Working out can suck. We’ll say it. It hurts, is hard to motivate yourself to do, and can take some time to see results. Add in the fact that you are traveling or on vacation, and it is damn near impossible! Have you ever had these feelings? You’ve come to the right place. Here is everything we know about how to workout while traveling.
Get an AccountabiliBuddy
Tough to understate this one, you are going to need an accountabilibuddy. What is an accountabilibuddy and how do you pronounce it? Good question.
Accountabilibuddy (noun) – Someone who truly cares for you, but doesn’t mind whooping some ass to keep you in line when they have to.
Used in a sentence: I was going to skip my workout and eat two jelly donuts while resting in a pool of my own slobber on the couch scrolling meaningless apps on my phone, but then my accountabilibuddy stepped in and now my life is back on the right track!
Simply put, your accountabilibuddy is going to be a buddy that helps you set goals, and holds you accountable to reaching those goals. Now do you see where the word gets its origin? It is Latin I believe…
Before starting any workout plan or regimen, it is always best to recruit an accountabilibuddy. Could be a friend, spouse, coworker, sibling, guy at the local grocery store who is always creepily checking you out (don’t really use this guy). Anyone that is not afraid to bust your butt to keep you in line to meeting your goals!
On a personal note, we started out as each other’s accountabilibuddies, but to be honest it maybe wasn’t the right choice. Julie yelled at Zach during his workouts one too many times and his fragile demeanor crumbled like a burnt cookie. Thankfully the police weren’t called on the guy crying in the shower at LA Fitness, and everything ended up okay.
If you’re looking for a good idea of an accountabilibuddy, think Chris Farley’s impersonation of Matt Foley.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv2VIEY9-A8&w=560&h=315]
Travel Workouts
Workouts are different for every person. You might be a juiced-up silverback that eats weights for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Maybe you go for a jog a few times a week just to get the blood pumping. Maybe you are interested in just getting started on a workout regimen!
Whatever floats your boat, we put together a wide range of workouts that should work for anyone out there.
Julie’s Circuits
When Julie’s on a time crunch she likes to do a quick 20-30 minute full-body, high-intensity interval workout. The more muscles involved in each exercise the better! While traveling, chances of having any real workout equipment is slim to none, but you do have your own two legs and body weight.
Here’s how it goes. Start with set 1. Do exercise A 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, exercise B 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds. Repeat x4. Rest 1 minute. Move on to set 2, and so on until you are finished with set 6.
- 1 – A: Burpees || B: Plank with shoulder taps
- 2 – A: Mountain climbers with twist || B: Squat jumps
- 3 – A: Plank ups to frogger squat || B: Tricep dip with hip raise
- 4 – A: Tuck jumps || B: Blast off push-ups
- 5 – A: Skaters || B: Back extensions to hollow body holds
- 6 – A: Jumping lunges with twist || B: Side plank with hip dip
Zach’s Circuits
Zach’s workouts tend to be high-intensity and quick. Not unlike other things he does…
This entire core workout usually takes about 30 minutes or so to do. Best to do in the morning if you ask us. Get it out of the way while you have a ball of energy to take on the day!
Circuit 1: Repeat circuit until you get 100 push-ups and 50 pull-ups, 2 minute break after each set of crunches
- Push-ups – as many as possible per set
- Pull-ups – as many as possible per set
- Crunches – 50 per set
Circuit 2: Repeat 3 times, 2 minute break after each set of burpees
- Tricep Bench Dips – 30 per set
- Wide-grip Push-ups – 20 per set
- Burpees – 15 per set
Circuit 3: Repeat 3 times, 2 minute break after each set of core exercises
- Sprints – 100 meters per set
- Core Exercise (Leg Raises, Planks, Sit-ups) – as many as possible per set
Go for a Run
What is the easiest and most obvious choice for a workout on vacation? A jog! Run! Saunter through town! Shake that money maker like somebody bout to pay ya!
Okay, time for some brutal honesty: running is boring. I said it. Especially if you’re running on the side of a neighborhood street getting passed by gas guzzlers blowing exhaust into your face, which seems to happen more than it should…
Running can be fun though! Get a friend to run with. Maybe your accountabilibuddy! You two can talk about how boring the run is, but how it is just a little less boring running together.
Another way to make running more enjoyable is to run in beautiful surroundings. Might be limited by your location, but I can guarantee that a run around a lake with 3 dog parks is going to be a helluva lot better than running behind the hummer in a neighborhood.
Final tip, listen to an awesome podcast or playlist. We wrote a few blog posts about these [Podcasts, Playlist]. Of course, feel free to shamelessly steal our suggestions, or make your own and share them with us!
Trainer-led Workout Videos
We’ve done P90X and Insanity before, and if you love one of those then they are great to bring while traveling. Either download the workouts to your computer or you can stream them online from sites like beachbody.com.
Fair warning, these cost money, so you’d better make sure you like them before purchasing! Here’s a Youtube sample of P90X and Insanity.
P90X
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISkp7eaoADc&w=560&h=315]
Insanity
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTEDDmCjd1k&w=560&h=315]
Free Youtube Workouts – We would also recommend browsing Youtube for free workout content! We do this all the time it is a great way to get new ideas for workouts that are travel friendly.
Videos like this one guide you through an entire workout from start to finish, so you really don’t have to do much at all! Except dominate the workout, of course…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvlnJpt9FDU&w=560&h=315]
Free Week Passes
We absolutely adore fitness classes. 2 problems: they can be expensive and you don’t always know which one is right for you.
Solution: try them out! Most, if not all, offer free week passes so you can try a few classes and see what you’re into. If you don’t like it, no harm no foul, and you can move along.
If you do like it, you can find a membership that fits your budget and lifestyle and you’re well on your way!
One of the best things about joining a gym is that you are also joining a community. A community that supports you through good and bad times and is a place of refuge on a bad day.
Another huge benefit is that so many gyms have locations spread all around the country and globe, so you can get a workout in no matter where you are! Here are some of our absolute favorites that we have tried free weeks with and absolutely fell in love.
CycleBar – We just started doing CycleBar and we are absolutely over the moon with it! This is a 45 minute cycling class led by some the most talented instructors we’ve ever had. They will kick your butt (in a good way) and have you smiling and dancing through the entire workout! The music is next-level, and the way the instructors sync your movements to the beat makes it feel you feel like you’re in the middle of a dance party instead of a world class workout. Highly recommend!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnyNdxUnSW3/?taken-by=cyclebar
CorePower Yoga – If you’ve ever done a guided yoga class, you know that it can be a mood-altering experience in addition to a workout. We absolutely love them, and CorePower is the best we’ve done. We get a really great workout in, and when we leave the studio we feel refreshed and energized from the yoga experience!
SoulCycle – SoulCycle will rock your socks off. We had so much fun riding here in Chicago. Like CycleBar, this is a 45 minute class that is led by a FANTASTIC instructor that takes you for the ride of a lifetime. And the best part? The community of riders makes everything feel like a team activity that you are all apart of!
LA Fitness – Favorite part about LA Fitness is that you can make every workout your own. They have weights, treadmills, cardio equipment, resistance machines, yoga mats, bikes, and on and on. You have no excuse for not getting a workout here, and LA Fitness seems to have locations EVERYWHERE!
Exercise Activities
Hiking
Hiking. Hiking. Hiking. We talk about hiking in every post. We absolutely love to do it, and there are SO many reasons why!
First off, it is free. You will not find many places where you have to pay to do a hike. You will be getting exercise AND cost cutting, two of our favorite things!
Second, you’ll get to see beautiful sights and hear beautiful sounds on your trek through the woods or up a mountain. Sights that you wouldn’t be able to see for yourself without hiking, since the very best trails are inaccessible by cars.
Third, similar to yoga, there is a meditative component to hiking. Being out in nature, pushing your body to the limit, experiencing the wonders of the world. You will leave a hike more refreshed than you were at the beginning, guaranteed.
So many reasons to hike, and so few reasons not to. Get out there on the trails!
Bike Through Town
Said it once, and will say it 100 times. The very best way to see a city is on 2 wheels, not 4. You’ll experience the culture and be able to see the city in a way few tourists (or even people living there) are able to.
A great part about biking through the city, you are getting two birds with one stone! You explore a new city AND you are getting your workout done for the day.
Even if you’re not in a new city, that’s no excuse to not jump on a bike and get moving. We had the best bike ride of our life on the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park!
Sunrise & Sunset Walk
This one can double as a date! I think you’re getting the picture. We love workouts that are also dates, adventures, activities, etc. Then you are more likely to have fun working out, and therefore more likely to stay disciplined about working out!
A sunrise walk is a gorgeous way to start your day, and a sunset walk is an equally nice way to end it.
A Little Extra Juice
Spark – Spark is a great way to get that little extra…. spark (ba dum tsch) in your workout! Lame pun of the day is out of the way. Spark gives you an extra jot of energy right at the start of your workout. Increases focus on the task at hand, getting the blood flowing for an awesome workout!
Catalyst – Catalyst is, well, a catalyst! It increases the effectiveness of your workout and helps with your results. This isn’t some life changing supplement, really none of these are, but it will give you a little boost to help you over the hump on your workouts!
Protein – We drink a protein shake after every workout without fail. We have never read or heard a single thing that doesn’t say that a protein shake after a workout is a perfect way to increase the effectiveness of that workout. And even better? It tastes great! Mix in a banana and some peanut butter and it is basically a dessert. A dessert that just got you closer to your fitness goals, baby!
There you have it! Ruhls of the Road’s entire set of knowledge on how to workout on vacation! Pin this post using the below image to save for later.
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