Traveling Soon? Don’t Forget to Pack Your Workout.

If exercise is part of your life, as it should be, it’s more than likely that you have a routine that you stick to (at least for the most part). Whether that routine involves a local gym or a route that you jog around your neighborhood, travel can throw your whole routine into chaos, making it hard to get your daily workout in, and worse, make it hard for you to readjust to your prior routine after returning home. If you’re going to be traveling this holiday season, bring your workout with you. Here are some simple tips for exercising on the go.

 

Break up long trips

 

If you’re driving a far distance as part of your travel plans, make sure to take relatively frequent breaks from driving. Wear a pair of running shoes while driving, and when you take your breaks go for a short run, jog, or walk. Being sedentary for long periods of time can lead to fatigue and sore muscles and joints.

Everyone hates layovers when flying, right? Well, you shouldn’t. A layover on a long flight is just the thing you need to allow yourself to get up and walk around for a bit. Squeezing through the aisles on a plane doesn’t do much for you, but if you get up to walk around the terminal in an airport during a layover, you can get your blood flowing again and not suffer from being sedentary for too long.

 

Design workouts that can be done anywhere

 

Many hotels have gyms, but many of these gyms may not be equipped with the machines or the heavy weights that you’re used to. Therefore, it’s a good idea to design a workout routine that can be done in your hotel room or outside in a local park. Bodyweight exercises are excellent for travelers. Push-ups, bodyweight squats, lunges, planks, and sit-ups are all great bodyweight exercises. You can also do most aerobic exercises and yoga right in your hotel room. No matter where you travel, it should not be difficult to find a place to go for a run, jog, or walk.

If you’re traveling for pleasure, you may also want to keep your workout routines short (as to not take away from your vacation too much). High-intensity workouts a great for this, since you can get a lot of exercise done in a relatively short period of time.

 

What should you pack?

 

These items are not required for exercising while traveling, but they can be helpful. Feel free to pick and choose what to pack based on what fits your travel routine the best.

• Running shoes
  Running shoes are great to workout with. While you might default to wearing trainers when you exercise, you are more likely to get your exercise in through walking and running, rather than heavy weight lifting when you travel. If you have room to pack both types of shoes, then feel free to pack both, but if you must choose between the two, your running shoes will be more useful in travel.
• Exercise clothing
  This is a must. Pack at least one set of comfortable clothing to exercise in for your trip.
• Yoga or exercise mat
  An exercise or yoga mat will help you do your exercises on the floor of your hotel room in comfort.
• TRX equipment and/or resistance bands
  TRX equipment is suspension straps that allow you to do a full-body, bodyweight workout almost anywhere. The equipment can fit into a lunchbox, so it’s incredibly portable. Resistance bands are also incredibly portable and can be used in a multitude of ways to help you achieve a more complete workout while on the go.
• Swimsuit
  Swimming is an excellent way to work a lot of muscles at once. If you are going to the beach or you will be staying in a hotel that has a pool (and the weather allows for it) pack a swimsuit. Otherwise this is an item that can be left at home.

 

Here’s the bad news

 

Diet is the most important element of a healthy routine. It attributes to 80% of weight-loss, and maintaining a proper diet is what will make your body feel healthy enough to engage in exercise. Don’t allow your vacation to become a vacation from your diet. Feel free to try new things and bend the rules here and there, but keep your diet in mind, and try to stick as closely to it during your time away from home.

It’s important to maintain your healthy routines when you travel, so that you don’t lose your progress and have to start over again when you return home. Access Physical Therapy & Wellness wishes you safe, healthy, and fun travels this holiday season. To assess your current physical condition and for more personalized advice on how to stay healthy while traveling this season, please schedule an appointment with one of our skilled physical therapists by visiting http://www.accessptw.com

Sources:
https://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/4-killer-workouts-for-while-youre-on-holiday-or-vacation
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/exercise/art-20044177
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/stay-fit-while-traveling