A New Year, New Resolutions: How to Exercise on the Road

I hope you had a great holiday, however you celebrated, and that 2009 will be a year full of exciting travel experiences, happiness and success for you.

Common New Year’s resolutions among almost all age groups are exercising more, eating better, and living a healthier lifestyle. So, let’s talk about how to stay in shape while traveling.

If you thought a trip abroad was an excuse to revert to laziness, think again. Regardless of your location, budget, and current level of fitness, make a habit of getting some form of exercise every day. Combine that with healthy, nutritious food and you’ll have way more energy than the average traveler.

A few years ago I spent two months working at a summer camp in Michigan. Until then, I had never seen that many fast food restaurants (McDonald’s, KFC, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Burger King, White Castle, Diary Queen, Subway), or eaten that much junk food. I developed somewhat of a sugar-addiction over there. One day I even ate ice-cream for breakfast. Once we got to New York I started eating healthier and instantly felt more energetic. Huge difference. You really are what you eat.

As for exercising, you’ve got a lot of options once you’ve arrived in a new destination.

Yoga

So far I’ve done yoga in hotel rooms all over Europe, on beaches, in hostel dorm rooms, in Hostelling International New York‘s private garden on the Upper West Side, and in different parks. As long as you know some basic yoga positions and movements, you can do yoga on your own basically anywhere.

Walking/Jogging

Some hotels offer palm-sized jogging and walking route maps to guests, which is especially great for those who tend to worry about getting lost. If that’s not the case, you can always go jogging by yourself in the nearby area. Anyone can jog. Living in a beach bungalow? Only own a pair of flip flops? Jog barefoot along the water in the morning.

Swimming

During our stay in Nidri on Lekfas, Greece, we went swimming in the sea, or in the pool, almost every day before breakfast. If your hotel or hostel doesn’t offer a pool, or easy access to the sea, perhaps you can visit a local bathing house or gym with in-door pool facilities?

Cycling

When I lived at a hostel near Earl’s Court in London guests could lend bicycles for free. At the Hauptbahnhof in Zurich, Switzerland, you can lend bikes at no cost providing you leave your passport before pedaling off. Copenhagen, Malmö, Berlin, Amsterdam and Barcelona are all great European destinations for cycling, and US cities such as Boulder, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Chicago will not disappoint either.

Hitting the gym

For those who’re lucky to stay in a 4 or 5-star hotel, take the opportunity to get a good work out in the hotel’s gym. Pick a time for exercising and stick to your decision, no matter how tempting the mini-bar and cable channel options are. If you sign up as a member at a local gym, you can often gain access to all of their branches throughout the country, sometimes even the world.

Wherever and however exercise, don’t forget to have fun while you’re at it. So, choose an activity that best suits your personality, lifestyle and location.