Travel Fitness Tips
I love to travel! But, I also love to eat and my daily fitness routines at home tend to go out the window whenever I travel. So, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite, easy exercises that you can do anywhere---in a hotel, in a car and even on an airplane! They are also easy exercises that can be done at home if you don't have time to go to the gym.
Remember to always drink lots of water, bring at least one pair of leggings or comfortable shorts and your tennis shoes. I also encourage you to always place a clean towel on the floor in your hotel room whenever doing these exercises because hotel floors have all kinds of germs.
Have fun using these fitness tips and share your own travel fitness tips with us in the comment section below! Happy Adventures!
Travel Fitness Tips
1. Forward Fold (Hamstring & Calf Muscles)
After practicing yoga for years, I realized that one of the best ways to help bring good circulation back into my legs, hips and back is by doing a forward fold.
First, slowly fold forward with your feet hips distance apart. Try to touch your toes or the floor if you can, but only go down until your calf muscles and hamstrings begin to burn. (Don't hurt yourself.)
Second, stick your tailbone high and slowly bring your hands up your shins to give your back and tailbone a good stretch along with your hamstrings and calf muscles.
I use this stretch daily whenever I get up from sitting at my desk a long time, out of a long car ride or flight, and sometimes while I'm blow drying my hair. It's a wonderful way to warm up your back and legs without needing equipment or any other items.
2. Wall Sits (Quads, Butt & Back)
Wall sits have been a go-to strength exercise for me since my old volleyball days in high school. It's a wonderful way to strengthen your legs, tighten your butt and strengthen your back muscles and abs to gain better posture. This is such a simple exercise that can be done anywhere---in your home, at work, in a hotel room or even in an airport terminal. I have done these everywhere!
One of the other pluses to wall sits is that they are a great way to prevent hip, knee and ankle injuries because they strengthen all the large and small muscles around those areas of the body. See how long you can hold a wall sit! (I even brush my teeth to pass the time while doing wall sits!)
3. Tree Pose (Hips, Butt & Balance)
As we get older, one of the first things we lose is our balance and ability to hold our own weight. That's why I love the tree pose because it not only strengthens my hips, butt, back and abs, but it also helps keep me "on my toes". This pose can be tricky for beginners, so I encourage you to hold onto something solid (counter or wall) while practicing the pose. Once you get it down, try doing it in the bathroom while you brush your teeth or while you talk on the phone. You will actually find that your muscles will strengthen when your mind is thinking about something else.
4. Plank Hold (Arms, Shoulders, Back, Abs & Butt)
Growing up as an athlete, I used to pride myself on doing "guy-style" push-ups but as I got older I realized that my wrists and elbows would get tendinitis if I did too many regular style push-ups. So, that's when I began to do yoga and discovered the powerful PLANK! You can do this pose on your hands or on your elbows. I try to hold it for at least thirty seconds. Make sure to keep your abs and butt tight so you don't have any back pain and get the best strength exercise from the pose.
This can be done on a hotel floor with a towel underneath of you or outside at a park or while your toddler is watching cartoons! It's fantastic!
5. One-Legged Camel Crunch (Abs, Back, Arms, Hips & Butt)
Many fitness instructors have different names for this pose, but I like to call it my one-legged camel crunch because strengthens my abs and butt at the same time while not straining my neck like regular crunches tend to do. First, start on all fours and lift one leg as high as you can behind you while tightening your abs and butt. If you can master this stretch, then try lifting the opposite arm forward to create a harder balancing pose. Do 15-20 lifts on each leg, then take a break by leaning back into a child's pose (lying flat over your hips with your nose to the floor).
6. Side-Plank (Arms, Hips & Abs)
The side-plank is a great balancing pose that strengthens your core, arms, butt and shoulders. Lay sideways on a rug or towel, prop yourself up on one elbow and lift your top leg 6-8 inches into the air. Hold the leg in the air for 10 seconds and then slowly release it back down. Do this 5-10 times on each leg all the while holding your abs and butt as still as possible when moving the top leg.
7. Bicycle Crunches (Abs)
Abs are always a "sore subject" for women, especially after having a baby. But, I have found that doing slow bicycle crunches can really help flatten your stomach and strengthen your core to have better posture for long-term health. First, lay flat on a rug, towel or mat. Then, cradle your hands behind your head (do not lace your fingers). Lift your legs off the floor and slowly bring one leg to try to touch your nose while meeting it with the opposite elbow. Try your best to pull the leg and elbow together with the strength of your core, not your neck. Do 10-15 reps rotating each leg.
8. Chair Pose (Thighs, Butt & Shoulders)
When I began practicing yoga, the chair pose became one of my favorite poses because it helped me gain more elongated muscle in my thighs, tightened my butt and gave me beautifully sculpted shoulders. First, stand with your feet a few inches apart and sit back with your butt sticking out as if you're going to sit on a chair. Then, raise both arms up to the sky as if you are reaching for a large, heavy bag or child. Hold the pose for 30 seconds and then sit back even deeper keeping your back straight and rear tight. Come out of this pose slowly so you don't hurt your back and shake your legs to gain circulation.
I hope these simple exercises will help you feel more energized, healthy, strong and invigorated for all your summer adventures ahead! Please, comment below with your own fitness travel tips so we can share them with all our readers!
Happy Adventures & Safe Travels!
Here are more cool downloads to take with you on the road that we've added to the pile from some of our favorite yoga bloggers!
BASIC YOGA POSES - DOWNLOAD
HOT YOGA POSES - DOWNLOAD
