Summer time for many people means going on vacation. If you are lucky enough to be one of those people, it doesn’t mean you have to give up your workouts. Exercise can easily be incorporated when traveling to all types of destinations, hotel or bungalow, and with or without family. Here are various ways for you to keep up your routine!
- Choose active adventures: Depending on your travel destination, see what activities there are in the area that will get you moving. Swimming, hiking, biking, windsurfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, rafting, or walking tours will all get your heart pumping.
- Seek out a hotel with fitness center: If you are able to plan in advance, pick lodging that offers workout facilities on site. If that’s not an option, do some research ahead of time on local fitness centers and call ahead to see if they offer day passes.
- Try bodyweight exercises: A simple circuit can easily be done made up of exercises that you can do anywhere using your own bodyweight. Examples include: squats, push-ups, lunges, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, planks, burpees, bridges, or pull-ups. You could do anywhere from 8-15 of each exercise and do the circuit once or multiple times, or you could see how many repetitions of each exercise you can do in a set time frame (30-60 seconds). Here are some examples.
- Bring a TRX or resistance bands: If you’re fortunate enough to own a TRX, or travel frequently you may consider investing in a quality TRX trainer, or even some budget friendly resistance bands. Both are very portable and can be done almost anywhere. TRX trainers can be found here and a resistance band workout can be found here. I’ve seen resistance tubing sold in common locations such as Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Target.
- Incorporate your kids: If you have stroller age children, try pushing them up hills or bring along a jogging stroller. On a flat surface (utilizing safety strap) you could do walking lunges as you stroll, and stop at the park to add in some squats, pull-ups, pushups to a bench, or any of the above mentioned bodyweight exercises. If you do them in front of your children while they’re in the stroller, chances are they’ll think you’re being silly and playful. Bring along their favorite toys or snacks to keep them occupied and talk to them while you train to make it fun for them too.
I hope these tips help encourage you and make exercise and traveling much more manageable!
How do you manage to work out while you’re away from home?
In good health,
Ryan Healy, BS, NSCA-CSCS
