If you’re one of the thousands of people who live life out on the road, you may find it’s quite difficult to keep up with your workout. You can’t necessarily take your equipment with you. Not to mention, traveling takes a lot out of a person, so it can be incredibly difficult to remain motivated on any workout regime.
There are several steps you can take to stay ahead of the game, even when stuck in your hotel room. All it takes is a little ingenuity and a will to succeed and you’ll be working out in no time! Jet Lag or no jetlag.
Step #1: Take Advantage of Hotel Amenities
Believe it or not, a lot of hotels, especially the larger chains, are prepared to take care of ALL their customer’s needs. They have pools, restaurants, bars, and even a fitness room! Many come with stationary bikes, treadmills, and everything else you need to stay in shape while away from home. It will pay to do your research ahead of time to find the hotels that can meet your needs.
Step #2: Gym Membership
If you have access to transportation, such as a rental car or are able to hail a cab, there are several gym memberships that allow you to visit ANY gym in their network. For example, Planet Fitness has a Black Card membership which lets you not only bring in friends to work out with you for free, but gets you in the door at every Planet Fitness in the world. So if you enjoy having a gym membership and find yourself traveling to the same areas, it wouldn’t hurt to look for a gym where you could work out at both places.
Step #3: Swimming Laps
Swimming is perhaps the greatest workout there is. You can work every muscle in your body and burn a tremendous amount of calories without stressing out your joints. Lucky for you, just about every hotel has a pool for your convenience. Even the less-than-desirable motels have pools. If you’re headed to a cold winter climate, be sure to check ahead of time for indoor pools that let you get your swim on.
Step #4: Going for a Walk
There’s no better workout substitution than going for a nice walk. You may not know the city or town you’re stuck in, but odds are, you’re in a hotel with long hallways and stairways. It’s safe and more than capable of pumping up your heart rate. If you don’t feel comfortable going for a walk in the hotel, perhaps there’s a mall or shopping center near where you’re staying. Those are great locations to burn off a big meal.
Step #5: Workout in Your Room
If you bring a computer with you on the road, do you have enough space in your bag to add a few workout DVDs? Space in your room may be limited, but that shouldn’t prevent you from being able to do some light workout or even strike a few Yoga poses. If the room doesn’t have a DVD player, you can buy a small portable one or just stick it in your computer to watch. Also, if you have internet access, you can watch free workout videos on YouTube.
Step #6: Lightweight Equipment
Unless you have ZERO room in your bag, there are a few small pieces of workout equipment you can take with you. But some take up virtually no space at all. For example, resistance bands. They are nothing more than a large rubber band that provide resistance equal to lifting weights and building muscle. If you do have the room, you can get arm and ankle weights. Every little bit helps.
