staying in shape while abroad (in Russia!) tips? :)

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hausisse
hausisse Posts: 90
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello!! Tips for staying in shape while studying abroad or traveling? Not so worried about food as much as I am about fitness! I'm a group ex instructor now and concerned about staying in shape in a country where I won't know the language and probably won't have access to a gym. I have some ideas (running, jumping rope, pilates) but wondered if anybody else had input!

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  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
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    Oh no, Russia! They have nothing there. I mean, no Olympic lifting, no gymnastics, no runners, no skiing... Just a bunch of balalaika-playing, bear-baiting lazy slobs, the lot of them.


    Okay, seriously, they do have gyms in Russia.

    If you find yourself without access to a gym, you could try the tips here.

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/25/how-to-stay-in-shape-while-traveling/
  • hausisse
    hausisse Posts: 90
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    Hey, I just wanted to make sure I had some options just in case! :p I know that the gym at Moscow State leaves a lot to be desired and that the actual gyms there are pretty expensive (though I'm willing to splurge). I actually saw that blog post, it's really, really good!! Thank you for your input :) I can't help but worry about this lol; I've worked so hard to get where I am :x
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,473 Member
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    drink lots of alcohol,
  • hausisse
    hausisse Posts: 90
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    Водка, да, конечно. спасибо :p
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
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    Hey, I just wanted to make sure I had some options just in case! :p I know that the gym at Moscow State leaves a lot to be desired and that the actual gyms there are pretty expensive (though I'm willing to splurge). I actually saw that blog post, it's really, really good!! Thank you for your input :) I can't help but worry about this lol; I've worked so hard to get where I am :x

    EVERYTHING in Moscow is expensive. It's one of the most expensive cities on the planet, just so you know what to expect :)
  • hausisse
    hausisse Posts: 90
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    I'm not surprised! I imagine it would be like NYC in that way :p Have you been there??? :o
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
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    I'm not surprised! I imagine it would be like NYC in that way :p Have you been there??? :o

    Yes, I have been to both cities. Moscow is worse for prices. They would definitely take Olympic gold in Fleecing.

    I don't have any advice for you as far as going to a gym in Russia--if you are staying at a hotel, you could try to find out in advance if they have any gym facilities. They might; I am sure tourists have asked them the question before. If you are staying with a person, ask him/her to ask a yuppie friend about which gym s/he goes to.

    For free stuff, there is no shortage of playgrounds with pull-up bars, though, or nice parks to run in. And those are still free.
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
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    Водка, да, конечно. спасибо :p
    :-D
    when I studied in st Petersburg for a few weeks, we (a friend and I) stayed with an old lady whose cooking was umm, not very good - plus walking to school and back as well as sight seeing - neither of us gained any weight.
    As for exercise, you can look into body weight routines - the book "you are your own gym" is a good resource, and there is a smartphone app with training plans to go with it...

    Have fun! And don't tell the old lady you're staying with that you like her saljanka a lot - else you won't get anything else to eat for the rest of your stay :-p
  • hausisse
    hausisse Posts: 90
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    I'll be staying in the dorms at Moscow State, and I'm not sure if we as exchange students will have access to the gym there, and I'm sure I'd have to pay to go to a regular Moscow gym, but I'd be willing to splurge, of course. :) Bodyweight exercises are good, and I hear there's a nice nature park right near the univeresity that I could go jogging in! :)

    I plan on printing out a bunch of pilates routines and some different HIIT and plyometrics routines for cardio. I hope to recruit some other people to work out with me- it would be pretty cool to go jogging through the Red Square or something :p Thank you for your input!!!
  • Alpina483
    Alpina483 Posts: 246 Member
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    Well, now is the time of year when gyms here offer deals on memberships, and a lot of them (at least good ones) will offer you a free visit to see if a gym fits you.
    I think X-Fit has a club near Frunzenskaya, not that far from the Uni (by Moscow standards) (http://www.xfit.ru/club/fusion). But I hear it's pricey. Me, I used to go to Planet Fitness near Belorusskaya/Dinamo and Alex Fitness near Kolomenskaya. Alex Fitness was good (and inexpensive), Planet Fitness, not so much.
    Водка, да, конечно. спасибо :p

    You'll do just fine here )))

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