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I don’t know about you, but traveling tends to throw my body off balance completely. After a long flight or time zone change, I can be tired, have a headache and have gastrointestinal problems for a week. There are only a few things that help: asleep, stay hydratedand keep up with me exercise regime if I can. (I try not to treat my body like hot garbage on vacation, but enjoying good food and drink is something I refuse to give up.)
However, it can be challenging to exercise because there are not always an accessible gym at any given destination. There are size and weight requirements for luggage, whether it’s due to the airline you use, car trunk space, or simply upper body strength limitations. There isn’t much you can do with just bodyweight if you can’t or don’t want to carry all of your exercise equipment with you.
According to an Expedia survey, 53% of Americans (myself included) consider it “very or somewhat important” exercise while traveling. That may look different to everyone, but it may require supplies. While I like to walk as much as I can, walking alone isn’t always enough for me.
“I really love that 10,000 steps a day concept, and I really think it’s worth it,” said Holly Perkins, certified strength and conditioning expert and author of lift to lose weight. “Now, here’s the thing. It’s really kind of a low-intensity activity. You’re not really increasing your heart rate, you’re not really taxing your musculoskeletal system. So I don’t think of it as exercise, but I do think it has value in terms of overall health. And every time I do that, I feel better when I come back from time out.”
If you’re lucky enough to be on the beach, walking or jogging on the sand will give you more fitness benefits, though Perkins isn’t the biggest fan of barefoot running. She recommends more interval walking or jogging in those scenarios.
“Say you walk for two minutes, jog for 30 seconds, or a minute on the beach,” he said. “That would be suitable.”
How to exercise while traveling
Perkins has her travel workout routine to the letter, and she knows what to do when space is limited.
All you need to do is choose five exercises (such as squats, lunges, sit-ups, mountain climbers, burpees, planks, or something else), do two sets of 10 for each and then any type of cardio for five minutes. Repeat that two more times, making three rounds total.
“People generally tend to pick their favorite exercises, or the ones they know best, but pick five exercises at random,” he said. “And then any kind of cardio application, like jumping rope. They could even be jumping jacks. I could be walking. It could be jogging in a small space.”
She finds that people are more likely to do a workout if it involves exercises they already know or like, so it won’t feel as intimidating. For the cardio component, although she doesn’t need any equipment, a jump rope is one of her favorite travel tools.
Anything that gets you up and moving on vacation is better than nothing, according to Perkins, but this kind of simple routine can challenge your body enough to get your heart rate up and reap some real benefits.
There are also many other pieces of exercise equipment that can help you with bodyweight workouts and are small and light enough to travel with. If you’re looking for a little extra help or motivation to stay active on the go, all of this portable gear can be easily packed.
