks on the spot
- 5 Inch Worms
- 5 Stationary Squats
- 5 Jumping Squats
Part A – Cardio/Strength:
- 30 Mountain Climbers
- 30 Sit Ups
- 30 Air Squats
- 30 Lunges
- 30 Press Ups
Then…
- 20 Mountain Climbers
- 20 Sit Ups
- 20 Air Squats
- 20 Lunges
- 20 Press Ups
Finally…
- 10 Mountain Climbers
- 10 Sit Ups
- 10 Air Squats
- 10 Lunges
- 10 Press Ups
Part B – Finisher:
- 10 Burpees
- 60 Second Prone Hold
*Repeat 3x*
Remember, when you're out of your normal routine, it's never going to be the same as when you're at home so don't put pressure on yourself. Just have fun with it!