Traveling is a wonderful way to explore new places, learn about different cultures, and broaden your horizons. However, do you find it challenging to maintain your fitness routine while on the go? If so, you are not alone.
Finding the motivation to exercise when you are away from home can be tough, especially if you live in a hotel or apartment without access to a gym. Different schedules and distractions can also add to the struggle, making it easy to skip your workouts.
But fear not! The good news is that it is possible to exercise and maintain your fitness routine, no matter where you are.
In this blog post, we will share five simple tips for quick exercises on the road to help you stay active and fit while traveling. So, let’s get started.
1. Prioritize Consistency over Intensity for your Travel Workout
The key to staying fit while traveling is consistency, not intensity. It is better to do a little bit of exercise every day than than working out a lot once or twice a week and burn yourself out.
So, even if it is just a 10-minute workout in your apartment or hotel room, ensure you do something daily. Remember, you are in this for the long haul, not just a quick sprint.
Fitness apps like Fitbod can help you maintain consistency in your workouts, regardless of location or equipment access. Fitbod allows you to easily switch between gym profiles and adjust your routine and available equipment to your travel circumstances.
When setting up your Fitbod profiles, the app asks questions about your available training equipment, preferred workout frequency, how long you can dedicate for each workout, and whether you have a preferred workout split.
You can have one profile for when you are at home and have access to all sorts of workout equipment and another for traveling. You can even have a profile for a basic hotel gym setup, where you can do cardio, bodyweight, and dumbbell exercises.
2. Strive For Simplicity and Flexibility
Maintaining your fitness routine when traveling is crucial to staying healthy and active, but finding the time or equipment you need can be challenging. Whether on vacation or a business trip, keeping up with your workout routine may seem impossible.
However, by being flexible and keeping it simple, you can still get your daily dose of exercise even without your regular gym equipment.
Rather than stressing about the lack of equipment or machines, keeping it simple and finding ways to stay active is better. Walking or doing bodyweight exercises can be a great alternative.
For example, you can do squats, lunges, push-ups, or sit-ups, which require no equipment and can be done anywhere.
Another effective way to simplify your workout routine is by picking two exercises and setting a timer. For instance, you could try doing 10 push-ups and 10 squats, as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes. And in the next workout, you challenge your number.
3. Discover Local Gyms for Travel Workouts
We can all agree that the best-case scenario is staying at a hotel with a good gym with dumbbells heavier than 10 kilograms and a bench that does not look 75 years old. At HotelGyms.com, we help you find exactly that when you travel.
However, as we have expanded our database over the years, we have realized that some hotels do not have the best gyms, which is something we always bring up in our overviews and recommendations.
But what if the hotel itself is good, and it is only the gym that is lackluster, non-existent, or always in a state of remodeling? This is where things get tricky because you should not have to skip out on a good hotel just because its gym is not the best.
So, the solution here is to stay at a hotel you genuinely like and look for a local gym, preferably within walking distance, where you can train. Would not that be a great option?
Finding a gym near your accommodation can be a game-changer in maintaining your fitness routine when traveling. Looking around is worth it because many gyms offer day or week passes, and some even offer free trials, allowing you to test out the facility before paying any money.
Bring your gym essentials, such as a water bottle, towel, and headphones, and ask the front desk at the gym about their day passes and if they offer a free trial. However, it is important not to take advantage of their trust in providing you the free day pass, as it is still a business.
Here is the good news:
We have partnered with BODDY to help you find the best gyms anywhere. For instance, if the hotel you are staying at does not have a gym (or it is a bad one), we show alternatives within walking distance.
So, how does it work? When you search for a hotel, we also show external gyms with day passes. You instantly get information on the training facilities in the area with an option to see where each is located on the map.
Or you can also visit their page, select your travel location, choose your preferred activity (e.g., Boxing, Calisthenics, or Classes; you can also pick more than one), and hit the search icon.
4. Change up your Training for a while
Keeping up with your regular training program while on the road is a great feeling. You can enjoy your trip, be it a vacation with the family or a business trip, keep crushing PRs, and not feel guilty for doing “less effective” training.
That said, there is also an argument to be made about switching things up for a while and trying something new. Who knows? You might find a new activity you genuinely enjoy doing.
If nothing else, doing something new can be a nice change of pace and a way to enjoy your regular training more once you get back to it.
So, if you love crushing gym workouts at home, why not switch to cardio-based activities like jogging or riding a bike when traveling?
Jogging is the most practical solution, as you only need a comfortable pair of running shoes and Bluetooth headphones for music. You can use MapMyRun to find safe routes nearby, regardless of where you are.
Here is how to log in to MapMyRun and start using it in just a few minutes:
Download the app from the App Store or Google Play.
Create a profile. You can use your Apple ID to join with just a couple of clicks.
Include basic information about yourself (age, gender, height, and weight).
Allow MapMyRun to access your location for the best and most relevant running routes.
Select one of the available routes for your area and click “Start Workout.”
While you are running, the app will calculate your distance and calories burned.
Once finished, click “Pause,” then “Hold to Finish.” Save your workout and go about your day.
It is that easy. You can also bookmark your favorite routes for easy access.
But even if you do not want to bother with apps and online tools, you can almost always find a nice area nearby (say, a park) and enjoy an invigorating jog that boosts your mood for hours.
5. Leverage Resistance Bands as your Portable Gym
Resistance bands? Oh, we love them! They are small, lightweight, and can provide hundreds of exercise variations. Plus, they are inexpensive, with a set of bands costing as little as $20 on Amazon.
Bodyweight-only exercises are great, but at some point, you can not keep doing more and more reps endlessly.
Resistance bands provide progressive tension, meaning the more you stretch them, the more resistance they offer. This is great for progressive overload, allowing many training variations with limited equipment.
For instance, let’s say that regular push-ups feel too easy, and you have to do 30-40+ reps to challenge yourself. To fix that, you can wrap a loop resistance band behind your back and over your hands.
From there, assume the push-up position and do as many reps as possible. Thanks to the additional resistance, you will be able to hit failure with fewer repetitions.
You can apply this principle to other exercises, such as regular squats, lunges, and good mornings.
Bands also allow you to do gym alternative exercises, such as bicep curls, tricep extensions, lat pulldowns, overhead presses, and Romanian deadlifts. You can use a door anchor to position the band overhead and do movements like you would train with a cable machine.
But the best part is that you can mix and match your bands to adjust the resistance as you see fit. For instance, a basic bicep curl might only need one band for you to challenge yourself.
However, you may need extra resistance for compound lifts like a chest press. Here, you can bundle two, three, or even four bands together to overload your chest, shoulders, and triceps with more weight.
They might not be as good as a gym, but for the price and size, they are pretty damn great. Check our Guide on Resistance Bands for more insights.
BONUS: Exercise and Nutrition when Traveling
In addition, start incorporating two more simple things into your fitness routine to help you stay on track and achieve your fitness goals while on the road.
Firstly, aim for up to 8.000 to 10.000 steps a day. Walking is an easy way to increase your daily activity level. Research shows that walking 8.000 steps a day can improve cardiovascular health, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and aid in weight management.
This becomes very easy when you try to walk whenever possible, whether exploring a new city, taking a break from work, or walking to your destination instead of taking a cab.
Secondly, consume enough protein to support muscle recovery and growth. Aim for 0.7-1g of protein per pound of body weight, depending on your fitness goals and activity level.
Protein-rich foods like eggs, chicken, fish, beans, and lentils can easily be found in most restaurants or grocery stores, making it easy to stay on track even when you are away from home.
Some Final Words
Exercising when traveling may seem daunting, but it is important to maintain consistency to stay healthy and energized. Remember, consistency is key, so focus on doing a little bit every day rather than going all out on one day and burning out.
You do not have to follow a strict training regime. But, of course, it helps to have a plan and to block time for your (daily) workouts. Do what makes sense based on where you are and what you have access to.
If you are staying in a hotel with a gym, use it. If you are in an Airbnb up a steep hill, try to run it. If you have access to a swimming pool, go for a swim. Staying active can be that simple; do not overcomplicate it.
Grab a friend or colleague, put some tunes on, and make your workout fun. You could also try something new, like a dance class or yoga session, to keep things interesting. After all, fitness needs to be fun. Otherwise, it becomes a chore, and you eventually ask yourself, “Why do I bother?”
To make it even easier, you can use HotelGyms.com or our Browser Extension to find and book hotels with a gym, ensuring you have access to the equipment you need for your workouts during your travels.
So do not let travel be an excuse to skip your workouts – with some planning and dedication, you can stay on track and achieve your fitness goals no matter where you are.