Fitness tips for travelers: You can stay fit if you adapt

Whether you’re a frequent business traveler or heading out on a family vacation, don’t fall prey to the belief that travel has to be a devastating departure from your fitness routine. Staying fit while traveling isn’t as difficult as you may think. HI Travel Tales has a few fitness tips for travelers. Because we manage to fit in fitness. It just takes a few adjustments to your workout regimen.

The key to taking workouts on the road successfully is, one, not letting the travel control you and, two, learning to be flexible. A little planning before you pack your briefcase or travel duffel goes a long way toward avoiding frustration plus setbacks in your hard-earned fitness. And some fitness routines can be a fantastic way to sight see or have fun with the family or your significant other, too.

To return a happy camper, remember HI Travel Tales’ four fitness tips for travelers:

Cut back
Plan ahead
Pack right
Travel smart

In this story, we’ll address the No. 1 principle: cut back. As fitness-aholics, we too have to get used to the idea that cutting back (smartly) is OK. And that’s why we’ll address cutting back before planning ahead. Because you may have to think about the cutting back as a part of your planning! Indeed, this may take mental willpower, flexibility on your part, and a bit of cooperation from your travel companions.

Don’t panic if you can’t get to the gym or a workout as often as you do at home. Research shows you can reduce the frequency and length of your cardio workouts by one- to two-thirds if you maintain the intensity. That is, something (done right) is better than nothing.

Cut back, but how often?

If you normally workout every other day, i.e. 3-4 days a week, aim for every third day, or 2-3 days a week. Heck, even two days will be, as we said, better than nothing.

Cut back, but how long?

If you’re caught in a traveler’s time crunch, don’t fret if you can’t get in a 30- or 45-minute aerobic workout. Make it 15 or 20 minutes. Even 10 minutes is better than heading to the buffet. Yes, better than nothing.

Cut back, but how hard?

Here’s the key to maintaining your condition even when you’re forced to cut back: Don’t dawdle about on those workouts. Those shorter, less frequent workouts need to be at least at the same intensity as you manage at home. In other words, keep up the intensity during nearly every workout since you’ll only be doing them every second or third day.

Travel fitness tips – For strength workouts, try to do a workout once a week for maintenance while you’re gone. These workouts are just to keep what you have, not to get stronger or more beefed up. Look for other HI Travel Tales articles down the road about ways to incorporate short strength training into your day, as well as ways to train in a hotel room or city park. You really don’t need a room full of iron all the time.

Guess what? Follow these HI Travel Tales fitness tips for travelers, and you’ll come home in the same condition as before you left – even after a multi-week trip. Granted, you do have to avoid eating every new delicacy you find, doubling up on all those yummy pastries, or taking a third trip to the buffet. But that’s what you do anyway,… right?

HITT Tip: Remember, that not everybody on your trip may have the same agenda. Whether you are traveling à deux or with the family or a group, another of our important fitness tips for travelers is that you need to have regard for others’ needs while not neglecting yours. At HI Travel Tales, sometimes he decides to sit in a café and draw while she heads for the hills for a run. And sometimes she has to be OK knowing a brisk walk can also be a great maintenance workout – especially if they are doing it together.