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How to Workout and Stay in Shape During Holiday Travel

People can’t wait to get those holiday breaks and travel fun. They look at these events as a way to just lay about and soak up the sun rays and wolf down the delicacies. Then later upon returning home they’ll find themselves out of wind or have put on the extra pounds.

working out while travelling

It doesn’t have to be this way, as with some determination and time, you can exercise and have fun during traveling and not be miserable.

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First Things First

safey first

First thing is always to make sure your doctor knows what you’re doing. Certain locations might call for changes in exercises and you want to make sure that you can do the right exercises while playing about as well as have access to the right nutrition.

It shouldn’t take long to get the green light from your doctor if you’ve been visiting regularly and following orders. When all is good, you’ll be good to go.

Research Where You’re Going

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Before you head out on your travels, take the time to research where you intend to go. This way you’ll be able to plan which kinds of exercise activities you’ll be able to do.

If you’re going to a mountainous area, look for trails you can jog or walk or cycle along. Each region has its appeal, as well as safety measures. You don’t want to go hiking in Alaska where there are giant extra hungry bears. You want to go somewhere to relax and enjoy yourself and do so safely.

If you’re headed to an area that adjoins a good water source like a lake or ocean, there’s tons of good exercise fun you can engage in while you see the sights and. Make sure there’s a lifeguard there and just because you see others swimming about or kayaking, it doesn’t mean it’s safe or legal. Look for the signs that should instruct you as to what you can and cannot do.

If you’re confused, there is usually a nearby municipal office that you can call. If you’re at a hotel with an Olympic sized pool, you’re in good hands as there will be people looking out for you and you can measure your performance.

Forests And Exercise

exercise in the forest mensanswer.com

Many people love to go camping. There’s lots of activity but if you intend to go for a week or more, you’ll have to exercise someway. Aside from regular calisthenics, you might take up jogging or walking along the trails. Again, be cautious.

A fast moving object might attract the attention of animals who might feel thr3etented at your presence. Also, if you’re unfamiliar with the flora and fauna, you want to avoid running into bee or wasp hives or crashing through some irritating foliage like poison ivy or poison sumac. You want to exercise and enjoy your vacation and not turn into some comedic figure running through the woods with a swarm of bees hot on your tail.

Being facetious, if you have a swarm of bees chasing you, you’ll get the workout of your life for sure!

Hotel Gyms

working out in a hotel gym

Many hotels have gymnasiums. It’s a great way to workout and meet new people. You can use the gym and its fitness coaches to plan a daily regimen to keep yourself in shape. Check the amenities of where you’re going to stay and if there is no gym there, see if the gym you’re used to going to has a franchise in the area, especially if you travel out of your country.

If there is no gym nearby then try finding a gym that will take you on during your stay. It’s a sure thing that some gyms have those weekly or one month memberships. Always check for discounts too so you don’t get into situations where you would have to pay an arm and a leg just to workout.

What’s Part Of The Scenery

new york park

As you would look for tails and swimming sources, some cities have other ways to workout. Some have challenging stairways or long boardwalks. Peruse the region you’re headed to see if there’s anything like this. Walking or a short jog will keep you moving in the right direction. You’ll also be in the public view so if something happens badly, you’re sure to be spotted and help will arrive shortly.

Finding familiar institutions that have gyms is a good thing too. If you’re traveling in an area where the church you go to has a church nearby, call to see if they have a gym. Many churches do and you can grab a membership while vacationing and take some time to worship as well.

If All Else Fails

If you find yourself in an area that doesn’t accommodate your exercise goals, you’ll have to resort to taking things into your own hands, literally.

Doing exercises without a gym while on vacation is easy. We’ll look at some exercises anyone who is in decent health can do right in their own hotel room or any place you’re holed up for the travel holiday.

1-Push-ups. Push-ups are a great way to start. Do about three sets of ten to twenty. That will get yu all warmed up and get an upper body workout. Push-ups also help to straighten out the spine. You won’t go slack while on vacation if you do some push-ups.
2-Squats. Just squat down and rise up is easy. Do about three sets of ten and you should be good to go. You’ll have your circulation pumping and get your wind going well.
3-Lunges. One legged lunges will be just as good as squats. You’ll enhance your balance and get a good cardio workout.
4-Jumping Jacks. Depending on where you are, you might be able to do some jumping jacks. A good five minutes of jumping jacks will be good cardio and get your legs in shape easily.
5-Sit-ups and crunches. These ab exercises are a real challenge and they’re relatively easy to do. If you’re at a hotel, ask for a mat or just use a towel and spread it on the floor. Do three sets of ten to twenty and you’ll get that metabolism going and abs on fire.
6-Isometrics. Isometrics is an old but still effective way of giving yourself a muscle building workout. There are tons of videos and tutorials on how to perform the isometric exercises. You can learn in a day. Once you’ve got them under your hat, you’ll be able to do them just about anywhere.
7-Stairs. Look around for a good flight of stairs that isn’t busy with traffic. Running up stairs or doing up-stair lunges will wear you out. It may look easy, but after 3 sets you’ll probably need to take a rest. Stairs will get those excess calories burning right from the start.
8-Yoga. Yoga is a fitness regimen that you can do just about anywhere. Just set yourself up in your hotel room and go with the flow. A good hour of yoga not only works the body’s systems right but is relaxing as well. A good way to warm up or cool down if you’ve got a busy day ahead.

These are just a few of the exercises you can do while traveling if you’ve no outdoor venue or gymnasium available.

Use What’s Available For Exercise

You don’t have to have a set place and time to exercise while traveling. If you’re on a bus or train you can do some simple exercises while you’re waiting to arrive at your destination. Take into mind that other people may be around and you don’t want to go into some elaborate routine that might injure someone.

Look for simple things to do like squats or calf raises. Every little bit helps and you’ll be keeping your metabolism cooking which of course, burns off those calories even while asleep.

You can simply use a simple free workout app, we highly recommend Obstacle workout.

Diet And Nutrition

clean diet

Because you’re on vacation or traveling, you’ll probably overdo it with the food and drink. This is what gets people into excess fat trouble. They sit around of r a week or two stuffing their faces and wonder why by the time they return home they can’t fit into any of their clothes. This leads ot a mad dash to the gym and engaging in twice as many exercises than normal.

Eating right is an amor part of your traveling fitness and exercise routine. If visiting family and friends, they’ll normally pile on the servings of ethnic or cultural foods that might be too high in calories, especially in America. Visiting family and friends in America while traveling can bring you to put on quite a few pounds as you know the food is delicious and you have to clean your plate lest you offend someone.

Eat smart. Just like you would do at home. Smaller portions several times a day. That new dish at the restaurant or local bistro can be tempting, but just don’t dig in. Ask questions if you can and be polite about it. You’ll find in a short time that you’ll know what to eat and how to eat it so you won’t need to kill yourself later in the gym.

Final Word On Exercising While Traveling

As you can see there are several ways to exercise while traveling. Just keep your wits about you and good common sense and you’ll solve the exercising problem relatively easy. You’ll have a great time wherever you go and be fit as a fiddle too.

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About George Allen

George Allen – Author – An AFPA Certified holistic and preventative nutrition professional. George is a well known exercise physiology and sports nutrition expert, the co-founder of MensAnswer.com.
Syracuse University graduate: bachelor’s degree in nutrition/dietetics (B.S.) and a master’s degree in nutrition science with a concentration in counseling (M.A.)
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