10 WAYS TO KEEP FIT WHILST TRAVELLING
10 ways to stay fit whilst travelling
Heading off travelling sometime soon? Thinking of keeping fit whilst on your travels? Need some inspiration for the best ways to keep fit?
We spent 6 months travelling, and 5 months living in China. We wanted to keep fit, here is how we managed to maintain/keep our fitness whilst we were travelling
1. Sign up to races
As an avid runner, one of my main goals is to currently run and travel the world. So I looked up some races in advance, and we actually based our travels on those countries. At some stages, we had last minute travel plans to a different country, so messaged the event organisers and they allowed us to sign up to the events the week before. All it takes is asking!
This way, you have an end goal. You can keep your training up, as you are training for this particular event or distance.
2. Use a fitness app and take classes
One of the main things I used to keep me sane and keep my fitness up was online workouts. I downloaded the FIIT app, signed up for different workout plans (a choice of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 week plans), which guaranteed I fitted in 4 different workouts a week. All of them 25 or 40 minute classes, so you know you are getting a good amount worth of a workout.
They’ve recently just uploaded over 100 new videos, and lots of new training plans, so you have plenty to choose from. I’ve done yoga, strength, cardio, meditation, and so many more through the app. So it’s always good to do your research of workout apps if you are heading travelling.
*When I first signed up to FIIT, I wasn’t affiliated, but I now am, I have a code for the first month free premium, if you are interested, let me know! The link to the app is not affiliated.
3. Find a class to take when you travel
Have you heard of a new fun class you haven’t done before that you’ve really wanted to do? They may be cheaper when you are travelling, so this would be the perfect time to try it out. We’ve tried yoga in the botanical gardens in Denver, a barre class and hot yoga in Singapore, Pilates in Thailand, swimming sessions in Norway, and so many more. All classes I’ve never done before, especially doing it in a new country!
Everyone is very welcoming, and I’ve never had an issue joining any of the classes. Even if you don’t have the right equipment, pop them a message before you go, most likely they will have spare kit for you (I’m meaning roll mat, or swim hats etc). They’re usually very encouraging as they always want more people to get involved.
4. Walk
It may sound pretty simple, but honestly, walking everywhere will still keep you fit. When we were in China, we tried to walk everywhere we visited, one day clocking almost 50,000 steps up! People often don’t see walking as a way to stay fit, however, it really is still effective for keeping your cardio up, strengthening those muscles, and just getting outside. It’s also a great way to see the local areas rather than relying on transport.
Why not set yourself a challenge? Try and aim to hit a certain amount of steps each day, that way you know you have to get out and about. Even if you’re on a long journey on a bus/train, use that time afterwards to walk around, stretch out your legs and get that fitness maintained.
5. Bike
So walking might not be your jam? You could always go on a bike ride. There are plenty of tours that offer bike rides around local hot spot areas, you could always join one of these. Around certain cities, there are also bikes to hire, where you can choose your own route, and have a great time getting around on the bikes.
6. Book accommodation with a gym/pool
Okay yes, this might be pushing the budget a bit more, but if you want the chance to get a workout in, this might be the best option. Just make sure if you are booking somewhere that says gym, you see the pictures! We did turn up to a few places that literally just had 3 dumbbells sat in the corner of an unconditioned room, but we worked with what we had.
It might mean you get up a little bit early in the morning and head down to that gym, get a good workout in.
7. Drink plenty of water
Hydration is key. My catchphrase, I will always repeat this. You know drinking lots of water is healthy for you, and whilst your travelling, don’t let this drop. It can get quite hard to access water all of the time, so it might be a good time to invest in self-filtering bottles, or aqua drops which clear water of bugs, in order to keep safe and reduce plastic. It is recommended that we consume 3-4 litres of water every day, and this is even more important when you are out and about in hot climates. Drinking water helps control appetite, prevents overeating and can reduces water retention/bloating.
Drinking water will keep you full, hydrated, and might reduce sugar intake from fizzy drinks or shakes.
Hydration is key
8. Take the stairs!
If you’re planning on travelling around Asia/South East Asia – you will definitely see that there are escalators/lifts everywhere. Even in China, people would purposely wait an extra 10 minutes for the lift, so they didn’t have to walk down the stairs.
Stair climbing is a great workout, and really gets those muscles working, making it a perfect chance to keep fit.
9. Take gear with you
Make sure you keep fit by taking some gear with you, even if its running trainers, workout outfits, or a small pack of resistance bands – carrying them around with you whilst you are travelling will really give you the motivation to use them. After all, you don’t want to have spent 6 months carrying them around and not actually use it?
I packed myself some resistance bands and did a few workouts using them, I followed some YouTube videos and FIIT videos in order to maintain my fitness.
10. Enjoy yourself!
I’m sure you will see plenty of blogs telling you to eat healthy, watch what you’re doing, and to monitor everything. However, you’re on a trip of a lifetime, so make sure you have that perfect balance.
Yes, you can always go and just have vegetables/salads when you’re out, but make sure you do let yourself have fun, and enjoy your food. You can always work out 15 times a day, but also you want to go out and see new places and enjoy your life.
So make sure as well as focusing on keeping fit, you are also focusing on having fun!
So there you have it, a few tips and tricks to keep fit whilst travelling. Just remember exercise/keeping fit should relieve stress and be fun, not create stress! Just relax and enjoy your time.
I used a couple of these tricks to keep fit, and keep in mind, I did lose my muscle yes, but I did maintain my fitness. It works different for everyone, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Travelling is a gift, and so is our fitness, so we need to enjoy them as much as possible.
Let me know if you’ve got any other tips/hints as well for when you go travelling.
Stay safe everyone!
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