Buzz
If staying active is key to your daily life, constant travel can easily derail your routine. New environments, limited resources, and unpredictable schedules may leave you feeling disconnected from your fitness goals. But don’t throw in the towel just yet! Here are a few practical tips for fellow fitness lovers.
Set Realistic Expectations
Expect things to go awry or for your plans to shift. You may have intended to hit the hotel gym for a solid arm workout before closing time, but a flight delay, a work emergency, or even rescuing a kitten from a tree might have completely thrown you off track. Time flies!
Rather than stressing over missing a workout, try to scale back your expectations. If you typically spend an hour at the gym, why not try a quick 20-minute session instead? It not only saves time, but it also helps you avoid the “all-or-nothing” mindset (i.e., “I’ve missed this session, so why bother with the next?”) and allows you to keep up with your fitness routine.
I used to believe that anything less than 60 minutes or outside of a gym didn’t count as a “real” workout, but that’s simply not true. Staying active in any form keeps your fitness momentum going—whether it’s a long walk, stretching exercises, this 15-minute bodyweight workout, or a few quick moves you can do in your hotel room.
We’ve all had that tough moment when we return to the gym after a break. These days, I remind myself that workouts don’t have to be flawless. Just doing something is better than nothing and helps me stick to healthy habits, even if the session is brief.
Explore New Activities
While travel can feel like it completely disrupts your routine and sabotages your fitness goals, try to see it as a chance to explore new activities or pursue different objectives. Or, if you’re someone who works out intensely all the time, consider it a much-needed rest period.
If your usual routine includes lifting heavy weights, switch things up with bodyweight exercises. If you have the time, consider exploring nearby hikes or parks, where you can get an incredible playground-inspired workout.
When I didn’t have my usual routine, I focused on achieving a pistol squat and found even more ways to stay active than usual. During a recent trip to downtown Toronto, I took advantage of the city’s bike share to explore and walked just about everywhere. I also dropped into random fitness classes and activities, like boxing. If you’re meeting someone, why not ask if they’d be open to holding your meeting while walking, as this article by Quartz recommends.
Explore Local Gyms for Special Offers
I’m not picky about fancy gyms. Often, hotel gyms do the trick for me. You can easily put together a great workout with just a few dumbbells. But if a hotel gym isn’t available or doesn’t meet your needs, you can broaden your search. Major cities have tons of gyms—the real question is, how much are you willing to spend?
Day passes generally range from $15-40. While that’s a reasonable option for short stays, it can add up quickly if you’re in town for more than a few days. I’m not a fan of relying on day passes, so I try to negotiate for a weekly or monthly pass, or inquire about visitor promotions. I recently scored an amazing deal for a month’s membership on Groupon. I wouldn’t have discovered it if I hadn’t asked.
Pack Travel-Friendly Workout Gear
If you’re serious about staying fit while traveling, think about investing in a pair of suspension trainers. These are straps with handles that you attach to various anchor points, such as doors, lamp posts, tree branches, and more, to enhance your bodyweight exercises.
You’ve likely seen me talk about them before. I’ve been using suspension trainers during my extended travels over the past two years and have had great success staying in shape (and getting stronger, too!).
