Training While Travelling
I'm not going to tell you that you have to exercise while travelling. If you've been consistent with your training, missing a week or so isn't going to rob you of your strength, mobility and skill.
But, if you're looking to do some exercising while you're away like we did on our recent honeymoon to Bali, here's 4 tips on how to overcome some of the challenges that you might face!
Tip #1: Managing expectations
We didn't want to go crazy or hold ourselves to some full on training schedule. We wanted it to be fun and an energising kick start to the day.
We were happy getting in a short, little training session starting with some light stretching. We were flexible to change things up depending on how we felt that day or what we wanted to work on.
We recommend ditching your normal routine and scaling things back a bit. Afterall, something is better than nothing.
Tip #2: limited equipment, space or time
One of the challenges when travelling is limited equipment. This is one reason why we love body weight exercises. They can conveniently be done anywhere. We also found a tree to hang the gymnastic rings at the beach. Perfect!
We also wanted to train in the morning first thing while we were away, but usually we train in the afternoon. Again, when you’re travelling, forget about your regular routine and train when it feels right.
Often when travelling, we pack lots of activities in or may still have other responsibilities while we are away. But, there's always time. Even if it is only 5 minutes.
Tip #3: disrupted routine
When you’re away, your normal routines go out the window. Your sleep patterns will be different, you’re in a different bed with different surroundings, you eat differently and at different times, the weather could be different too. All of this puts your nervous system on high alert, so your focus is probably less than optimal.
With lots of challenges, be sure to make things as easy as possible for yourself and give yourself some grace. Don’t expect to train for as long as you might usually. Be aware that your performance may be lower than usual and take it easy.
We suggest doing an extended warm up/ stretch routine to feel where you’re at before the session.
How does your body feel? Any tightness? (probably, if you’ve sat down for longer periods of time on a plane).
What are your energy levels like? Take the time to be mindful and make a mental note of anything that pops up and use it to help navigate your session.
Tip #4: Unsure of focus
This isn’t the time to bust out a new exercise program. Do something you know and feel comfortable with. You don’t need to follow your usual routine. Choose a focus and write out a few exercises before you begin. We decided to focus on the upper body. But you might wish to simplify it further and do a simple squat routine or maybe practice handstands with no structured sets or reps, just mindful movement and play.
Bonus tip: If you feel overwhelmed and just can’t bring yourself to do some exercise while you’re travelling but want to do something so you don’t completely seize up, one thing you can do is sneak in some intentional movement.
Waiting in line? Do some shoulder circles.
Sitting on a plane? Stretch your fingers and wrists. Rotate your ankles.
Waiting for your flight to board? Sit in a squat.
You may not have time to do a thorough exercise session, so find times to practice some mindful movement.
So there you have it, 4 tips to help you stay consistent with your training while you’re travelling.
Probably the biggest take away is to be kind to yourself and keep things simple.
We hope this helps you to do as much or as little as you need to stay energised, less achy and stiff and motivated towards your goals!
