Workout On The Run

The challenge to maintain a workout routine isn’t easy. Our 9 till 5 work day is getting ever extended, and for some is a thing of the past. Working hours are longer, shifts disrupt routine and for me; travelling for work really messes with my plans. Travelling, although often seen as glamorous (and it is not without its plus points) does mean you leave your loved ones behind, your favourite evening rituals at home and your exercise regime out the window. For the former two there is not much I can do…and for that matter neither is there much I can do about my fitness routine in regard to there being a routine, but there is stuff we can do to keep up fitness levels or at least stop me from getting stale.

Workout while moving

When I travel I don’t travel light, I travel equipped. For my carry-on bag I load the backpack with power devices, my laptop, books, notepads, toiletries, power adaptors etc… The point is I keep it heavily equipped so one I am ready for a heap of delays if necessary and two its weight training. I go to the gym and do shoulder press, farmers walk, weighted lunges and the likes and have always tried to focus on being fit for purpose…well, here is my purpose; day to day life.

I try to use day to day life to further enhance my fitness to push me further to my goals. Every day I take the stairs, I walk the long way around, I park at the edge of the car park to get that extra bit of farmers walk training with the weekly shopping bags. Point is life is full of opportunities to improve, if only we avoid what we have built as humans (lifts, escalators and other short cutting devices) and use what mother nature built.

Home workout in the Hotel

Travelling around on trains, planes and automobiles can mean a lot of travelling on foot too. This gives me plenty of opportunities to do all the above and with heavy bags in hand. Even better, a whole day or days can go by without being able to hit the gym or go out for a run so skipping those travellators to journey down seemingly endless airport terminals acts as a great replacement and is all in a day’s work!

These tips, however, just take the edge off. I generally do look for a gym in the destination around or in my hotel but time isn’t always kind and gyms can be closed, ill fitted or just stuck for time when I have 45 minutes to meet my boss in the lobby for evening meal. I have found the best solution is hotel room workouts. They truly are brilliant and to be honest, are now a part of my routine at home. The apps and online videos available are free, effective, quick, require little space and generally no equipment and all I need to do is follow the leader!

Online resources

Whether travelling, low on income, a gym-o-phoebe or just stuck for time or inspiration then check out some of these resources for high quality, result driven workout routines for anyone from beginner through to advanced:

• Yoga With Tim – a wide variety of YouTube videos (235 at time of writing) as well as a Patreon option, Tim Senesi has 30 day runs and yoga routines to fine tune or rehabilitate and push you to your limits or pick any single video from a few minutes through to full 90 minute routines
• Millionaire Hoy – a massive array of videos (911 at time of writing) for all levels of fitness Millionaire Hoy will boost your abilities whoever you are and whatever your goals. All this for free or subscribe to his Patreon page for a complete well-rounded program that puts gym PT’s to shame.
• MadBarz App – Mad Barz has been around for years and primarily focused on calisthenics it is far more rounded that it ever has been. The app is slick, has no equipment options and great community and metrics to keep track of your progress.