working out while traveling

annastasia_82
annastasia_82 Posts: 940 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone have any tips on good ways to fit in a work out when you are away from home? I travel for work and don't always get to stay at a hotel with a gym. I was thinking about bringing some resistance bands with me, and possibly a work out dvd (but that only works if I'm on the ground floor).

Replies

  • caroldavison332
    caroldavison332 Posts: 864 Member
    You can power walk around the city. You can run up and down stairs. You can do dvds in hotel rooms. They aren't so flimsy that you will annoy your neighbors. You can find the type of weights that you fill with water, exercise with and then empty so they are light enough to pack in your bag. However I believe that the sit up, push up, etc type exercises will provide a good enough work out to not carry even water weighted weights.
  • caroldavison332
    caroldavison332 Posts: 864 Member
    I forgot to mention, scout out the grocery with roasted chicken for dinner, soup, and salad. Purchase hard boiled eggs from 7-11. Bring bags of nuts and dried fruit. I also traveled with a small pyrex bowl and made my own oatmeal daily. If they have a buffet, eat the fruit. Drink water.
  • annastasia_82
    annastasia_82 Posts: 940 Member
    Thank you. I usually find some kind of park to go hiking in and typically make my own lunches and sometimes make salad for dinner. It gets hard when my bosses have me go to dinner with them.
  • caroldavison332
    caroldavison332 Posts: 864 Member
    Select a broiled entree. Double vegetables no carb. Club soda. I invest my calories in the good stuff.
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
    If you know the hotel you are going to, use google maps to find a near by gym. Also, if you are part of a chain gym you may be able to find one near by.

    First thing I do after booking my hotel is see what gyms are in the area.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Many hotels have deals with local gyms. Some have running routes and a select few offer guided runs. When the hotel your company books doesn't offer those, resistance bands and mapping out a walk/run route before departing are a smart way to go.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    ^ Brian is right. Many hotels -- and even motels -- have deals arranged with local gyms. So be sure to talk with the desk. Don't just look for an exercise room and give up.
    Many gyms allow you to pay a daily fee too.
  • scubasuenc
    scubasuenc Posts: 626 Member
    Nerdfitness.com has a hotel room workout that is done using body weight.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    here is a twenty minute hotel work out. http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/12/20/the-20-minute-hotel-workout/

    there are also a few things you can buy, like resistance bands and a jump rope. you can also go for a run, and scope out a playground to do some calisthenics at.
  • rdsxfn
    rdsxfn Posts: 58 Member
    I bring the bands and P90X3 DVDs. Sometimes if I don't want to bring the bands with me I just make sure that I bring workouts for my trip where I won't need bands. My week may not follow the P90X3 schedule but it all gets done.
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    Here's what I do:
    1.) I try to book hotels with fitness centers.
    2.)If they don't have one onsite, I ask the front desk for where they refer people and I go.
    3.) I also used to keep a Planet Fitness black card membership for this purpose and it worked well for me.
    4.) I bring my running shoes and go for a run outside
    5.) I did the 30 day shred in my hotel in a pinch a few times
    6.) I also attempted the 100 pushup app during weeks of business trips

    I travel 75%+ of the time and never bring my lunch/dinner/breakfasts.
  • kwvogel
    kwvogel Posts: 10 Member
    All of the "Insanity" routines (the original Insanity), and several T25 and P90X3 routines can be done in a hotel room with no equipment (you may need to rearrange the room a bit, but you can usually find a way to make it work!). For yoga, get a travel yoga mat (one that is thin enough to fold is easiest to deal with) and check out Yoga Short and Sweet (Travis Eliot) or Bryan Kest's Power Yoga. Load all of these onto your laptop (or even your phone) and you're good to go.

    Agree with the other comments about bringing along your own instant oatmeal (if there's a coffee maker in the room, you have hot water!) and fruit. If there's a fridge/minibar find some greek yogurt at a convenience store or even at the airport after you land. I also bring pre-dispensed 1-oz bags of almonds and raisins.
  • CoachDreesTraining
    CoachDreesTraining Posts: 223 Member
    These are good. You can do a ton of different exercises with them.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzXOz8Sx_IA
  • mariabee
    mariabee Posts: 212 Member
    Youtube.com

    Endless hotel/travel workouts.

    Try:
    ZuzkaLight
    Sarah Fit
    FitnessBlender
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    It gets hard when my bosses have me go to dinner with them.

    You don't want to miss the opportunity to have dinner with your bosses- it can help all of you work better as a team, and sometimes things get discussed in the relaxed atmosphere of a restaurant meal that don't get discussed in the office, so you need to be there. You can deal with this. Always ask for dressing on the side If you order a salad. Consider ordering two appetizers, one that's lean protein and one that's almost zero calories (roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli) instead of an entrée. I love wine so I always have a glass or two at dinner, and if they order dessert I just enjoy the last of my glass of wine. It's still got calories, but certainly not as much as a slice of cheesecake!
  • ES110791
    ES110791 Posts: 43 Member
    Running outside is an amazing way to explore a new city. You can see most of the city in a very short amount of time. I went to Paris recently and ran past every single tourist sight in one morning, it was incredible!

    If you can't do that, a skipping rope is always a good idea. Small and easy to pack, and can give you a good workout in a short amount of time.
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    Running outside is an amazing way to explore a new city. You can see most of the city in a very short amount of time. I went to Paris recently and ran past every single tourist sight in one morning, it was incredible!

    Yeah, I'm not a great fan of running (I'm 61 and it beats up my body), but I've had some great runs in my travels when a hotel gym wasn't available and/or the weather was nice. Many times I've found places I wanted to check out later- it's sort of a "speed-dating" survey of the area.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Invest in the book Convict Conditioning by Paul Wade.
    He writes the book as if he was stuck in jail.
    It's literally all you need to get in shape.
  • Orion782
    Orion782 Posts: 391
    DVD only works when you're on the ground floor? I do my workout DVD's when I'm on the road all the time, doesn't matter what floor I'm on...
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    bump
  • 99clmsntgr
    99clmsntgr Posts: 777 Member
    Well, it depends on what you like to do. But there's all kinds of body-weight exercises you can do in your room. Add in a little sprinting if you're outside for some HIIT.

    If you make it to a park and want have a good workout, try this one: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/04/12/playground-workout/

    Or just make it up as you go along. There's nothing that says a workout has to be a strict regiment. "Playtime" workouts are just as much exercise as sticking to a script.

    And you can always ask the desk clerk or whomever you're traveling to visit it they know of a place to get a good hike or run in. They may turn you on to some local place that you otherwise may have missed.
  • blackcloud13
    blackcloud13 Posts: 654 Member
    Pressups, running, pressups, situps, pressups, squats.

    Also pressups! :-)

    On my most recent trip, did a lot of stretching, which I tend to neglect usually - that worked well for me
  • LKW59
    LKW59 Posts: 28
    bumping
  • MelMoly
    MelMoly Posts: 1,303 Member
    I use DvD workouts for on the go! I also have an app on my phone :) super easy
  • toronto_j
    toronto_j Posts: 206 Member
    Some hotels have fitness TV channels where you can order a workout on demand, or an exercise kit you can borrow from the front desk. Also agree with the suggestions of bringing your own DVDs, doing a body weight workout (try the You Are Your Own Gym books, DVDs and app for phone or tablet), going for a run or walk and checking out a local gym. I have to travel this weekend and I will be missing yoga so I'm doing a drop-in at a studio that's close to my hotel. If the weather's nice, maybe rent a bike/do bikeshare or do some other fun physical activity that isn't the gym?
  • jjsemm
    jjsemm Posts: 3
    I travel a lot for work right now. In the morning I do 20 minute DVD workouts that I've copied onto a thumb drive. I also check with the hotels to see if they have gym arrangments, like previously suggested. My best finds for group classes was contacting the local YMCA and getting a 7-day pass that was good for a few months. (I was coming back multiple trips.) I've also done this with local recreation centers for group classes, but the Y gave me access to the entire facility. I also had a Zumba teacher tell me about the Zumba app that allows me to find classes any where i go, and that is my calorie burning fun of choice. ;)

    My 2014 goal is to see how many states I can zumba in. :tongue: So far I have the west coast covered.

Categories