3 Tips for Staying Fit on the Go

For many of us, the time when we can take our annual vacation is more or less the highlight of the calendar year, and one of the key opportunities we have for letting our hair down, experiencing a bit of adventure, and forging the kinds of memories that we will be excited to share with others.

Of course, one issue with travelling is that it means your regular routine always goes straight out the window. And this is never as apparent as it is when you’re trying to maintain a good health and fitness routine on the go.

If you’ve been really diligent with your exercise and nutrition plan over the last few months, and don’t want to break your streak, however, don’t be disheartened. Here are a few tips for staying fit on the go.

Pack some resistance bands

You know, when you train with weights, your body doesn’t necessarily “understand” that you are using a dumbbell or barbell, versus an exercise machine, versus your own bodyweight. All it really recognises is that your muscles are working against resistance.

Enter resistance bands – one of the most convenient ways of ensuring that you can keep your resistance training routine going, on the move.

It’s easy to find a list of best resistance bands online, with plenty of different formats available, some including handles, others just being large elastic bands that you have to improvise with on your own.

In any event, the key point is that resistance bands use elastic tension, of varying strengths, to allow you to work your muscles without fancy equipment. Resistance bands are light, generally take up very little space, and are very difficult to damage. Meaning they are perfect for throwing in the bottom of your rucksack before hitting the open road.

There are many ways you can use resistance bands to replicate some of your favourite exercises in the gym. Do some of your own research, and feel free to improvise. But there’s no reason not to have a resistance band on you, if you want to stay fit on the go.

Capitalise on those early morning hours

Simply finding the time to get a workout in when travelling can be a problem – because, of course, the reason why you’re on vacation away from home in the first place, is so that you can get out and about, and fill your days with exciting activity, and your evenings with food, and laughter.

Generally speaking, the best time to exercise on vacation is during those early morning hours, before you really get started on the day.

Evenings tend not to be so good – largely because, well, who wants to get back to the hotel early just squeeze in a workout?

Do plenty of your sightseeing on foot

A trip to a new location can actually be a really good opportunity for getting far more low-to-mid-level cardio exercise than you might regularly get back at home. Just as long as you get around by mostly by foot.

If you’re renting a car, or are relying heavily on public transport on your vacation, you might not really getting much “exercise” by default.

If you make a point of hiking, walking between the different attractions in the city, and just generally getting around by foot, however, you may well end your vacation with a significantly stronger heart and set of lungs than you had when you left home.