I have 2 passions: fitness & traveling the world

But how can I have both?  To get in shape don’t you have to be type A, routine obsessed & married to the gym?  What if I don’t have a gym in my hotel? What if I don’t have access to dumbbells & an elliptical? I’m on vacation I just want to relax.

If you’re guilty of any of the above thoughts, you’re not alone.  Unfortunately, social media bombards us with the idea that we have to have the most advance equipment, do the sexiest exercises, & live in the gym 7 days a week in order to get any type of results.  Fortunately, this simply isn’t the case.

This article was inspired by my most recent 2 week trip
to Thailand & Indonesia, in which some of these thoughts flooded my mind prior to taking off.  I’d be lying if I told you I don’t crave structure & routine, so its safe to say I took a step outside of my comfort zone to float freely around the world without a day-to-day agenda.  But as much as I crave structure, I crave adventure even more.  So I grabbed a couple easy-to-pack essentials and made it work.

Fit Traveler Essentials:

• Lacrosse Ball
• Jump Rope
• Mini Band

TIMING
When traveling, whether for work or pleasure, its very easy to fall into the mind trap of “It’s been a long day, I’m exhausted… maybe tomorrow.”  Avoid this by planning your workouts early in the morning before you get distracted by the day that awaits you.  Wake up 30 minutes earlier than normal and get to work. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel once you have 20-30 minutes of high intensity work under your belt before beginning your day.

STAY LOOSE
Whether your flying around the world, or driving across the country, traveling typically involves a lot of sitting.  And a lot of sitting results in a lot of tight hips.  This is where we take advantage of our handy lacrosse ball to apply gentle pressure to trigger points (aka knots) to help with blood circulation and range of motion.  While I was away, I used this gem every morning & night to release the tension in the arch of my feet which made a drastic difference in my day to day activity. Also, after a long plane or car ride I would take the ball to my glutes and psoas to massage the tight spots.  Lastly, I recommend using your lacrosse ball to relieve neck and shoulder tension by standing with the ball in between your back and the wall and working the knots out for a couple minutes.  Unfortunately, this process is not supposed to feel good. This isn’t your relaxing spa day… but I promise it will do your body wonders in the long run.

USE YOUR SURROUNDINGS
One of the best parts of traveling is getting to see and experience how the rest of the world lives. Its so easy to get caught up in the fast pace of our regularly scheduled programming that, as Americans, we’re the first one’s to jump in a cab to get to our point of interest faster.  I’m definitely guilty of this too! However, while traveling, I encourage you to slow down and take the time to walk a couple miles to your destination.  Traveling to Thailand & Bali was by far one of the best places to take advantage of this plan.  Whether we were walking up and down (what felt like) a mile of stairs to get to a waterfall, or swimming through the ocean & climbing over rocks to get to the beach… it’s safe to say our bodies were getting a workout.

Hopefully by now we have debunked the myth that fitness & adventure don’t go hand in hand.  The most important thing is that you always make the most of every new place you visit, but taking care of you body at the same time will keep you coming back for more.  If you’re tired of starting over… don’t quit!

Fit Traveler Workouts

• Jump Rope
  2 min on, 1 min rest x 10

• Body Weight Tabata

1. 10 Rounds: 20 seconds work / 10 seconds rest
   1. BW Squats
   2. Push Ups
   3. High Plank Shoulder Taps
   4. Mountain Climbers

• Power Circuit

1. Mini Band Squat x 10
   • Jump Squat x 5
2. Mini Band Lateral Walks x 10ea
   • Lateral Bound x 5ea
3. Reverse Lunge x 10ea
   • Split squat Jump x 5ea
4. Push Up x 10
   • Mountain Climbers x 20ea