How to Work out While Traveling

Maintaining a workout routine or exercise plan while out of town for business or pleasure can help you stay motivated, relieve stress, and continue getting fit. Follow these tips to fit in an effective workout, even when traveling.

Method 1 of 4: Take Advantage of Hotel Resources

When staying in a resort or hotel, asking the concierge service about exercise facilities or local parks or running tracks can help make sure you know all the options for working out when out of town. Many hotels either offer their own fitness centers or have contracts with local fitness clubs to offer free or discounted workout opportunities for their guests.

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   Use the hotel fitness room. Many hotels offer weight machines, treadmills, stationary bicycles, and fitness mats for stretching or exercising. Ask hotel staff where the fitness center is located in the building and what the hours are for the facility.
   • Do not attempt to use weight machines if you have not been trained on proper use, as poor technique can cause injury.
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   Swim in the hotel pool. Swimming can be excellent exercise, and even a short amount of time using the resistance of the water will help burn calories and work multiple muscle groups.
   • Try treading water, swimming laps, or doing water aerobics for 30 to 60 minutes to get an excellent workout in the pool.
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   Walk the halls or grounds of the hotel. Simply taking a walk, power walking, jogging, or climbing stairs in a hotel can offer plenty of opportunity for safe and effective exercise.
   • If the hotel has safe or attractive surroundings, take your exercise outside. Try walking or running the perimeter of the hotel a few times to get your workout in.
   • If the weather is poor or if you prefer to remain indoors, walk the halls and take the stairs between each floor. Alternately, take the stairs all the way up and all the way down as many times as you like at your own pace. This will give your legs a workout and help raise your heartbeat.
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   Rent a bike, pedal boat, or golf clubs. Many hotels and resorts offer activities at a fee that can allow you to fit in a workout while you explore the area. Riding a bike, pedaling around a pond or lake, or walking with your clubs on a golf course can burn hundreds of calories and add make your workout seem like less of an inconvenience when you travel.

Method 2 of 4: Alter Your Workout Routine

Traveling can be a great opportunity to experiment with new exercise options or simplify your routine. If your hotel or the house at which you are staying does not include workout facilities, take the opportunity to try something new that does not require any special tools. Experimenting with fitness efforts while traveling can help work new muscle groups and even boost your calorie burn by breaking your routine. Trying new exercises can also expose you to enjoyable new activities or simple workout routines that you can perform almost anywhere.

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   Exercise in the comfort of your room. Many effective workouts can be performed without equipment or special facilities. You can get a great workout without leaving your hotel room or guest quarters.
   
   
   • Use your body to create resistance. Do push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, strength training, jumping jacks, jogging in place, and other basic moves to work your muscle groups, stretch, and get your heartbeat up.
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   Try yoga, Pilates, or Tae Bo. With a little advance preparation or with the guide of a television or DVD exercise program, these types of exercise can often be performed in small, private spaces on the go.
   • Lay a towel on the floor of the hotel room and use it as a mat for yoga stretches such as downward dog, sun salutations, and other poses that will help relieve the tension from traveling while working your muscles and toning your core.
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   Buy a Pilates exercise DVD to watch on your computer while you workout in your room.
   • Improvise a Tae Bo routine in your room by alternating punches and kicks in the air with your hands and feet, keeping muscles contracted and moving deliberately as you listen to music or watch a television program. Jog in place or bounce backward and forward while punching to burn extra calories.
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   Make up your own routine. Get creative by combining a variety of short exercises or physical activities that make you short of breath or give your muscles a workout. Improvise materials if necessary to perform strength training routines or resistance training without equipment if necessary.
   • Alternate stair climbing with lunges down the hallways, perform bicep curls with water bottles, or substitute a towel or article of clothing for a resistance band. Then try doing chair lifts, scissor kicks, and even jumping on the bed to get your heart rate up and your routine full of variety and fun.

Method 3 of 4: Pack Lightweight Exercise Equipment

If you are able to plan your workouts in advance of travel, try packing equipment or exercise tools that will fit in your suitcase without adding excessive weight or bulk. In many cases, common exercise equipment can be pared down for the essentials of an equipment-based fitness routine.

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   Roll up a small foam yoga mat. Foam mats not only roll into less space than firmer or thicker mats, but they are often also very affordable and weigh substantially less than traditional yoga mats.
   • If you enjoy yoga when traveling, hemp bands and lightweight foam blocks are also easy to fit in a suitcase without adding much weight.
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   Pack hand-held weights. Light hand weights or ankle weights are compact and can fit into most suitcases with ease.
   • To spare yourself the strain of an overly heavy bag, refrain from packing more than one set or packing any weights over 5 pounds each.
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   Invest in resistance bands. Rubber or cloth resistance bands offer a very wide range of exercise options with virtually no added bulk or weight to your suitcase.
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   Bring a Frisbee, football, or tennis racquet. If you are traveling with friends, family, or coworkers, having a team sport item along may enable you all to get a workout while having fun.
   • Lightweight items such as deflated sports balls, tennis or racquetball racquets, and even a baseball and glove can provide hours of exercise options with little added weight to the suitcase.
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   Deflate an exercise ball. Many brands sell inflatable fitness balls. Pack a deflated ball to re-inflate upon arrival at your destination (be sure to check whether the ball requires a hand pump or if you can inflate it with your own air).
   • Yoga, aerobics, strength training, and resistance workouts can easily incorporate an exercise ball to make a workout easy while traveling.

Method 4 of 4: Take Your Workout to the Streets

Working out while traveling can offer excellent opportunities for meeting new people and trying new fitness routines. In addition, combining your workout with exploration or errands can help make fitting in a workout while traveling a simple task.

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   Go dancing. Traveling can be an excellent excuse to try salsa, tango, swing, the waltz, or even hip-hop dancing. Head to a club to get your workout while socializing or pick a restaurant that offers a dance floor and live music to burn calories and have fun at the same time.
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   Find a jogging path, park, or popular street. Just by packing your running shoes you can combine sightseeing with working out. Jog through the parks, along picturesque waterways, or up and down past shops and restaurants to get your workout done, while exploring the city or even picking out where to go for dinner.
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   Sign up for an exercise class. Traveling can offer plenty of opportunities to try a local zumba, belly dancing, boot camp, yoga, or other specialty class at a workout studio, supporting local businesses and helping you fit your workout into your travel schedule.
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   Call the local YMCA or community gymnasium. In many cities, public workout facilities allow visitor passes by the day or week for a very reasonable fee, giving you access to pools, tracks, basketball or tennis courts, and even instructor-led classes.

Tips

• Multi-tasking can help you accomplish your workouts while you travel. If you are away on business, review expense reports while you use a stationary bike or practice reciting your presentation while you do yoga stretches. If you are traveling for pleasure, do sightseeing on foot and avoid taking the elevators to burn calories and have fun at the same time.

Edit

• Although traveling can be an excellent opportunity to try new exercises, do not go beyond your comfort limit. If you are unsure how to perform an exercise safely, skip it in favor of an exercise you can perform without risk of injury. Getting injured while traveling can ruin your trip and become a hassle if healthcare and insurance reimbursement are necessary, so staying safe when out of town is essential.