HOLIDAY TRAVEL-FRIENDLY WORKOUT OPTIONS
Maintaining a workout routine while traveling can be tough, but maintaining a workout routine while traveling during the holiday season? It can feel like a whole other level of challenge. If your holiday travels resemble anything akin to when my husband and I travel back to visit my family this time of year, “stressful” simply doesn’t fully encompass the perils of winter travel, divorced parents and their separate holiday events, and trying in earnest to respect my introverted limits.
Start with Just Doing Something
A great way to help maintain a workout routine is simply to continue doing something physically active during your travels. Bonus: it also helps maintain a sense of stability and stress release in what may be an overwhelming time of year. What you may have at your disposal may vary greatly from what you’re used to at PFP, but being open-minded about classifying various activities as a workout may provide decent substitutions and help your frame of mind and routine adherence.
Whether traveling somewhere warmer or cooler, outdoor activities are usually a nice option: swimming, hiking, speed walking, running, biking, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, tossing children into fresh powder, building snow forts, et cetera. For those more inclined to remain indoors but without equipment, simply finding a space where you can move freely can open many options: air/bodyweight variations on the movements you may be doing at PFP can be a great way to increase heart rate and actively stretch-out your muscles – assuming you’re working through your full, natural range of motion with good technique, of course! According to the American Heart Association, stealing even a few minutes at a time for physical activity can have a positive impact on health, ideally accumulating at least 150-minutes of activity within a week (or at least 75-minutes for more intense physical activity). Though, if not able to hit the AHA’s targets during the holidays, no need to stress – allow yourself to be satisfied with whatever workouts or physical activity you’re able to get in while away and improve your workout success by resuming your regular workouts as soon as is reasonable upon returning from your travels.
When Equipment Isn’t An Option
Equipment-less exercise ideas (be sure anything on a different height is with a safe and stable object):
Air/bodyweight variations of your favorites:
Squats (variations: front-foot elevated, single-leg)
Split squats and lunges (variation: jump each rep)
RDLs (variations: b-stance, single-leg)
Push-ups (variations: lowering-only, from the knees, angled with hands on an elevated and steady object)
Running in place
Hips
Glute bridges (2-legged, 1-legged, alternating legs)
Hip dips, heel taps
Adductor side planks (sometimes referred to as Copenhagen planks)
Hip sways (side-to-side mobility)
High-knee running in place
Trunk stability
Planks and side planks (variations: elbow/shoulder taps, up-downs, alternating spiderman crawl/legs)
Deadbugs
Inchworms (bonus: can add a plank hold or push-up)
Crunches (only the shoulder blades come off the floor)
Leg raises
Struggling to Stay Active During Holiday Chaos? Let’s Make It Easier!
Whether you're traveling or juggling the season’s demands, staying consistent with your workouts can feel like a challenge—but you don’t have to do it alone. Book a session with a PFP personal trainer and pick their brain about options that may work for you so you can keep fitness in your holiday schedule.
And as the New Year approaches, there's no better time to commit to your goals. Kick-off 2024 strong by signing up for one of our group classes today!