The very things that make traveling so restorative and endearing, are those that send fitness routines tumbling. With all the unfamiliar and exciting things of travel demanding your attention, you end up with less brain space to think about how, where or when to work out. Instead, it’s all about: What do I eat? What should I see today? Wait, is there even somewhere to work out at? Will I be safe? And voila! Before you know it, you've put on 5, 10 or 15 pounds and your health spirals out of control.
The mission of Luxury Travel Docs is to inspire and help you to make MEANINGFUL and HEALTHY travel happen! Workouts don't have to be perfect, you don't need to look perfect and you should make exercise a part of your travel routine just like brushing your teeth! Even if you're not a pro or traveling far away internationally, you can and should continue your fitness routine!
Here is how we approach our fitness goals when we travel, and none of these things means carrying anything more than one set of workout clothes and sneakers:
Sure it is simple to think that when traveling you will just walk everywhere, or go for a run, but then you get there and you're not sure what to do. Here are some tips to help with these simple things like walking to your destination or planning runs or walks to stick with your training plans.
- Join groups on Facebook to ask for ideas about your destination. LTD has the LuxuryTravelGroup where questions can be asked. We also belong to other travel groups like Global Women's running club, Women who travel, Travel Community. Questions come up all the time asking for running or walking buddies at destinations, healthy eating options, routes, parks etc.
- If staying at a luxury hotel, ask the concierge for information about fitness opportunities nearby. See our recent interview of head concierge at the Langham Hotel in London.
- Use GoogleMaps to route walking routes to your desired sightseeing locations before you leave and download the map for offline use when you arrive.
- When you treat the world itself as endless fitness possibilities, you start to see that you can use a tree branch for pull-ups, stairs for bear crawls, a bench for step-ups, and so on. You feel like a child again just looking for ways to push the boundaries of the possible. You can experiment and try things, and because you’re a kid, you don’t care if it’s not perfect. You’re just happy to be laughing, playing, and testing your body in new environments. This idea of whimsy helped a gym rat like me have fun with fitness again. It became more than a personal obligation. It was more like a challenge to move my body through and within the world.
2. Your Hotel Room is Your Gym
When you're on the road, sometimes you just want some peaceful time in your room. But your room is a great place to get in a workout and all you need for most workouts is enough space to fit you when lying down. We have several workouts that we perform in our hotel room and in this time of technology there aren't any excuses for why you can't find a routine to exercise in your hotel room! Here are some ideas that work for us. Some of these options are free (most require a subscription or membership for a fee) and all of these can be used offline if you do not have an internet connection:
- BodyFit by Amy on YouTube has workouts that could be performed in your hotel room or at the hotel gym
- Yoga with Adriene on YouTube has so many yoga options and all you need is a towel and a pillow usually. Sometimes hotels will have yoga mats if you ask.
- Tone and Tighten on YouTube has lots of great strengthening workouts like planks
- SaraBeth Yoga on YouTube has so many yoga options and all you need is a towel and a pillow usually. Sometimes hotels will have yoga mats if you ask.
- Beachbody on Demand App The best thing about Beachbody on Demand is how it can be streamed on your iPhone, iPad, laptop, Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast or Apple TV but can work offline too. This instant streaming makes it a perfect choice for anyone who travels frequently and wants the flexibility to continue the same workouts at home.
- Headspace for Meditation Don't forget about your mental health too! This is great if you are one of the many who suffers from jet lag!
- Sworkit App Sworkit provides users with a tough workout in as little as five minutes using guided video exercises and personalized regimens based on your goals.
Do you find that your clothes become unbearable to be around after you workout??? We like to rinse our clothes out in the sink and let them dry overnight on a hanger near the air conditioner. Our favorite travel detergent is Tide Sink Packets. They are easy to carry and use. Please click the photo below to support our blog and learn more at Amazon. Thank you so much!
3. The Hotel Gym is Your Gym
According to a survey on hotel amenities by the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, 782 hotel guests polled over an eight week period at 33 different properties within a single (unnamed) hotel chain.
Here are the results: 46% said they planned to use the gym but only 22% actually did! This is confirmed by a poll of our own Luxury Travel Group.
There was a time when the hotel "fitness center" was nothing more than a dimly-lit closet with a treadmill and two dumbbells. Thankfully, those days are fading into the past. While there are a few hotels that haven't kept pace with our more health-conscious priorities, most are now racing to court fitness-minded travelers by building bigger and fancier gyms. And some of them are better than the gym you work out at home. They might even be worth booking a trip just to visit them like the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage in Palm Springs. We even suggest contacting the hotel directly to ask them about their hotel gym. You may find out a lot by talking to the manager, the concierge or desk attendant, such as tidbits about the gym or gyms with which the hotel has a relationship like we did with the Langham London! This is even more important if you are training for a specific race, like a marathon or triathlon and need information about running routes or pools nearby.
Traveling with children?
We know that traveling with children is beneficial for us and our children in many ways, but he obvious benefit of exercising with your children on vacation are: Happiness, Health, Brain Development, and Time! Encourage children to exercise with you wherever you decide to exercise!
Bottom Line:
We understand, vacation is supposed to be a time to relax and enjoy yourself. Often touring, eating and drinking are top priorities, along with laying around on the beach or by the pool and doing nothing.
But here's the thing. For many of us, working out is what relaxes us. It's what we do for stress relief. It helps with jet lag. It makes us feel better, physically and mentally. Taking that away from our daily routine would not be a vacation at all. So if you think we're freaks for using, the world as our gym, our hotel room as our gym or simply use the hotel gym, so be it. But we're doing what we want to be doing and spending our vacation exactly how we wish to AND we get to eat and drink more without guilt!
Remember, if you have questions related to your health, always consult your doctor or medical professional. The information presented here is informative only and is not medical advice.
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