There are two kinds of travelers, both of which are perfectly valid: Those who workout on vacation and those who vacation from their workout. Which one are you?
While it seems so nice and relaxing to do without working out in my travels, the reality is very different for both my husband and me. We both feel more anxious, less rested (exercise fights jet lag!), and more out-of-sorts when we go more than a day without working out on vacation. It doesn’t have to be anything major; just a walk, a 15-minute HIIT workout, or a 30 minute run is enough to help us start every vacation day right. The important thing is to move!
This post isn’t meant to make anyone feel guilty for taking a few days, or your entire vacation, off from exercising. This is intended to give you some ideas if you do want to workout in your travels, whether or not your hotel has a gym available. If you need it like we need it, here are some apps to help you thrive outside your routine, think outside the box, and travel outside the suitcase!
*Note: This post is not sponsored. These are my honest opinions to help you travel better!
Katie Austin App
This one is particularly helpful if you’re a beginner, or if you definitely won’t have a gym available! You can try it out FREE for the first week, and from there, plans start at just $9.99, making it one of the least expensive options out there. Katie’s workouts are easily modified, so you can make them harder or lower impact as needed. Because her target audience includes (but isn’t limited to) young women in college, many of her workouts are dorm-friendly–which translates nicely to “hotel-friendly” as well.
You also need little to no equipment, so you have no excuses! I also love that her weekly plans take away the stress of deciding what to do while you’re in that pre-coffee, jet lagged state. Literally all you need to do is press play!
3 Reasons Travelers Love It
- Little or No Equipment Required Options Available
- Hotel-friendly Options Available (no jumping)
- Daily Calendar (you don’t have to make any choices about what to do)
My Honest Review: The Katie Austin App
Moms Into Fitness App
Okay, I’m not a mom, and I LOVE this app, so don’t let the name fool you! Lindsay, who will be leading you in the app, is like your own personal cheerleader, which I find to be really encouraging when I don’t want to work out, but know that I’ll feel better if I do. She has multiple plans to choose from if you want some structure (with built-in rest days, don’t worry!), or if you’re a free spirit and like to try new things, you can mix it up with barre, HIIT, cardio, strength, boxing, pilates, and more types of workouts! You will definitely find something you like.
The other thing I love about her 600+ workout videos is that they are searchable by duration. So if you only have 10 minutes to move your body before you have get ready to catch your flight, you can do it. If you need a 40-minute session for your own sanity after a 19-hour flight, you can find plenty of options! Time is everything on travel, y’all.
3 Reasons Travelers Love It
- Little or No Equipment Required Options Available
- Structure
- Search By Duration, Equipment, Etc. Available
My Honest Review: The Moms Into Fitness App
Kira Stokes Fit App
It’s no joke when Kira Stokes calls her app users “App-letes!” This is truly an athlete’s app, so if you want a more advanced app to use, this is the one. That said, Kira is always encouraging app users to modify when necessary, and she has plenty of beginner and moderate workouts to follow, too. You’ll be encouraged to push yourself, but not pressured to go beyond your capabilities. Kira is great with helping you find your own balance.
What I love most, though, is her attitude that “the gym is everywhere.” She’s on Instagram using playgrounds, fences, rocks, palm trees, whatever she comes across, as her workout equipment! But what’s also nice is that much of the equipment she does use on the app are travel-friendly: bands, gliders, jump rope, blow-up yoga ball, etc. She even has her own line of travel-friendly equipment on her website!
3 Reasons Travelers Love It
- Travel-friendly Equipment Available (many workouts do not requite dumbbells)
- Little or No Equipment Options Available
- Variety of Plans to Follow or Mix-and-Match Videos
My Honest Review: The Kira Stokes Fit App
YouTube
I’m a late adopter of YouTube. I’m not afraid to admit it! But despite my own tardiness, I’ve started making the most of my fitness via YouTube! This is especially helpful in winter, when it’s too dark, too icy, and too cold to run outside regularly. If you don’t have a YouTube subscription, there will be commercials in the middle of some of the most popular workout videos on the app, but it’s not disruptive enough to me yet to make me want to pay for it–I would prefer to use my money for travel!
Some of my favorite YouTubers to follow for fitness purposes are Katie Austin Fit, BodyFit by Amy, Self, and I have a few travel-friendly workouts on the app as well!
3 Reasons Travelers Love It
- Save Videos to Your Own Playlists
- Follow Multiple Fitness Influencers and Organizations
- Variety of Workout Types Available
Watch one of my videos: Workout with One Piece of Equipment: One Agility Line
Instagram has it’s pros and cons, just alike anything else (I have a love/hate relationship with it!), but in 2020 Instagram Live became a fitness lifeline while gyms were closed, and while people were still afraid to workout in a gym or group fitness setting. But even before that, I got ideas from instagram for my own workouts all the time! Fitness “influencers” regularly post exercise moves or tips to their feeds, and you can save them with the little flag down under the bottom right corner of any given post.
Some Instagrammers I like to follow are Kira Stokes Fit (see her signature moves to see if her app is something you want to try), Morit Summers, Milestone Wellness, Erin Oprea, Jason and Lauren Pak, and Lindsay Brin Fitness. A word of caution: Anyone can call themselves an “influencer,” whether or not they have actual education, experience, and credentials to make them an actual professional. Be careful who you follow, and check them out a little bit before you trust them with your fitness!
3 Reasons Travelers Love It
- FREE
- Save Workouts You Like for Later
- Follow Multiple Fitness Influencers
Read next: How to Practice Self Care on Travel
Map My Run
This is the fitness app I’ve been using the longest! I don’t really run for mileage, time, or a calorie count, but it’s nice that the app keeps up with all that for me. And I do love that it shows me a map of my run, walk, or hike both at home and abroad. It’s FREE, and to be honest, it’s helped me find my way back to my hotel more than once in my travels! You and your running friends can follow each other, and it’ll send them a notification when you complete a workout, which is a fun way to motivate each other (this can be disabled if you don’t want to use it, of course).
3 Reasons Travelers Love It
- FREE
- Record Runs, Hikes, Cycle Sessions, HIIT Workouts, Etc.
- Have a Map of Your Travel Running Routes
More here: How to Run Anywhere on Travel
Bonus: The Best Travel Fitness Equipment
You can get an amazing workout using just your bodyweight, a bench a step, a set of stairs, or a playground you come across in your travels–that is indisputable! But if you have limited space or it’s not safe to workout outside (hello, 124 degrees F in Qatar or 22 hours of darkness in Alaska!), a few travel-friendly pieces of equipment will help you get your workout in wherever you are!
Loop Bands
If you only choose one of the items listed here, make it a set of loop bands. The possibilities of what you can do are endless, and while they’re often called “booty bands,” you can definitely a FULL body workout with these!
Gliders
If you know you’ll have either carpet or a smooth, hard floor surface (tile is not good for these), a set of gliders will take your workout to the next level. Choose an option that has a hard surface and a soft surface, so you can workout with either one!
Cross-training Shoes
Whether you prefer to run, HIIT, lift, or do something else, you need solid, supportive shoes to protect your joints, legs, and back. Change them out regularly so that the wear and tear they take on don’t get passed back to you! Every body (and every foot!) is different, but here are my favorites:
Arm Band for Your Phone
Personally, I’m more likely to carry my phone or put it in my leggings pocket while I’m traveling, so I’ll have it easily available for photo opportunities. However, if I’m just wanting to get the run done quickly or want to have my hands free, I use an arm band. They’re very convenient! Here is the one I use:
Jump Rope
Don’t have the right weather or a good place to go for a run? That’s okay! A jump rope will give you an excellent cardio workout in just a little space. Even better: It’s easy to pack and takes up practically no space!
Want more? Take a look at my Health and Wellness Page!
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