Maintaining Fitness While You Travel

Do you find it difficult to keep up with your fitness routine when you're traveling? Does your busy schedule prevent you from finding adequate time to work out? Perhaps you simply feel that convenience is an issue.

Whatever reasons you have for not working out during your travels, maybe it's time to toss those reasons aside! You don't have to sacrifice your workouts just because you're away from home!

Why You Should Make Time for Fitness

You may be away from home because your job dictates that you travel. Or, maybe you're taking a well-deserved and much-needed vacation. In either case, you likely have a full day scheduled without including your routine exercise regimen as one of your planned activities.

However, just as you've made exercise a part of your daily routine when you're at home, you can and should make it part of your routine when you're away from home. Why?

Exercise helps to alleviate stress...including travel-induced stress.
Exercise is a good habit to hang onto, no matter where you are! If you allow yourself to slack off when you travel, it will become easier and easier to slack off when you're at home.
Besides, if exercise is already a normal part of your day, then exercising will help you to maintain a sense of normalcy throughout your travels. And, your body, mind, and spirit will thank you for doing so!
By devoting a little time to your body's fitness, you'll be warding off those extra pounds that may accumulate as a result of eating out frequently, when you're away from home. Your body will remain trim and fit!
Regular exercise increases your energy level. With more energy, you'll be better able to get through the day's events without becoming overly fatigued. Exercise is also a great way to relieve jet lag.

How to Squeeze Exercise into Your Schedule

Okay...maybe it seems impossible to squeeze even one tiny additional event into your already extremely overloaded schedule! But, you can! Trust me! Here are a few suggestions:

When possible, walk or ride a bicycle around the town in which you're visiting. If necessary, leave a few minutes early, so that you reach your destination on time.
If you've just arrived at your place of lodging in a strange city, change into some comfortable clothing, and take a little jog or walk around the neighborhood. You'll get acquainted with the area, see some of the sights, and burn some calories, all at the same time.
Take a dip in the hotel swimming pool.
Try to stay in a facility that provides a fitness room with exercise equipment for its guests to use. Then, USE IT!
Get up a little earlier in the morning to work out before you begin any of the other activities planned for that day.
Engage in shorter, yet more intense workouts, than you would normally do, if time permitted.

Always bring along some workout clothes when you travel! If you're prepared, you're more likely to try to make time to exercise.

Additional Comments...

Running, jogging, or walking are great ways to exercise when you're away from home. These activities don't require any special skills or equipment and can be performed practically anywhere and at anytime!

If you're time is limited, rev up your workouts. By increasing the intensity level, you'll benefit from the exercise as if you were working out at a lower intensity level for a longer period of time. Besides, a little exercise is always better than no exercise!

When packing for a trip, include some light hand-weights, if you have any, to use for resistance training. Or, instead of the weights, you may substitute a towel or something else that is readily available.

And, don't forget that pushups and crunches are great toning and strengthening exercises. They don't require a lot of time, and if you desire, they may be performed in the privacy of your room.

If you're traveling with children, take time to engage in physical activities with the kids. A game of Tag or Touch Football can be a great way to spend quality time with your family, as well as to get your body in motion!

If you are driving and can afford an extra 10 lbs. of luggage, a kettlebell workout is another excellent exercise for the road.

Many safe travels to all, and happy exercising!

Cyndi Schoenhals
CPT and fitness writer