How to Stay in Shape While Traveling

Whether you’re on a multi-day business trip or relaxing for a week in the Keys, there are tons of ways you can incorporate fitness into your day. The best part? You don’t need a gym or any equipment to do it!

Set yourself up for success

How many people have you talked to who have come back from a trip or vacation stressed about a few extra pounds? And we’re not talking about their luggage! We can think of quite a few.

While it’s important to enjoy your trip and let your hair down a bit, it’s never fun to come back feeling like you just blew a month’s worth of hard work. Trust us, you aren’t being paranoid or overly obsessed by seeking ways to stay on track while traveling.

Take a look at these simple tips. You’ll be glad you did.

Think ahead

Before you pack or even leave the house, map out how you plan to stay active. Take a workout that can be done without equipment, indoors or out. When you’re tired from traveling or feeling unmotivated, you won’t have to think about the HOW, just the WHY.

Some ideas:

• You can ask your favorite fitness instructor if they have a go-to routine.
• Surf the web for a workout. FfL has some great video and printer-friendly full-body workouts. There are many great resources out there, such as Pinterest and YouTube. Find one that works best for you!
• If you enjoy specialty classes such as spin, yoga or pilates, check online to see if there are any studios nearby and book a class ahead of time. You’ll treat it like an appointment rather than an optional workout.

Pack Sneakers

You won’t get far without them!

Do it first thing

Rather than trying to pry yourself away from your mid-day fun to break a sweat, stick to exercising first thing in the morning. You’ll burn calories right off the bat and boost your energy for the day.

Shoot for short

You’re far more likely to exercise while traveling if you keep your workouts to less than 20-minutes in length. You can get a lot done in just 20 minutes if you really push yourself. For that reason, we tend to enjoy HIIT workouts while traveling.

We aim to get in a 20-minute workout every other day while we’re gone. If we exercise more, great! If not, we don’t beat ourselves up.

Put in at least 5 minutes

If you have an extremely busy day ahead and not enough time to break a serious sweat, start your day with 5 minutes of fitness. This is a great way to ensure you get in some exercise each day.

It can be as simple as choosing five exercises and doing each for 60 seconds. But, before you even walk out of your room, get in those 5 minutes!

Here’s a great 5-minute workout you can do anywhere:

• 3 sets of 10 Alternating Reverse Lunges (10 Left, 10 Right)
• 3 sets of 10 Squats or Squat Jumps
• 3 sets of 10 Burpees
• 3 sets of 10 Leg Lowers
• 3 sets of 10 Push Ups
• Finish with a 1-minute Plank

Be active outdoors

One of the easiest ways to get moving while traveling is to make it fun. What better way to break a sweat than being active outdoors?

If you’re heading to the beach, take a Frisbee or toss a Nerf football. Rent a paddle board for a full-body burn or catch some core-crushing waves on a surfboard. Is there a pool? Grab some goggles and swim a few laps. Consider renting a bike for an hour. Maybe go for a daily sunrise or sunset walk and take in the peaceful beauty!

Walk instead of ride

Do you really need to take an Uber to lunch when the restaurant’s only six blocks away? Nope!

Unless you’re physically not capable, it’s unsafe, raining or there’s some other valid reason for not getting your steps in, walk whenever possible. Not only will you burn calories, it’s an ideal way to get an authentic sense of the place you’re visiting. You may never have noticed that little boutique on the corner if you had whizzed by in a car.

Walking isn’t always an option, but when the opportunity presents itself, enjoy it!

Walk instead of ride

Do you really need to take an Uber to lunch when the restaurant’s only six blocks away? Nope!

Unless you’re physically not capable, it’s unsafe, raining or there’s some other valid reason for not getting your steps in, walk whenever possible. Not only will you burn calories, it’s an ideal way to get an authentic sense of the place you’re visiting. You may never have noticed that little boutique on the corner if you had whizzed by in a car.

Walking isn’t always an option, but when the opportunity presents itself, enjoy it!

Throw in some strength

Just two full-body strength training sessions (using weights or your own body-weight) throughout the week can often be enough to allow you to maintain your current levels and hit the ground running when you get back!

Do your best

Do your best, but don’t sweat it too much. Aim for a few short workouts and if you get in more, GREAT! Once you return home, get right back into your regular routine again.

Let’s stay in shape while traveling — together!