When you’re on your fitness journey, keeping up with your workout routine is very important so that the gains you’ve made don’t go to waste. However, if you travel a lot and spend most of your time moving from one place to another, this can be quite hard. Traveling is always fun – you get to see new and exciting places and do fun things – but it can also make it tempting to just sit back, relax, and fall back into old patterns. In order to avoid this, though, there are 6 easy-to-carry items you need to pack to ensure you stay in shape when traveling.
1. Running Shoes
As much as you want to just sit back and relax, it’s always good to dedicate some time to your workout. Usually, while away from home, this means doing something active like running or an intensive fitness routine. Of course, as the people behind Runners Lab note, that means having your perfect pair of running shoes with you. It’s an essential piece of equipment for staying in shape, so don’t leave it behind. Whether you choose to go on a morning run before your day starts, or decide to check out the hotel’s gym, you may just find that having your running shoes with you can motivate you to commit to a, perhaps somewhat modified, but still effective workout routine during your trip.
2. Workout Clothes
Just like with shoes, having your workout clothes with you can put you in the right mindset for exercising. What kind of clothes exactly will largely depend on where you plan to workout – indoors, or outdoors, what the weather is like at your destination, as well as what you feel comfortable with. For men, that might mean packing a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and a wind jacket just in case. For women, that might mean leggings or yoga pants, a sports bra, a tank top, and again – a wind jacket. Of course, socks and underwear suitable for workouts should also be packed as well. If you’re staying at a place that has a pool, bringing a swimsuit with you can offer the opportunity to change up your regular workout routine and simply go for a swim, if that’s what you feel like doing.
3. A Yoga Mat
While keeping up with your fitness goals is important, if you want to take it easy on your trip, a yoga mat is the way to go. It can be useful either way so that you can do your stretches comfortably, but if you’re looking for something a bit less intense than usual – you can just use it for Yoga. It would be beneficial to check the Wi-Fi situation is where you’re headed. There are plenty of online tutorials that you can follow along with if Yoga isn’t something you usually do. But if you won’t have access to free Wi-Fi, you can always purchase a few workout DVDs to bring with you. If the hotel doesn’t have anywhere to do your Yoga exercises, don’t let that stop you from bringing your mat along. You can always head outside and enjoy nature while stretching and doing some basic Yoga poses.
4. Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are incredibly versatile and won’t use much space in your luggage. They’re great for upper body strength training, which is important for maintaining good posture and core strength as well. You can even use them to do squats or leg raises, by attaching the band under your feet to help you improve your balance if you have a hard time doing so without any added support. They are a great way to make simple exercises you can do anywhere a bit more challenging as well, as they provide extra resistance. Whether you’re traveling alone or with friends, a good strength-training routine can be a great way to stay and track and have fun exercising at the same time.
5. Jump Rope
Jump roping is a great way to get your heart pumping and work on your coordination at the same time. It provides a great cardiovascular challenge and makes your legs stronger over time. One of the best things about jump roping is that you can do it pretty much anywhere. Even going to a nearby park and doing a little jump roping is a great way to add some variety to your trip – or you can use it in your room if there’s suitable space for it. It might be a bit difficult at first if it’s not a part of your routine, but you should start seeing improvements pretty soon.
6. Wrist And Ankle Weights
Wrist and ankle weights can be a great addition to any other workouts you decide on. Doing sit-ups, running, jumping rope, Yoga – all of those can be enhanced with a little extra weight added into the mix. You can even simply wear them when going for a walk if you don’t feel like doing your usual workout routine. They add a bit more resistance to the movement and provide some extra calorie burn as well so that you can stay in shape while having fun during your trip or vacation. That said, you don’t want to wear them for too long either to avoid injury. An hour a day should be more than enough.
The items listed above are all great choices for helping you keep up your fitness goals – whether it’s working on your core or besting your personal record at the amount of time you can jump rope in a row, they will help make sure that you have a wonderful trip all while staying fit.
