Staying Fit While Traveling
One of the best pieces of advice I ever read was something along the lines of: “If you don’t know what your passion is, examine your life and determine where you’re spending most of your time. That’s your passion.”
Looking at my life post weight loss, I spend most of my time outside of work getting fit – at the gym, in classes, or on the trail. Since I make working out a priority when I’m at home, the hard part for me is what to do when I travel for work. I find myself on the road quite a bit these days and I don’t want all the hard work I’ve put into my health and fitness to fall by the wayside while traveling. But what to do?
Ultimately, traveling for work is still just “work”. Very little is different than when I’m at home: I’m just in a different location, possibly in a different time zone, and sleeping in a hotel. Compare that to when I’m truly on vacation and it’s “my” time and, therefore, my time to decide not to work out. When I’m in the normal grind at home, I work out. So while I’m on the road for work, why wouldn’t I also work out? While on the road though, I obviously can’t keep up my normal schedule, classes, etc., so I have to put in a bit of extra effort to keep up my exercise routine.
For a while, I was content hitting up the hotel gym but I find my self motivation to be lacking… I am definitely not one for treadmills and stair-masters! At home, my favorite type of fitness revolves around the classroom setting, whether shaking it at Zumba or toning up at barre, I love the opportunity to be pushed to my limit by an instructor and make new friends while at a class.
Traveling certainly brings an added hurdle to working out in a classroom environment, but here are a few tips and tricks I use to be successful while working out on the road:
- Google is your best friend. The quick and easy way to find local workouts is to do a quick Google search with your normal workout search terms (example: Barre classes in Fort Lauderdale, FL). You’ll likely at least pull up a bunch of results for those businesses who have optimized their websites for search engines.
- Google Maps is your best friend… for life. Most recently on a trip to Deland, FL, I’d identified a barre studio that had a class I wanted to take. I got out of work late and due to traffic I was about 15 minutes late. I didn’t want to waltz in late, so instead I pulled up Google Maps on my phone and started searching near my location. I found another barre studio that offered a later class and I’ve gone to them every week that I’ve been here this year (going on week 3 out of the last 5!). Had I not stopped to think about searching on my phone while in the area, I may never have came across this studio!
- Use your travel to step outside your comfort zone. I’m not naturally extroverted, so getting up the courage to walk into an unknown studio by myself is definitely nerve-wracking. But just like at home, I had to start somewhere by swallowing my fear and taking the leap. I even happened to meet fellow blogger, Carly of Fit Living Blog, at a barre class I tried in Florida recently! I never would have made that connection had I not gone and searched out that class. Bonus: If you hate the class or the type of workout, you’re traveling so you never have to go back again!
- Use your travel as an opportunity to try something new! The best part about traveling for me is doing something out of the norm. Not only is it a good way to boost your metabolism and switch up your routine, but it’s a great chance to try something that you may not have in your hometown. I love taking a SoulCycle class or trying a new type of barre while on the road. I find that my body is challenged in new ways and who doesn’t love being sore?
- If you find something you love, take advantage of new member rates. At the studio I attend in Florida, I was able to get a special at a one month rate to take care of my fitness needs for two weeks of my travel. The third week I came here, there was an out-of-town one week special, which was cheaper for me than paying for individual classes. Most studios are equipped to take care of you if you have extenuating circumstances – just ask!
Next time you travel for work (or on vacation!) don’t let the voice inside your head tell you not to work out. Hit up the hotel gym, try out a new class, or do some exercises in your room. You won’t regret it!
