It’s that time of the year again; the season that brings happiness, joy and that comes with a lot of eating, drinking and shopping. At this time of the year, it’s typical for most people to ditch their diets or workout routines and just surrender to the pleasures of the season. After all, once the New Year comes, you can easily make a New Year’s resolution to get back in shape and that’ll do it, but you and I know that may not be a very smart move. If the saying “prevention is better than cure” was ever true, then I can guarantee that it is most applicable when it comes to fitness.
If you are a person who works out regularly, this time of the year surely will most likely disturb your whole fitness routine. With frequent partying, travelling and shopping, keeping up with all of these interruptions only make it more difficult to maintain your workout plan. Travel itineraries are usually filled with planned activities and we may not remember to make time for exercise. Add all those busy schedules with decreased physical movement, lowered liquid intake, and sleeping in a different environment, your system soon becomes sluggish, making it easier for you to gain weight within a very short period of time.
Staying fit while traveling during the holiday season is not that easy to pull off, but with a few tips in mind, you’ll be able to incorporate some exercise routines into your travel plans. In this article, I’m going to share with you five easy workout plans you can make while you’re travelling so you can still keep fit and burn calories even when you’re in holiday spirits.
1. Bodyweight workouts
While dumbbells or weight machines can help to increase the impact of your workout, you actually can still make use of your body weight and work out effectively. There are several bodyweight exercises that you can do anywhere and at any time to help you stay fit even when you’re in unfamiliar terrain. Below is a list of five of the most common bodyweight exercise you can adopt immediately into your routine:
- Push-Ups: Helps to give your chest, arms, and core a great workout. The more often you do it, the greater impact it will have on you. You can try changing the position of your hands or feet to make it more intense.
- Body Weight Squats: This is one of the most basic body building workouts. It helps to work your muscles from your back down to your feet. For extra resistance, you could hold onto some extra weight while you do your squats
- Lunges: The lunge helps to work your quadriceps, your glutes and your hamstrings. If you have enough space to try out different types of lunges like the walking lunges or the side lunges, then you can just stick to the simple lunges.
- Crunches: Crunches are also very effective, some people don’t like them but they can help you get your workout on when you need to. You can also hold some light weight above your head for extra resistance while doing it.
- Chair Dips: Helps to give the triceps and shoulders a good workout. You can make use of any chair available or a coffee table or even your bed. Just be creative and improvise if you need to.
2. Travel with light workout equipment.
If you feel your trip will be crammed with lots of activities and you won’t have the time to visit a local gym or use hotel facilities, then travelling with your own home gym is probably a good idea. There are several portable fitness accessories that you can easily travel with and use for your workouts indoors or outdoors.
Accessories like Jump Ropes, Yoga mats and resistance bands are an excellent choice for portable fitness gear that can fit easily into your travel luggage without any hassle. These items take up very little space, but can still provide you with an entire upper and lower body workout routine.
A yoga mat provides a stable, non-slip surface for your hands and feet during workouts or yoga practice. Bands come in a range of strengths so make sure to read the package or try the band out before buying. Jump ropes too are fairly inexpensive and can help you burn calories fast too.
3. Ditch the Cab and Walk.
If you are up for some sightseeing and wouldn’t mind getting a better feel of the environment around you, why not ditch the cab and instead take a walk to that nearby restaurant or grocery store or even just take a walk to nowhere and back.
Walking is always a great way to see a new city and burn some calories in the process and this is something you could do anywhere. Walking is an excellent weight loss workout, and is probably the best way to experience a new place and to take in the atmosphere of wherever you may find yourself.
4. Go for a run
Going for a run is probably the easiest, cheapest, and most reliable way to get in your daily exercise whenever you’re away from home. You just have to plan out your running route before or once you arrive at your destination.
You can also ask your hosts or the people around wherever you are just to make sure before you set out for your run in the wee hours of the morning. Always let your host know you are planning a run, the route you are taking and what time you are expected to be back. That way, they can come looking for you in case you miss a turn and can’t find your way back.
5. Get outside
If the place where you are is safe and pedestrian-friendly, you can just simply get outside to feel the warmth of air around you and that could just be enough to keep you refreshed and energized for the rest of the day or evening.
There is an old saying that even a little exercise is better than nothing, so if you didn’t get the chance to try any of the above workouts throughout the day, find time to go outside for a stroll to just feel the air around you could be enough. Find creative ways to move and stretch your body while you’re at it.
The key to maintaining your fitness while you travel is to be flexible. That way, you can get a little exercise in, no matter what. Don’t stress out too much about missing workouts, I’m sure there are valid enough reasons why you didn’t make it one time, just make sure it doesn’t become a habit.
Loving yourself is the key; If you love yourself you’ll find the time to do what needs to be done no matter how difficult the circumstance.
With Love and gratitude as always, Xo!
To get more ideas and useful tips on other travel workouts you can adopt, get a copy of my eBook. “How to Start from Zero” and discover so many other ideas you can adapt depending on your lifestyle and taste.
There are so many secrets and health tips I shared in the eBook in very practical, relatable, and realistic terms. “How to Start from Zero” will show you how to adopt healthy lifestyle habits and get rid of the bad ones quickly.
Disclaimer: Please note that I am not your doctor while I am a health coach by profession. This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice nor does it establish any kind of medical relationship between you and me. I will not be held liable for any damage resulting from or related to your use of this information.