Fitness On The Go

Hey there! Hope your week is off to a great start. We just got back from Maryland last night so we are easing ourselves back into the week after going-going-going for far too long. We travel quite often because our family and friends are far away, we don’t mind it, but sometimes it can throw us off of our usual schedule. It’s confusing enough to wake up and not know where you are, it’s even worse for your body if you are not feeding it well, not letting it sleep and not moving it at all. Fitness can happen on the go, let’s find out how.

While traveling, it is really easy to veer from your routine and forget all that you normally do in a day, like eat healthy and move your body. Yes, I’m calling you out. If you look around at any rest stop or airport you will be bombarded by fast food, ice cream, packaged Franken-foods and GASP chairs to sit on between sitting in your car, on a bus or on a plane. WHYYYY!!!!!

For some reason we like to think that traveling, being on vacation or just being away from home is an excuse to eat all the things and to sit down and do none of the things. We have one meal that is different (read: chocolate cake, wine, chips & salsa, etc.) and all of a sudden it’s a free for all. We then proceed to sit and slouch and become immobile because we are in an unfamiliar place. Apparently doing lunges, sitting in a squat and walking around in circles while not in a gym makes you a crazy person?

Not good.

Lucky for me, I have a family that is very health conscious and a husband who cannot sit still, so traveling over the years has not been all that shocking to the system, but no one is perfect. This past weekend when I went home, I had a plan and that made it easier to stick to it.

That reminds me, when traveling, PLAN AHEAD. Did you know that there are grocery stores almost anywhere you go (especially in the U.S.)? Did you also know that you can (and should) move your body without an elliptical, weight machine or a Crossfit gym? NEWS FLASH!

No excuses. And if you think I’m crazy and there is no way you can be healthy and fit on the go, check out my post on mental toughness, and suck it up.

This weekend was pretty typical for us. While sometimes we are snowboarding (thank goodness it’s not that cold yet) or moving without thinking about it, we like to make sure between family events and friend gatherings that we are taking care of our bodies both physically and mentally. No excuses.

So how should you go about achieving fitness on the go? Let me help…

Tips for Fitness on The Go

• Plan ahead: pack the appropriate clothes, find local grocery stores, gyms, etc., know your schedule and commit to moving your body even if it’s just a light walk daily or a stretching session before and after you sleep.
• Move Often: you don’t have to “exercise” to move your body. If you are sitting in an airport, get up and go for a walk, do some air squats or maybe some yoga. For instance, I have a good friend who is a yoga teacher and ever since she completed a yoga training course she found on this website, she has been looking for ways to work yoga into her daily routines. At a conference? Get up between sessions or stand in the back so you can move around. Trapped in a car? Take pit stops to move around.
• Recruit family & friends: getting an accountability buddy will not only help you stick to your plan but will also help you feel more comfortable when moving away from home. Start doing jumping jacks together in the train station, who cares, just get moving together, and make people jealous!
• Move first thing in the morning: Being away from home means that the days are more unpredictable than you know. Start your day off right with even just 15 minutes of movement. Go for a walk, lift something heavy, stretch out, whatever you prefer, just choose movement over donuts…
• Hydrate! It is easy to forget to drink water when on the go. Carry an empty water bottle with you and fill it up regularly, your body will thank you.

When driving down to Maryland my hubby and I decided to workout two mornings while away, having a partner or an accountability buddy can make it much easier to stay on track. Below are the workouts we completed, nothing earth shattering but simple enough that I wanted to share them with you, now go get ‘em!

Workout #1

3 mile run/jog at a moderate pace followed by:

4 Rounds

– 5 burpees

– 10 push-ups

– 15 sit ups

Bonus: dancing for a few hours at a wedding…

Workout #2

3 mile run/jog at a moderate/high pace followed by:

5 rounds

– 5 burpees

– 10 weighted lunges (I used #25/arm, hubby used #35/arm)

– 15 sit ups

*Note: if you do not have weights just do regular lunges or find some weighted object like water bottles, cans of food, books, etc. to make them more difficult

Let me know what your fitness routine looks like when you are traveling or on the go and if it’s non-existent let’s change that!

xoxo,

Sassy