Greetings from New York, New York!
I’m ecstatic to be back in the city that stole my heart three years ago and experiencing it from an entirely different perspective as a tourist rather than a resident.
This trip has turned into a sort of “test run,” if you will. Because I didn’t blog half as much as I do now when I was traveling in South America earlier this year, I’m having to learn how to balance work and play–fulfilling all my obligations while still enjoying my time in an exciting location.
But as you may have guessed from the title, this post is about that OTHER thing I’ve failed to balance in my past travels…
Keeping up a fitness routine.
I was under the illusion that my long days spent wandering through cities and sporadic intense hiking trips would be enough to keep me from blowing up like a whale on the road.
This only turned out to be partially true–I didn’t gain a noticeable amount of weight (at least to any of my friends back home; I did gain some), but I could feel that my body had changed (I lost muscle mass, for instance) and I felt run-down and tired by the end of my trip.
For someone who’s always been a bit of a gym bunny, I was extremely disappointed in myself and knew something had to change the next time around.
I realize now that the barriers to staying fit on the road are merely perceived (unlike the very real barriers to healthy eating on the road).
I was never lacking for time, space, or resources to work out; I usually only lacked that little bit of motivation to get started.
I want to disprove some of the myths about what it takes to stay fit while traveling and hopefully arm you with some creative ideas to utilize what’s available to you, regardless of your location and circumstances.
“I don’t have the time.”
First of all, WRONG! If you have 10 minutes to spend browsing Facebook in the morning when you wake up, you have time for a workout.
There is a misconception that workouts have to be long to be effective, and this is simply not true. Ever heard of high-intensity interval training (aka HIIT)? These workouts, often requiring little-to-no equipment, keep you active and working hard for anywhere from 5-20 minutes.
Getting your heart rate up in this way increases your calorie burn for longer after the fact, too, compared to low-intensity workouts.
Since I’ve been home from my travels I’ve started going for short runs in the mornings, no longer than 12-14 minutes, but at a quick pace. I’ve not only lost the weight I gained in South America, but I’m probably in better shape than before I left.
New York is rife with great places to run too, so I went for a short jog along the Hudson this morning and I still have the entire day to spend as I please.
“I don’t have any equipment.”
This is the worst excuse ever because plenty of workouts don’t even require shoes.
Last I checked, there were tons of ways to move your body that did not require equipment.
This includes pushups, crunches, lunges, gettin’ your groove on (interpret that as you will), tricep dips, wall sits, yoga, swimming, running on the beach, etc, etc, so forth and so on.
No gym is necessary for a workout, nor is an elliptical, weights, or anything else you might not have access to while traveling. Improvisation goes a long way, too–fill up some 1-liter water bottles and BAM! Instant free weights.
Here are some body weight workouts from Men’s Fitness to get you started if you need some more ideas.
There are also a few handy pieces of equipment that are super small, lightweight and inexpensive that you actually CAN travel with, namely resistance bands and jump ropes.
Of course, a good pair of running shoes is a good place to start.
“I don’t have any space to work out.”
Perhaps in some cities, this is a legitimate concern. Running outdoors may not be safe for a variety of reasons (traffic, crime, etc.) and if there is no gym nearby, where can you go?
If you’re staying in shared accommodation like a hostel you may have to swallow your pride and workout right there in your dorm room. Not ideal, especially if you’re the modest type, but this IS an option.
Many forms of exercise (like the body weight workouts above, or yoga) require very little space, usually no more than the size of a yoga mat. If you don’t even have THAT much space, well, I’m slightly concerned for your safety.
Even something as simple as a staircase can be turned into an impromptu gym; scope out your surroundings and it’s likely you’ll find something that will do the trick.
The world wide web is an amazing fitness resource as well, and tons of apps have been developed for smartphones to help busy people meet their fitness goals.
Here are some more ideas from around the internet to log away for your next big trip so you don’t let your health fall by the wayside:
The 5 Best Running Apps for Smartphones
High-Intensity Interval Training Workouts
The 65 Best Health and Fitness Apps of 2014
To make a short story long, all it takes to stay fit on the road is a little creativity and the determination to JUST DO IT.
My goal is to squeeze in a short workout most days (5 or 6) while traveling, even if I already have something active planned for that day. I challenge you to do the same and keep me posted on the results.
Do you make fitness a priority on the road? What are some of the ways you stay fit?
