Few things have more potential for throwing your exercise routine out of whack than traveling for work or pleasure. Most of the time you'd be considered lucky to find a decent gym around when you get where you're going, but if you don't, all isn't lost. Being on the road doesn't mean you have to leave fitness behind.
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The key to keeping on track is to plan to exercise on your trip. Evaluate your itinerary and schedule some time to work out, doing both cardio work and resistance training. Of course, you might not be able to mimic your at-home workouts exactly, but you don't need to abandon your program altogether. "Be nonjudgmental of yourself if you aren't able to do everything you regularly do," advises fitness personality Minna Lessig. "Take on a `go with the flow' attitude and get in what exercise you can that both time and equipment permit."
Here's where Muscle & Fitness Hers can help. We've asked Minna, along with IFBB fitness pro D.J. Wallis and personal trainer/fitness model Theresa Hessler, to help design a full-body, no-gym-required program. All you need is a pair of cross-trainers for cardio and exercise tubing, which is light and easy to pack, for training specific muscle groups.
Keeping up the cardio
Jumping rope
"A jump rope is easy to pack and is a great way to shape up," says Theresa. "Remember to keep your hops small and close to the ground. Keep your elbows by your sides and swing the rope by flicking or turning from the wrists."
- Beginner - Jump for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds. Work up to 20 minutes.
- Intermediate - Jump for one minute and rest for 30 seconds. Work up to 20 minutes.
- Advanced - Jump for 2-5 minutes and rest for 30 seconds. Work up to 30 minutes or longer.
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Walking
Weather permitting, walking outdoors is not only a great workout but also gives you a chance to explore unfamiliar territory. Minna recommends 45-50 minutes of outdoor aerobic walking at a moderate pace, including a five-minute warm-up and five-minute cool-down and stretch. Or, kick it up a notch with Theresa's interval walking/jogging program. "Alternating between walking and jogging is a good way to build cardiovascular endurance," she explains.
- Beginner - Start with a five-minute warm-up, then pick it up to a comfortable yet challenging pace for 15-20 minutes.
- Intermediate - Warm up for five minutes, then jog for 1-2 minutes. From there, alternate between walking for one minute and jogging for 1-2 minutes.
- Advanced - Alternate jogging for five minutes with walking for 2-3. Continue for 30-45 minutes, depending on your fitness level. Don't forget a 10-minute warm-up and cool-down.
Indoor interval training
Try Minna's prescription for hotel-room aerobics: Warm up for five minutes at a moderate pace by marching in place or doing low knee lifts. Next, do 20 minutes of alternating between high-intensity movements - such as jumping jacks or running in place - and low-intensity recovery periods in which you do heel taps or baby lunges. Even use dance movements if you like; high intensity for one minute, low-intensity recovery for 1-2 minutes. Follow with a five-minute cool-down of marching in place or low knee lifts.
If you prefer to mix in some equipment, D.J. suggests a 10-minute warm-up of marching followed by five minutes of jumping rope followed by five minutes of side-stepping or marching. Repeat this program until you reach your desired time allotment (about 30-45 minutes), and don't forget to include a short cool-down.
tip: Fit individuals should aim to work at about 60% of their target heart rate during recovery periods and up to about 80% during high-intensity periods.
Stair-stepping (minus the machine)
"Walking stairs provides an extremely challenging workout for the quads, hamstrings, glutes and hip flexors," notes Theresa. Start by walking up and down five flights of stairs three times. Once you're warmed up, add more flights according to your fitness level. Continue for 30-45 minutes.
tip: Beginners can start by climbing a flight of stairs, walking a long hallway, then climbing again. For variation, use the step at the bottom of each flight of stairs for aerobic movements such as repeater knee lifts and side leg lifts.
Staying Strong
Choose at least one workout from each of the body-part categories in the workout suggested below. D.J. suggests performing any exercise with which you're already familiar using resistance tubing, mimicking the form you'd use with weights or machines.
Travel planning for the fitness-minded
- When making reservations, ask if the hotel has an adequately equipped gym. "Try to find one that offers at least good-quality cardio equipment, a rack of dumbbells and some benches," suggests fitness model Minna Lessig. IFBB fitness pro D.J. Wallis agrees, "A hotel gym isn't complete without cardio equipment - anything to get your heart rate up."
- If you're staying at someone's house or at a hotel without a fitness facility, find out if there's a gym nearby, and if so, whether they offer guest passes. Better yet, ask if your hometown gym membership allows you to use facilities in other locations.
Warning! Unfamiliar gym equipment
Working out away from home and familiar equipment means you need to pay extra attention to potential safety hazards.
- Beware of exercising in small, confined spaces like hotel rooms. Be sure you have a large enough space to exercise safely or consider going outside. Rearranging the furniture is highly inadvisable.
- "Do a good 10-15-minute warm-up to get your blood flowing, and stretch well afterward," suggests fitness pro D.J. Wallis.
- When using fitness equipment you aren't familiar with, make sure it's in good working condition, primarily by checking that all cables/chains move freely. "If the equipment isn't well maintained, the cables may stick or even break, causing injury," warns personal trainer Theresa Hessler.
- Remember to maintain good form throughout all exercises. If you aren't familiar with a piece of equipment, skip it until someone can show you how to use it properly.
