How To Maintain Fitness While Traveling

What are some easy ways to maintain fitness with a crazy travel schedule?

When traveling, it’s easy to get out of your routine and give in to excuses about why you can’t exercise. Just like training at home, the key to success is having a schedule and the discipline to stick to it! Here are some tips to stay on top of your fitness while on the road:

Schedule ahead. Scan the web for local gyms and running and cycling clubs. Note the schedule for Masters swim, spin classes, and group runs/rides. Find workouts that fit your schedule and put them on your calendar.

Think quality over quantity. You may not have a lot of time, so just do well with what you have! If your flight lands at 3 p.m. and you have a 5 p.m. dinner meeting, you aren’t going to get a 20-mile run in. However, you might be able to squeeze in a 20-minute run. Add some intensity and call it good. Same for the bike. Hop on a spin bike in the hotel gym for this quick workout: 10-minute warm-up, 15×30 seconds hard with 30 seconds’ rest, 5-minute cool-down.

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Combine workouts. Take the 30-minute bike workout from above and follow it with a 15-minute run for your own mini-gym brick.

Strengthen your core. Many standard core exercises can be done in your hotel room. How long can you do a plank? Find out!

Set yourself up for success. Use a long travel day as your rest day rather than trying to bang out 10 miles on the treadmill. The rest will energize you and you’ll get a better workout on another day.

Be flexible, spice up your workouts and add in a few new ones. You’ll return home fresher, stronger and excited to get back into your normal routine!

Ricci is the head coach of D3 Multisport (D3multisport.com) in Boulder, Colo.

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