Staying in shape while traveling can be a truly daunting task, and that’s because most people who want to go visit many places can’t take more than a backpack with them. What that means is that they cannot carry the entirety of their exercise equipment, especially the heavy stuff. It would be downright counterproductive to have to pay extra at the airport simply because you want to take your kettlebell with you.
Because you might not have access to any of the equipment you might use in your home or local gym, you might end up feeling baffled. On top of that, you might not even be able to stick to your running schedule, prepare your meals, or even get a good night’s sleep, which you should know is essential if you do not want to gain weight.
Here are some tips you can use to work out while you’re on the road.
Start with packing
It goes without saying that you should always start with what you can take with you so that you can stick to your exercise routine. You probably have a pair of tennis shoes that you feel most comfortable in, and those you have to take with you. The same goes for your favorite workout t-shirts and pants. In fact, we might go as far as recommending you to take out a pair of your dress shoes and replace them with your favorite sports shoes.
Make an itinerary not only for your trip but your exercise routine, too
Just when are you going to work out if you travel? Obviously, if you’re traveling for pleasure, not for work, you can choose your own plan. However, if what the future holds is a dozen meetings every day, you might find it challenging to stick to your fitness goals.
Take stock of your daily schedule and determine when you might be able to fit in your workouts. If you don’t manage to raise up to par one day, you’ll at least feel bad enough to do it the next.
Take advantage of your hotel
If you’re staying at one of those fancy places where there’s a gym, by all means, don’t be afraid to use it. It’s pretty safe to say that it won’t come with the same quality equipment you might be able to use while you are at home, but it’s still something.
You can even work out while you’re in your hotel room. What you might need, in this case, would be a workout streaming service or just good old YouTube. You can find lots of yoga or strength training classes on this social media network.
Always use a fitness tracker or a mobile app
The simplest thing you can do if none of the options we’ve talked about are available is to walk every day for at least an hour. Use a fitness tracker to keep tabs on your heart rate, the distance you’ve covered, as well as the calories you’ve burned. Besides, these days most smartphones even come with their own Health apps, such as the iPhone, for example.