I could shout this one from the rooftop: routine is SO incredibly important when you travel. Your body and your mind need consistency. You know from going to the gym at home that being consistent with your workouts is invaluable – the same goes when you travel! If you're away for an extended period of time, I highly recommend choosing a schedule and sticking to it. For me, at home I typically workout just before eating lunch but while traveling it's the first thing I do in the morning. Working out in the morning means it's finished early, I'm not too tired from the day, and I don't have to miss out an activity. I also only really commit to working out every other day while traveling whereas I typically workout every day when I'm home.
It's helpful to research what type of facility or equipment you will have access to when you're away. If it's a longer stay you might look at temporary gym memberships or maybe your accommodation has a dedicated fitness space. Find out what you are working with and plan your workouts accordingly (see below). While it's difficult to bring equipment with you, one thing I always travel with is a jump rope…it's lightweight, great for cardio, and easy to use inside or outside!
Go in with a plan of how you want to exercise, don't wait until you arrive! I'm a big fan of Kayla Itsine's BBG program and have a copy of the pdf book. When traveling, I bring a printed version of the book and commit to the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday model. I also have a few of my own circuits that I love so I'll bring those along as well. For longer trips (months), I mentally commit to something in addition to my circuit training, usually something that fits in with the culture of where I am staying!
This is what I mean by finding something that fits the culture… I am currently spending time in Bali so, in addition to my MWF circuit workouts, I've also been incorporating yoga and meditation into my schedule (because seriously nothing says Bali like yoga!). When I'm in the Canary Islands, I absolutely love to go for runs along Las Canteras promenade right on the beach. Depending on the place, I try to incorporate a nice running route, beautiful hikes, or even fitness classes so that I can get a flavor for how the locals stay fit!
I keep my circuits to less than 30 minutes! Don't start off trying to spend hours of your day exercising because the longer you spend one day the more likely you are to either skip the next or miss out on something. If you're really feeling stretched for time here are a few 7-minute workouts to try – these are great for something quick that still get's your muscles moving for the day!
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