Workouts on the Go

Traveling, whether for work or play, is one of the most common reasons for not getting in regular physical activity. With travel, it can be difficult to establish a normal routine. However, there are some ways you can sneak physical activity into your day even with a busy schedule. Here are a few tips to getting more exercise and movement in your day while you’re on the go!

* Plan to walk, everywhere. Planning ahead makes it possible to map out your destinations and then walk over whenever possible. This will also help to get your timing just right. Going out to eat for dinner? Pick a place that’s within walking distance. If the location is too far to walk, take a taxi over but don’t get dropped off right in front the restaurant. The farther away you are dropped off, the more walking you’ll have to do, just in time to work up an appetite before dinner!

* Split up your exercise routine. With work travel or packed vacation days, it can be difficult to find a decent chunk of time to exercise. However, you can always exercise for 15 minutes before the day starts, and 15 minutes in the evening after your day has wound down. Together, your exercise routine adds up to 30 minutes of exercise in a day which meets the exercise guidelines as recommended by the American Heart Association.

* Exercise using only your body weight. Most hotels have a small fitness gym these days, but in the case where your accommodations don’t have a fitness facility, bodyweight exercises are an excellent way to incorporate activity into your day. Some examples of body weight exercises include: push ups, crunches, wall squats, jumping jacks, planks, lunges, etc. A circuit routine of five different exercises is a fantastic way to get exercise into your day without a gym!

* Don’t just hang out. A lot of time during work trips or while on a vacation can be spent just waiting. Instead of being sedentary, think of ways to activate your muscles and get moving! Standing in line for a ticket? Stay active with simple exercises, like calf raises or single leg balances. Sitting in a conference room waiting for a meeting to start? Stand up and pace around the room, or go for a walk through the office floor. You can accrue additional steps and come back, just in time for the meeting to start!

As you can see, with a little effort and creativity exercise can be incorporated into vacations/work travel. Think about your next trip, can you include one of the above suggestions into your itinerary?

About the Author:

Jinelle Jagoda received her undergraduate degree in Exercise Physiology at Baylor University and her Master’s Degree in Clinical Exercise Science at George Washington University. While in school, Jinelle worked as a graduate assistant in the exercise physiology lab at GWU, and taught yoga and Mat Pilates classes. After graduating with her M.S. degree, she moved back to California with her husband and worked in sports medicine physical therapy prior to starting at BaySport. She is also a certified ACSM Clinical Exercise Physiologist, ACSM Group Exercise Instructor, and 200 HR Registered Yoga Teacher. In her free time, Jinelle enjoys teaching yoga classes, running, rock climbing and backpacking!

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