Travel is both easier and more enjoyable if you have a good level of fitness, but staying fit while travelling full time can be very challenging. It’s not always easy to stick to a routine when your location, available facilities and surrounding weather keep changing.
This is a simple breakdown of an exercise program that has worked for us while travelling through 8 countries across Asia for a year. That’s not to say that we stuck to the program every single day - we’re all human after all! But it is a great goal to aim to stick to as much as possible.
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Disclaimer: This is not a personal training guide and neither of us are personal trainers. This is simply something that has worked for us and which we wish to share. You should consult your own health care practitioner before beginning with any strenuous activities which you are not comfortable with.
Running
Running is a fantastic way to get cardiovascular exercise no matter where you are. All you need to have with you is a good pair of running shoes. If you aren’t already a runner, check out our How To Run 5km In 9 Weeks guide. We try to run a distance of 5-6kms at least 3-4 times per week and preferably not more than 3 days in a row, just to give our legs a break. Make sure to wear good running shoes and we find that using a fitness tracker really helps to motivate us and is also a great way to track your progress and allow you to easily measure your run distance in a new destination. These are our current fitness trackers:
We also find it easier to run while listening to music. Using a waterproof or sweatproof headset is best as you don't have to worry about sweating. Lisa absolutely loves her Sony Waterproof BlueTooth Headset because it also has a built-in MP3 Player which means you don't even need to have your smartphone with you.
Yoga
The benefits of doing regular yoga are far beyond most people's expectations. It doesn't matter how flexible you are or what physical shape you're in, yoga can be extremely beneficial to your overall wellbeing. Yoga can be as relaxing as simple stretches or as intense as a fast-paced workout. It can be used to improve strength and mobility both alone or in conjunction with other forms of exercise. We make use of the Yoga| Down Dog | Great Yoga Anywhere App, which allows you to choose your session duration, level of practice and focus area. Lisa has been using this app for more than 2 years now, does yoga about 4-5 times per week and cannot imagine life without this app (not sponsored)! We prefer to use a BlueTooth Headset so that we don't disturb anyone else who may be around. One of our best finds to improve our yoga experience is "yoga paws" - these allow you to enjoy a comfortable practice even when you don't have your yoga mat with you. They also give extra grip even on the best of yoga mats.
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)
High-Intensity Interval Training is a form of cardiovascular exercise consisting of alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods. Workouts are typically shorter than 30 minutes, which means it's a very efficient way to get a great workout in a short period of time. We make use of the HIIT Workout | Interval Training | Down Dog App, which allows you to choose a workout duration and focus area. You don't need any apparatus to do these workouts, which makes them perfect for full-time travellers or anyone during their travels. One can really benefit from doing at least 1-2 HIIT Workouts per week.
7-Minute Workout
This is great for those mornings when you have overslept and really don't have much time. You should see results from doing this 7-Minute Workout just 3-5 times per week. You don't need any apparatus to do these workouts, which makes them perfect for full-time travellers or anyone during their travels. We really love the 7 Minute Workout | Down Dog | Fit In Seven Min App, which allows you to choose your level of fitness and focus area and which creates various different 7-minute workouts so that they don't get boring!
