How to Stay on Top of Your Fitness While Travelling | H4 Training

Sep21How to Stay on Top of Your Fitness While Travelling

 

Whether you travel for fun or for business, I think we can agree that travelling can put a dent in your current fitness routine. Taking a week or two off of training every now and then for vacationing or for a business trip is fine, but why not try to workout while you’re out? Well, sometimes that’s easier said then done. If you’re lucky, the hotel you stay at might have a half-decent gym – which means it has a few pairs of moderately heavy dumbbells, a Bosu ball, and a treadmill or two.

So how does one stay fit while on the road? In this post we’ll share some good tips for staying fit while travelling.

 

Use What You Have

 

Remember that hotel gym? Even if it has subpar equipment (which even the best hotels might have), you can still get a decent workout in.

If the weights are heavy enough, there are some ways to make them heavier:

  • Increase time under tension. Make the rep last longer, and move like a turtle!
  • Add pulsing reps. This essentially is like doing an extra “mini” rep within the entire repetition.
  • Try single limb exercises. Squats too easy with that 20 pound dumbbell? Do lunges, or single leg squats to make it more challenging.
  • Do high reps. Doing higher reps may not be best for absolute strength, but they’re still a great method of training, especially if you’re limited on equipment.

What you also have, no matter where you go: your own bodyweight! Bodyweight exercises can still be challenging in their own right, especially if you get creative. You can get a lot out of traditional bodyweight movements, especially for conditioning. If you want some examples, take a gander at our YouTube channel.

 

Use Portable Equipment

 

Beyond using your own bodyweight, there are some external pieces of lightweight equipment that are super portable, and bang-for-your-buck.

Bands.

Bands are super portable and easy to use. You might already have some; although, they are usually reserved for lighter and easier movements. But who said you can’t use bands for main strength movements? All you really need are extra heavy duty bands. Below are some links to brands that offer a wide range of resistance and optional tools (and are pretty inexpensive too):

Sliders.

Grabbing a cheap pair of furniture sliders is an easy way to add some more variety in your workouts and expand your exercise selection, as you can do things like hamstring curls, rollouts, push-up variations, and more with these minimal pieces of equipment. If you wanted dedicated exercise sliders, just peruse the many options that you have on Amazon. Either way, it’s an inexpensive and very portable option that you can take with you on your trips.

Straps/Rings.

These are slightly more bulkier but still very portable options. IF you have something to hang them from, you can bring some TRX straps or gymnastic rings if you have them. These pieces of equipment are great for a variety of movements, ranging from beginner to advanced. Even if you aren’t travelling, they would be a great investment for a home gym. While TRX is a name brand, there are tons of cheaper (and lower quality) options online. For rings, Rogue Fitness makes some high quality sets.

 

Use Your Luggage

 

No extra equipment, or a local fitness area? Use your luggage! While it make not be extremely heavy (depending on how you pack it) you can use your luggage for your workouts. For an example, check out this workout we did with just a backpack and some books (you could use anything for weights).

 

Get Outside

 

Even if you don’t do your traditional strength workouts while travelling, getting outside and doing some some activity will be much better than doing nothing. If you’re on a vacation, get outside and take part in the local outdoor activities like hiking, biking, swimming, etc. If you’re on a business trip, try to get in some outdoor activity on your off hours. No matter where you’re located, it’s very possible to get outside and get some physical activity.

 

Where There is Will, There is A Way

No matter where you are, what you’re doing, it’s still possible to stick to a fitness regimen. It might not always be perfect, but staying active should still be a priority! Once you come back, it’ll be easier to get back on track and continue towards your goals.