Traveling is about relaxing, eating fantastic food and enjoying different cultures. While fun is the priority, you don’t have to compromise your fitness routine when you leave the house. Careful scheduling and creative exercises keep you in shape as you spend time in other locations. Here’s how to maintain your goals and why these plans are essential.
What Your Travel Workout Plan Should Look Like
First, you need an itinerary to stay on track and minimize fitness disruptions. Here are 10 agenda items for your travel workout plan.
1. Walking and Exploring
You might not have your car with you when you’re out of town. How can you get around town without a vehicle? Use your feet to explore and get solid cardio workouts. Walking is a simple yet effective exercise while traveling because it gets your body moving. Prioritize strolls to conferences, restaurants and other local attractions.
Walking is terrific for your fitness routine because you can do it nearly anywhere. From cities to remote forests, you don’t need equipment to get the job done. This simple exercise benefits your body by reducing heart disease risk and controlling weight. Use your walks to reflect on your trip, enjoy music or listen to an engaging podcast.
2. HIIT in the Hotel
Traveling could mean plenty of time in the hotel, especially at a conference or in the middle of a storm. These events mean you might not have room on the schedule for outdoor adventures. How can you fill in the gaps with a workout? Try high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in your hotel room.
HIIT workouts are fitting when you don’t have much time. Short bursts of intense exercise are followed by short recovery periods to increase your heart rate. This routine could include a minute of burpees with a few minutes of rest before doing 60 seconds of jumping jacks. You don’t need equipment or much space, so HIIT is easy to do nearly anywhere.
3. Laps in the Pool
If you’re in a hotel, there’s a good chance you’ll be near a swimming pool. This area is excellent for sunbathing and relaxing in the summer, though there are workout opportunities. Take advantage of this section, especially when there’s nobody there to interrupt your sessions. Try some low-intensity cardio, strength training and functional exercises to stay fit.
For example, your travel workout plan should include crunches. This exercise requires knee-bending at a 90-degree angle while lying flat in the water. Engage your core, pull your body upward and come back down to complete a rep. The swimming pool adds natural resistance while walking, so consider pool runs for an interesting challenge.
4. Resistance Band Workouts
Strength training can be more complex if there isn’t a gym nearby. While some hotels have in-house fitness centers, you might not have access to one. Use resistance bands to supplement your weightlifting needs and stick to your routine. Unlike traditional weights, these workout materials suit your travel needs by fitting inside travel bags and making it past airport security.
If you have resistance bands, your fitness sessions while traveling don’t have to change. Use this equipment to maintain or gain strength by implementing bicep curls and lateral raises. From chest exercises to squats, numerous workout opportunities exist. Find time for them in the morning, between events or before dinner to build an appetite.
5. Morning Yoga Sessions
Imagine waking up in Sedona, Arizona, and seeing the sunrise over red rock formations. This moment with nature is an excellent time to fit a yoga session. While this exercise doesn’t seem intense, it can be a fantastic start to your morning. If you do hot yoga, it can be even better for your fitness goals. Experts say this variation can burn 330 calories on average after just 90 minutes.
Yoga doesn’t need special equipment, so take your session anywhere. You could start it on the floor of your hotel room, next to your tent or at a local park. Regardless of location, remember to be mindful and present during your session. Yoga is about mental health as much as physical abilities, so don’t rush your routine.
6. Staircase Sets
If your destination has a lot of buildings, you’re in luck. Take advantage of the architecture by focusing on stair cardio and working your legs. Going up and down steps is a terrific replacement if there isn’t a stair climbing machine at the nearest gym.
Staircase exercises can be as simple as walking or jogging up the steps. However, you can take them to the next level by adding plyometric jumps and lunges. If you’re adventurous, incorporate burpees or jumping jacks once you reach the end. Enjoy the exercise by recreating stair scenes in famous movies like “Rocky” or “Creed.”
7. Pushups in the Park
Pushups are a classic from gym class and could be your ticket to top-tier fitness while traveling. It’s a full-body workout you can do nearly anywhere, so take advantage of the flexibility. While this exercise burns calories, experts say it protects your shoulders and back from injuries. Do you need posture help? It can straighten your body and improve your balance.
Pushups are available anywhere and anytime, though you can be more creative with your routine. Take your workouts to a local park and incorporate them into your daily walk. Stop every five to 10 minutes and do a round of pushups. While this exercise is great, you need correct form to avoid injuries. Ask a friend to monitor your positioning while you do it.
8. Finding Time for Wall Sits
Traveling can be hectic and take you to places with little room. How can you effectively do an HIIT or yoga session without space for a workout mat? These circumstances call for simple exercises, such as wall sits. If you’re missing leg day at the gym, this exercise can fill the gaps until you can return to your home routine.
Wall sits qualify as an isometric exercise because your body remains fixed. You’ll feel some tension in your lower body. From your glutes to your calves, your bottom half benefits from a seemingly simple workout. Do them in the hotel room, elevator and anywhere else with a wall.
9. Farmer’s Walk at the Airport
Airports can include long waits until your next flight. How can you pass the time without just sitting in a chair and watching movies? If you get restless, try doing the farmer’s walk around the facility. If you’re in a massive airport like Denver International or Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, there’s plenty of room for exercise.
The farmer’s walk typically involves carrying dumbbells by your hips as if they were buckets of water. However, you might not have free weights while traveling, so use your suitcases instead. Be mindful of others around you, considering how crowded these places can be during the day. Find empty gates and wide hallways to make your exercise more manageable.
10. Remembering Recovery Time
You might not want to miss a day of workouts while traveling, but it’s essential to give yourself grace and recovery time. Take a day to relax in your hotel room or spend time in the spa. Your body doesn’t need to run a marathon daily, so find ways to take it easy and recuperate.
Imagine you went to Rocky Mountain National Park during your trip to Denver. Running on the trails gave you a hard workout, so the next day should be for recovery. Experts say rest days repair fibers and make your body stronger. However, inadequate recuperation time could negatively affect your body by increasing injury risks and diminishing performance.
How to Adjust Your Workout Plan Based on the Journey
Planes, trains and automobiles could take you anywhere worldwide, though your travel choices could affect your exercise routine. Being adaptable and creative can foster an enjoyable and fitness-friendly experience. Here’s how to modify your workout plan.
Car
Road trips offer flexibility because you can stop and exercise as you please. Rest areas, restaurants and parks are your workout canvas if the weather is cooperating. Long periods of sitting necessitate stretching, so get out of the car and walk around. Consider a short HIIT session to get your heart pumping and feel more awake.
Plane
Exercising on a plane isn’t the wisest idea. However, there are some worthwhile adaptations while you’re in the sky. Try ankle circles and calf raises to get your blood flowing if you have leg room. Space may be at a premium, so use shoulder rolls in tight seating arrangements.
Train
Train trips are similar to flights, though you’ll have more flexibility. The locomotive occasionally stops, so take advantage of the platforms for walks and exercise if there’s time. While aboard, stroll the aisles and try seat-friendly exercises. Some people travel in sleeper cars, which could open opportunities for yoga sessions.
Hotel
Hotels are the most popular lodging option, considering 52% of vacationers use them when traveling. While they’re not the workout facility you’re used to, they’ll do until you get back home. The building may have a gym and swimming pool for exercise, so use them to maintain your workout routine. If these amenities are crowded, do stair exercises to stay fit.
Cruise
Cruise ship suites can make exercise nearly impossible due to the limited space, but you can make it work. Head to the boat’s fitness center, as it likely has a full range of workout machines. If you don’t like the selection, try resistance band exercises in your room or jogging on open decks. This vacation may have fitness classes to let you be with other fitness-oriented people.
The Importance of Exercising While Traveling
Going out of town could mean skipping leg day or taking a break from half-marathon training. However, these five reasons demonstrate why it is essential to find workout opportunities wherever possible.
Getting Over Jet Lag
Jet lag can feel brutal after a long flight and a change in time zones. Exercise alleviates this feeling by resetting your circadian rhythm and easing the transition. Keep your workouts during the daytime and refrain from doing them too close to your new nightly bedtime. Some travelers try to work out at their usual hour despite being in a different location.
Maintaining Your Fitness Levels
If you’re on a fitness journey, you should exercise while traveling to maintain your fitness levels. One or two weeks won’t ruin your progress, but it could slightly reverse course and create more work in the future. On-the-road workouts are more important if you’re training for an event, so find adaptations to fill the gaps. Even light exercise is better than remaining sedentary.
Countering Vacation Behavior
Traveling should include relaxation time, especially if you’re on vacation. However, some people use this period to be less active and not watch what they eat. There is time for lounging, but you should pair it with exercise opportunities during your time away. Watch your alcohol intake and make healthier food decisions when mealtime arrives.
Reducing Stress
Stress can overwhelm your body while traveling, whether for business or leisure. Exercise is good medicine for your feelings because it relieves anxiety symptoms and boosts your overall mood. Whether jogging or lifting weights, your brain releases endorphins to reduce pain and make you feel more positive. If you’re feeling anxious, find time for a short workout.
Seeing New Places
Your trip could take you to uncharted territory and introduce you to exciting places. Exercise is an exciting way to check out these locations and embrace the land. Imagine jogging through a city park or popular trails in a tree-heavy forest. Perhaps you could do some yoga on the beach. Let your travel workout plan broaden your horizons and enhance your trip.
Embracing Exercise During Your Travel Experience
Travel can be unpredictable, so control what you can regarding exercise. You might not stick to your routine perfectly, but some physical activity is better than none. Be flexible and creative in your workouts to maintain your fitness levels and promote healthy habits. Adapt your plan to the circumstances, whether your flight gets delayed or your hotel booking changes.
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Jack Shaw is the Senior Outdoors Writer for Modded Magazine. Driven by his passion for writing, Jack loves to traverse the wilderness, travel, and explore the unknown. He has over six years of experience writing professionally and loves engaging in new projects. His works have been published in The Travel Magazine, EcoHotels, Trekaroo, and more.
