Fitness While Travelling

Quick Intro

Travel is easier on your fitness than it might seem. A few days off costs very little, and short sessions are enough to keep most of what you have built. A ten to twenty-minute bodyweight routine in a hotel room, plenty of walking and the occasional flight of stairs keep you going on most trips. The aim while travelling is to keep a minimum going, not to make big progress.

This article covers a simple travel routine, ways to stay active on the move and what to pack.

A Few Days Off Is Fine

If a trip means a few days without training, that is not a setback. Stamina starts to fade only after a couple of weeks without activity, and strength is largely kept for about a month. Many people come back from a short break feeling fresher. If the trip is longer, a little activity keeps much of your fitness in place.

A Hotel-Room Routine

This needs only the floor, a wall and a chair or bed. Do two or three rounds:

Bodyweight Squat: 10 to 15 reps
Push-up, or Incline Push-up on the bed or desk: 8 to 15 reps
Reverse Lunge: 8 to 10 each side
Glute Bridge: 12 to 15 reps
Plank: hold for 20 to 45 seconds
Bird Dog: 6 to 8 each side

Rest briefly between exercises. The whole routine takes ten to twenty minutes. Strength research suggests even one or two hard sets per muscle a week keeps strength going, so this is plenty for a trip.

Staying Active on the Move

Walk. Exploring a city on foot is easy, enjoyable activity. Walk to meetings, sights or meals where you can.
Take the stairs. Climbing stairs briskly is a short burst of vigorous activity, and bursts like this in daily life count for health.
Move on long journeys. On flights, trains and long drives, stand up, walk the aisle or stop for a short walk every hour or two, and do ankle circles and calf raises in your seat.
Use hotel facilities if there is a gym or pool, but do not rely on them.
Find a local activity, such as a hike, a swim, a bike hire or a class.

Exercise and Jet Lag

Exercise at certain times of day can shift the body clock, with morning and early-afternoon exercise moving it earlier and late-evening exercise moving it later. Whether this helps with jet lag has not been tested directly, and daylight remains the better-supported tool. A walk outside in daylight at your destination combines both and is a pleasant way to adjust.

What to Pack

Travel kit can be very light:

Comfortable shoes for walking and exercise.
A resistance band, which weighs almost nothing and adds pulling and extra resistance, such as a Resistance Band Row looped around a door handle that is sturdy.
A skipping rope if you have space to use it.
Light clothes you can train in.

On Longer Trips

If you are away for several weeks, a little more structure helps:

Do the hotel routine two or three times a week, making it harder as it gets easier: slower reps, a pause at the bottom of each squat or a harder version of each exercise.
Keep walking most days, with some brisk stretches or hills.
Look for a local gym, pool or park that offers day passes or free outdoor equipment.
Keep a short log so you can see whether you are keeping your usual amount going.

This is enough to come home close to where you left.

Keeping the Habit

The hardest part of travel is often the change of routine. A few ideas help:

Plan when you will train, such as before breakfast, since days on the road fill up quickly.
Keep it short. A ten-minute session you do beats an hour-long plan you skip.
Count walking. Days of sightseeing on foot are active days.
Restart quickly at home. Pick up your usual routine as soon as you are back, at a slightly lighter level if you had a long break.

Who This Applies To

This applies to most travellers. If you are travelling to very hot, cold or high places, adapt your activity to the conditions, and training in heat and cold has practical advice. If you have a health condition, plan exercise around any travel advice from your doctor.

FAQ

How do I work out in a small hotel room?

Bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups, bridges and planks need only the space to lie down.

Will I lose fitness on a two-week holiday?

A little stamina at most, and it comes back quickly. Walking and a few short sessions keep most of it.

Should I train hard on holiday?

There is no need. Keeping a minimum going and enjoying active days is enough.

What exercise equipment should I pack?

A resistance band covers most needs. It is light, small and versatile.