Do three-week holidays mean wobbly arms and bulging bellies? They don’t have to! With the right habits and positive mindset, there are many ways to maintain your fitness game when travelling and still have an absolute blast.
Birds-Eye view = serious leg day
If you’re keen to take an epic AF Instagram shot overlooking Florence from Il Duomo, you’ll need to do some serious climbing – 463 steps to be exact. It sounds absolutely exhausting already, but climbing churches, towers and other structures when holidaying is an excellent cardiovascular and leg-strengthening exercise.
You should aim for a moderate challenge but don’t overwork your body too much if your fitness level doesn’t rank up, or you suffer from a medical condition. Stairclimbing = sweaty foreheads and burning thighs but hey, awesome views are worth the struggle! Yet if you’re still out of breath, no one will blame you for taking the elevator back down (if there is one…).
Say ‘nah’ to the uber – or jam out on the radio
“Hmm, a 23-minute walk or 8-minute Uber ride back to the hotel?” You’re bound to pick the Uber, right? Well no more! It’s time to get those legs pumping, because small decisions like this can impact your fitness in the long run. Also, the stunning Roman architecture of Florence or the creative design feats of Barcelona were not meant to be enjoyed by car…
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT for short) can also contribute to your overall long-term fitness, meaning jamming out to the driver’s playlist in the backseat literally = a mini workout (well sort of). Just don’t replace all your exercise with these little neat activities (pun intended) because remember, a short walk really goes a long way!
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Hotel room = DIY gym
Travelling usually means you’re separated from the gym so all hope is lost, right? Well did you know that you can swap all that flashy, expensive equipment with simple hotel room furniture AND still get similar exercise benefits? Compound exercises like squats, push-ups and planks are incredibly efficient in both building muscle and burning fat which can all be performed with minimal to no equipment at all!
Think bed edge triceps dips, one-arm (backpack) rows, soft hotel rug burpees, pre-shower squats – the list goes on. If you’re keen on pumping out some cardio just run around the block a few times, no treadmill needed. If your hotel has a swimming pool, all the better. No gym? No problem!
Have you got tips to keep healthy on your travels? Share your stories with us here and you could see your work published on six-two…
