Keeping yourself in shape is tough. You have to be regular, follow your routine and munch on those extravaganzas carefully. However, this becomes too difficult while travelling. You won't get the proper diet you have planned, you can't hit the gym on time as you used to at home. This leads to multiple dilemmas the night before your trip. Should you pack in your trainers or not? Would there be a gym close by or not? Will I be able to take some time out for my workout sessions or not?
Well, the answer is to keep yourself motivated through all this. Do not overthink it. It doesn't matter if you can find a gym or not as there are several ways in which you can keep yourself fit without hitting the gym.
Take a break from all the fun or work and commit yourself to your body. Don't let the holidays turn you into a pear. Being away from your schedule will only make it harder for you to transition back into your regimen schedule your work out into your travel to make it more lively and interesting. So here we present the simplest 10 things you can do to keep you in shape while travelling.
1) Be Active
Travelling means spending a lot of time in a car, train or aeroplane. Sitting idle for such long periods can make you fatigued. You can beat this fatigue by simply taking a break and walking or running or stretching yourself. Even at your destination, try to skip the motor vehicle and go by foot if time permits. You cannot explore to the maximum extent unless you walk on foot. A restaurant or a park or a mall may catch your attention and you may enjoy yourself much better rather than trapped in the vehicle. You can also try to start the day with a morning run. This way you can see much more with less crowd and be able to appreciate the beauty of the place more. You can also practise yoga in the morning for stretching out. Yoga helps you relax and be energised the whole day. Climbing stairs is another exercise that can be practised while travelling. You can skip the lift to your hotel room and take the stairs. Maybe even try to run up and down the stairs. This greatly helps in burning some decent calories and keeps your health in check.
2) Go Outdoors
The best way to keep yourself fit is to either go on a trek or a hike. Choose the terrain and the distance and go for it. Warm yourself up with a walk or a run before the actual hike. Well, no one is asking you to ditch the motors for a long-distance journey but certainly, you can substitute the shorter distances with either a walk or a run. You can also rent a bike and cycle your way to the destination. Hiking is so much fun, that you’ll forget you’re even exercising, or at the very least, the natural beauty will definitely distract you from the momentary pain. So leave your hotel in Bangalore for a day and go out seeing the beautiful and picturesque sights nearby. Check out these 10 places that are just a day-long drive away from Bangalore. You can either go online searching this place or you can ask your hotel staff for the best outdoor location through the eyes of a local. However, be sure to use a GPS or even a paper map and never forget your helmet and hiking gear. Remember the whole point is to be fit and safe.
3) Workout without a gym
What if your hotel does not have a gym? Well no need to panick or to give up your plans for fitness. You can always do some high-intensity workouts within your hotel room. More popularly known as HIIT or high-intensity interval training is a technique wherein you subject the body to quick, explosive, intense workout sessions followed by a very brief pause in between. This type of training is known to burn more fat than usual as it keeps the heart rate up for a longer period. You can use several paid or free apps on Android or iPhone devices to access the right set of exercise to do. There are AI guided sessions with automated timers, duration and reps settings. So without breaking a sweat on the way to do it you can start sweating on the exercises. A typical example would be:
30 Seconds Mountain Climbers, 30 Second Rest, 30 Seconds Wide Sumo Squats, 1 Minute High Knees, 30 Second Rest, 30 Seconds Jump Squats, 30 Second Rest, 1 Minute Burpees, 30 Second Rest, 30 Seconds Leg lifts, 30 Seconds Leg Extends, 30 Second Rest.
Do this HIIT workout session in four repetitions and you would end up doing quality exercise within just 28 mins.
4) Socialize and localize
You can always find like-minded fitness enthusiasts when you are travelling. Catch them on the morning run or tag along with them during a soccer match in the evening. When you are out their try to socialize and communicate with people. You may find a great club or stadium or even a gym to visit when you talk to someone new. Locals know things that you won't find on the internet so it is better to ask them. So go out there and socialize. You can try martial arts, boxing or even dancing for a change.
5) Walkathon
Suppose you are on a business trip and you are not that free. Still, you can make the best of your downtime by walking to stay fit. Get back from work, relax and rest for some time and thereafter go out on a walking tour of the city. You won't get bored since you are seeing the city and the night time also won't let you be exhausted. You will all sort of amazing places on this walkathon of yours. You can also use fitness bands and gadgets to mark your route and complete that route within time to stay fit.
6) Maximise your Exercise
You don't have to be in the gym to exercise and you don't have to always exert yourself either for a workout. You can try to stretch your body every now and then subtly. When in a queue, try to stand with your legs shoulder-width apart, and simply stretch your lower back by gently pushing your feet outwards. You can also stand on your toes for a while and then relax them. Do these simple stretching exercises to keep you engaged and also utilize your time. Always do these exercises in sets, whenever and wherever possible.
7) Use Portable exercise equipment
If you are very serious about your fitness and want to take your physical activity to the next level even while travelling, you need to pack a few portable pieces of equipment for helping you in having a mind-blowing workout session. You can always carry a resistance band, claw grip, yoga mat or skipping ropes to name a few. Just use them in your hotel room and have that perfect workout session you always do.
8) Eat healthy food
Having a fit body does not mean we have to go empty stomach. In fact, a meal is very important for fitness rather than skipping it altogether. You should always have something to eat with yourself because once the hunger starts rattling your stomach you will be unable to satiate the urge of consuming some fast food or fatty food. Such an unhealthy eating pattern will also hamper your fitness. There goes all the hard work you had put in, into the garbage can. You can keep some healthy snack handy with you. Indulging on them whenever you feel a bit hungary will help you avoid eating junk foods. You can stock up the freebies you get at your hotel. Grab that extra fruit or granola bar from the breakfast table. It will help you keep your hunger in check.
9) Drink water
It has been found in a study that three out of four times when we feel hungry we are actually just thirsty. Try to drink at least one or two glass of water every hour. This becomes more important when you travel. Travelling is strenuous and you lose a lot of water. Drinking water regularly keeps you hydrated and energised. It will also help you avoid unnecessary food that you really don't need. Finding water can be hard sometimes and getting a new bottle always can be expensive. Use a thermos flask and fill water from purifiers at public places. A thermal water bottle will also help you keep your water cold or hot as you like it.
10) Rest
Last but not the least, you should always listen to your body. Travelling long distances can be extremely strenuous and you will be fatigued beyond words. Don't push yourself too hard in such situations. It would be perfectly fine to just go easy and take rest. We neither get proper sleep during travelling nor the best food. So taking a day to recuperate would be the best idea. Take a day off relax and when you are back to normal in your hotel room you can start your activities from the next day. Travelling is a therapy and the mind needs it to sharpen itself and to rejuvenate our soul. Just mix this up with some physical exercise and even our body wold start loving the travel thing.
Just follow these simple tips in your next outing as a traveler and you won't have to worry about your health. It is definitely a tedious task at first, but slowly if you will have the determination, you will overcome the odds. So give up all your worries, travel free and explore this beautiful world.
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