Look, we know, this isn’t the most popular of opinions. When you go away and your ‘holiday brain’ engages, meaning no worries, no work, and most certainly, no exercise. We all make excuses not to exercise, and we'd even say that travelling or going on holiday is a pretty good excuse. It's a much better one than saying, 'oh, I've no time’ as you sit on your bed, workout gear firmly shut away, and scroll through TikTok for three hours straight.
Being away doesn’t mean you have to give up your exercise routine and it’s entirely doable to exercise when not at home. Travelling doesn’t always equal holiday as many people are jetting around the world daily for work or travelling for a living is their work. This means that having a good routine and exercise regime is essential no matter where you are, but especially if you are a person that is travelling from office to office and your day is made up of long meetings, conferences, and eating out from a hotel room.
We’ve put together a list of the essentials to take with you when you are off jet setting! You can always refer to this when you’re packing, making sure you don’t forget any of the essentials!
1. Fitness Tracker
In general, using an activity tracker while away is a great tool to ensure you are getting enough movement during the day. Depending on the type of trip you are going on, sightseeing holidays can rack up thousands of steps, whereas sitting in an office meeting may be slightly inactive. Still, the beauty of this is that it will encourage you to get up and move around, making you aware of your inactivity. Use it as a motivator to get out and see more of your surroundings, go for a sunset beach walk, hike in the local mountains, or even just walk around the local area on your hour break.
There are so many different trackers to choose from that it can be a bit daunting to find a good one. Here are two options of trackers that we love!
You can try the MyZone Fitness Tracker. This is a good one to use with friends and family. You can compete against each other and try to be top of the leader board at the end of the month.
2. Resistance Bands
These are the Ant-Man of workout accessories— small but deadly! They are highly affordable to purchase and cater to all fitness levels, from beginners to advanced athletes. They are super lightweight and very effective, particularly for those who often travel, as they can be packed easily. There are so many benefits to these that if we were to mention them all, this article would have to change its name to 'Why We Love Resistance Bands'. Luckily for you, though, we do have another article on why we love them! If you need help buying the right set, go check out The Power of Powerbands.
3. Suspension Trainer
Suspension trainers are great because all you need is a single set of them and a door! If you're going away (and not camping in a tent), then we're sure your hotel room is going to have a door. These are excellent for full-body workouts. As it’s so versatile, the list of exercises you can do with them is endless — push-ups, pull-ups, high rows, atomic push-ups and core work, to name but a few. You can build muscle, increase strength, and lose fat by using one of these. It packs neatly into a small bag for easy transportation. It is the perfect hotel room workout tool.
4. Speed Rope
As children, we all had a skipping rope at some point in our lives. What we didn't realise then is just how much of a workout they give you. For adults, we call them speed ropes instead of skipping ropes, though and they are guaranteed to make you sweat! It is very simple yet effective and can be packed in any bag, taking little to no room. They are a great cardio tool that can really get your heart rate up quickly! If you’re feeling adventurous, give a double under a try. This is where you try and get the rope under your feet twice before landing back down.
5. Workout Gear
This one seems like a cop-out. Of course, you won't forget your workout gear, but you would be surprised! Many people pack all the equipment, get to where they're staying and realise, they only have sandals with them! Not ideal for working out at all. Bringing the correct type of footwear and workout clothes made it to this list because it's just as essential as the rest, even more so. You don't want to end up doing yourself more damage because you forgot to bring the proper runners with you. If you feel like you're going to forget them, workout gear is quite comfortable and breathable. Wear it on the plane to your destination. That way, it will be impossible to forget.
6. Foam roller
Foam rollers, like people, come in all shapes and sizes. The best one to bring with you is a small one that typically fits into a boot bag. We’ve all felt the familiar ache in our muscles after getting off a plane or doing a long day of site seeing. That’s where the foam roller comes in!
This is great for your rest days or if you’re hurting after a long day of hiking. It’s the perfect accessory to soothe aching muscles and will go a long way in preventing injuries. A must-have if you're travelling.
7. Yoga Mat
This is essential if you're going anywhere. If you don’t want to do your stretches on a hotel floor, this will guarantee your comfort. Getting a foldable yoga mat will take up even less space than a normal one, so it won’t be an extra weight you have to carry around!
