How to Incorporate your Workout Routine While Traveling

When I’m traveling, I have this insane societal acceptance to overindulge because “I’m on vacation”. A lot of people travel for work. So, for 8 hours of the day, they’re doing business and then enjoying the rest of their stay. This is what I’m doing right now, and why I thought a post on How to Incorporate your Workout Routine While Traveling would be useful to others. Especially now that WFH can be considered anywhere!

Personally, this topic has been a struggle for me in the past.

Now that I’m blogging more, a large part of traveling is work. Fun work, but never the less… work. Meaning, I’ve had to blend my daily life into my explorations.

Depending on your lifestyle, this can be really easy or difficult. Choosing your health and wellness over splurging can be tough, but not impossible!

How to Incorporate your Workout Routine While Traveling

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How to Incorporate your Workout Routine While Traveling

I’ve found that the best way to work out is to either: continue with a routine you already have or create a new routine while on the road.

Example: I can’t travel with my weight lifting set. Hotel gyms aren’t generally stocked with the right equipment. Thus, my M, W, F Bodypump classes are shot. Yet, I can utilize hotel cardio machines/dumbbell sets.

Keeping your At-Home routine vs Creating a New Routine (Specific for Travel)

Incorporating your workout routine is going to depend on the type of workout routine you have at home. Sometimes, you don’t get an option when you’re traveling. So, you’ve got to get creative (see Stay Active for examples).

If you’re back at the gym, you’re going to need access to a lot of equipment. If you’ve permanently converted to an ‘at-home’ regimen, cardio will depend on the weather. Either way, you need to compromise and be patient with what you have.

A reminder: traveling doesn’t always go our way.

It’s wild business, and you might not be able to stick to a certain time/schedule. However, you can set practical goals for yourself.

Realistic Goals to set:

Workout 1-4x a week
Active activities 2x a week (kayaking, local 5k, etc)
Start every morning with 30 mins of movement (running, yoga, stretching)
A strength challenge (100 squats a day, plank challenge, etc)

_{Pro-tip: I love using Strava to log all of my workouts. It keeps me on track and makes sure I hit all of my goals.}

Workout Options While Traveling

As mentioned above, getting creative can be important while incorporating your workout routine into travel. However, there are tons of great options if you plan to trek through major cities.

Gyms

Personally, I have a gym membership. They recently downsized and are now far and few between. Definitely do your research on gyms to make sure they’re in places you want to visit.

Fortunately, almost every 3 star+ hotel has a private gym. Early morning or late in the evening were the best times to go. On my recent trip, I would get there at 7:30 am and have the whole place to myself. It was amazing and totally worth the price of the hotel. Especially because every other option was out of my travel budget.

Digital Memberships

If you’re an Airbnb, vrbo, etc type of person, it might be easier to invest in an at-home or virtual membership. There are so many videos and apps out there. I actually have a post on Free Ways to Workout at Home (or While Traveling). My favorites are the Alo app and PopSugar’s fitness channel on youtube. Sometimes all you need is 30 minutes of HIIT and you’re done for the whole day.

Community Classes

When I’m on the road, I love throwing myself into the community. I eat local, shop local and I support the community as much as I can. After all, it’s their home I’m exploring, not the other way around. So, when you’re in a new town, consider signing up for their workout classes too.

I do this often. On a recent trip to upstate New York, I took a yoga class. I love comparing studios, classes, teaching techniques, etc but I also love that no one class will be the same. I once took a yoga class in London and had one of the best flows of my life.

Easy to Pack Workout Equipment

_{Disclaimer: The following post has Amazon affiliates links. If clicked and purchased, a small percent will go toward On the Trip Side. Thank you for your continual support!}

Stay Active

Another goal is to simply stay active. I recognize that I’m a different breed when it comes to working out. I need to work out, in order to be a happy functional member of society. Others don’t need it as much as I do. Some days a 2-hour walking tour and renting a bike to ride from one end of a new city to the other is enough.

Examples of ways to stay active: