It's a challenge to fit in regular workouts when traveling. You spend long days packed with meetings or sightseeing, diet-derailing dinners, and not much "me" time. You're also far from your gym and your usual routine, and that can wreck motivation. Despite a hectic schedule and unfamiliar surroundings, it's still possible to say fit on the road
1. Make Use of the Hotel Gym
Don't ignore what is only an elevator ride away. Many business hotels provide complimentary access to a fitness center. Schedule a strength session with the gym's free weights and machines. Slip out of bed a little early in the morning to blast away calories on the treadmill, elliptical machine, or indoor rower. Many business-oriented hotels keep their fitness centers open 24 hours, which makes it easy to schedule a workout.
2. Pack Your Swimsuit
As a companion to the fitness center, many hotels have indoor or outdoor pools. A swimsuit and goggles take up very little space in your suitcase. Use them to swim laps for at least 30 minutes. Not a swimmer? Create a challenging workout by running in the pool's shallow end and performing sets of drills. Toning exercises include bicycles, scissor kicks, and double leg lifts with your arms resting on the pool edge, jumping jacks, knee-tuck jumps (jump high and bring both knees to your chest), bounding exercises, and pull-ups with the ladder. Are you tired yet?
3. Download an App
Load your smartphone with your favorite workout apps. Nike+ Training Club features more than 100 workouts, most of which take 30 to 45 minutes and require no equipment. Daily Burn gives you a group class experience and includes routines led by expert trainers, including "The Biggest Loser" star Bob Harper. For a short, intense workout, try in-room High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Some options, such as HIIT on the Go, can be done anywhere. This one leaves you drenched in only 12 minutes.
4. Use Your Body Weight
Aim for at least 20 minutes of continuous upper-body, lower-body, and core-strengthening moves. Pick six of your favorites: jump squats, burpees, running in place with high knees, pushups, situps, planks, side planks, and jumping jacks. Do each exercise for 30 seconds, only resting for 10 seconds before moving to the next exercise. Complete the circuit three times, resting for one minute in between circuits.
5. Jump Rope
A jump rope is a simple, portable tool that helps you torch calories. Jumping rope burns an average of 10 calories a minute and strengthens your calves, glutes, shoulders, and arms. Warm up for 10 minutes by bouncing from foot to foot without the rope. Next, aim for 25 simple jumps (50 if you're ambitious) and rest for 30 seconds. You can up the intensity with faster jumps, high-knee jumps, and single-leg jumps. If you're not that jump rope savvy, stick with simple jumps for at least 20 minutes. Two 10-minute sessions will give you equal results.
6. Pack Your Running Shoes
Getting cabin fever from being cooped up in a hotel conference room all day? Put on your running shoes and explore the outdoors. Ask the hotel concierge for good running or walking trails nearby. You can explore a new city while getting some fresh air and much-needed exercise. For mobile-friendly running route assistance, check out the RunGo app. It points you to running routes in cities across the U.S. and has voice navigation to keep you on course. MapMyRun not only lets you track and map every run, but it also discovers new routes thanks to its 40 million-member runner community.
How do you stay fit on the road? Share your on-the-go fitness tips with us on Facebook.
