Hotel Fitness
Thursday, June 11, 2009Well, starting today I am on the road until June 29th, Yes that is correct, I get home the day before our big summer camp with Greg & Laura Derrett. John is not fond of me planning like this but it couldn’t be avoided. I am in Toronto for the weekend then off to Auburn, Washington to work with those wild and crazy westerners.
I like to work out in the mornings when I at home, but it gets more difficult on the road. So any of you out there that also travel a lot or have a special insight into fitness, do you have any ideas how to get a good workout while on the road?
At home I mix things up with cardio and weights (preferring my medicine & kettle ball work to machines). I used to deflate and re-inflate my exercise ball with every new hotel I got to, but lately I haven’t had room for a lot of extras in my suitcase since the airlines got tough with how much weight I can carry (dog equipment takes priority of course:)).
So I throw it out to all of you, any ideas for me? You guys have never let me down yet when I have turned to you for suggestions, so how about it?
Although my first 4 days on the road are at a “dog-less” event, I am grateful I get to take two dogs with me for the rest of my time away from home.
Susan Garrett's Dog Training Blog 
If you do a search for ‘exercise bands’ and ‘exercise tubing’ you should come up with a bunch of excercises and places to buy. They’re cheap, light, and don’t take up a lot of space. As for cardio you can do the obvious and take a walk or a run. Or a jumprope is another option. If you’re pressed for time and you can find a park or field nearby, Tabata sprints http://crossfitlp.com/200806/tabata-sprints/ are a quick, efficient way to get in a good running workout.
Crossfit http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/what-crossfit.html uses lots of exercises that don’t require equipment but it might be a good idea to take a few classes and learn how to do them before trying on your own.
Not that I actually do it, but you can use water bottles of various sizes, purchased on site, for weights, and resistance bands take up no space at all. I have also seen fillable weights that you put water into- they might be easier to handle than water bottles.
Every hotel has stairs tht you can go up and done or just step on/off.
I find that shopping is great aerobic activity.
I think you have your running shoes with you anyway. So you could have a morning jogging. Its very enjoyable, you also get a change to look around a bit and get more familiar with the surrounding. And when you stay in the same place for several days, you can make a different trip every morning. And 10 push-ups on each corner:)
Bodyweight exercises work well for me even at home. Squats, lunges, pushups, chinups (oh if I could only do 1!), burpees (with a step instead of a box if those are too easy), dips with a chair, v-ups….
Check out Gubernatrix’s video on bodyweight workouts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZslnSxzhJkg
Also BodyTribe.com has a great website on functional fitness, with some of the coolest vids on YouTube. Good to inspire while in a hotel room maybe! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP6g3F7gPwU
Have a great trip!
I make sure to stay at hotels with at least a treadmill. Nowadays, most hotels have more than that! Aloft hotels have awesome fitness centers with all you could ever want. Kimpton boutique hotels offer workout DVDs and they’ll bring a stability ball up to your room for you! (They also offer a service where they will set up a goldfish in your room so you won’t get lonely. 🙂 But if your hotel is truly without any amenities, you could do a calisthenic routine, lunges, push-ups, crunches, squats and then take a walk or jog around the hotel hallways or outside if it’s in a good area. If you have your laptop with you, there are several good places with workout videos online. Sparkpeople.com has some great ones!
I recently found this strength routine that needs no weights but is surprisingly challenging. Works the core, legs, and arms.
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/at-home-workouts-0
Cheers,
Christine
I have a great DVD “Yoga Short Forms” by David Swenson..It has a 15 minute, a 30 minute, and a 45 minute work out and a 10 minute relaxation(something for every occasion). If you have your computer you can do it in any hotel room. The DVD pushes me to do it…also sometimes I think of time away to take an exercise break, or to try something new in the hotel fitness room…or just a walk(an exercise walk without dogs).
It’s harder in some B & Bs or private homes…
Have a great trip..I’m looking forward to others suggestions too
Susan
Hi Susan,
When we travel we will sometimes bring along are “rubber bands”. (That’s what our trainer calls them) They pack right up and weigh nothing, great for strength exercises. You can do a whole body work out in 15min. I feel sometimes videos can be a little noisey in hotel rooms, so I would rather choose music from an ipod and turn it up.
hope to see you soon, Beth
Dont know about anyone else but with giant schnauzers and wire crates its plenty of a workout carrying the crate up and down the hotel stairs!! WHEW!
I have used a lead/longline as a jump rope to get some quick cardio and of course the end of the bed or chairs for some strength training (dips etc.) You may be surprised to see how difficult it is to do pushups on a bed (remember talkin exercise here!) the uneven and soft surface is a proprioception and strength workout.
Have a great trip!
You have agility equipment with you? Use it!
Nothing wrong with weaving! Try the 2×2 if necessary 🙂
I wonder if you can hook your Wii Fit up to your laptop?? I’m sure most hotels have a decent TV but who knows if they have the right connections. The Wii is small enough to fit in a large purse or carry-on…is that a crazy idea?
Yoga is a great way to stay focused and strengthened…and you don’t need anything to do it….of course to start you may want purchase a video or something…but once you get the hang of it you won’t need anything but your self to practice it daily!
Maybe go back to basics, I travel hugely with my work and I usually take my young dog. I find tugging and circle work, is quite a work out! I get 2 for one, train the pup and stay active. 🙂
I use Handbrake (free software you can download online) to convert my workout DVDs to files you can upload onto a video iPod so I can bring them on the road. Water bottles or weights you can fill with water work well.
My favorite DVDs are Core Fusion. They have classes in NYC and are hard core strength training that works every muscle in your body. The DVD cuts it down into 10 minute segments (good for when you can’t fit in a while workout on the road).
For cardio, jumping rope is really effective in a small amount of time. Plus the jump rope doesn’t take up a lot of space!
JoAnna
LOVE my new free podcast download from ITunes – called Podrunners Intervals – Walk / Run 5K program – music’s upbeat and changes for intervals! Works for a treadmill, morning walk or a lunch break walk!
Lynda
How about signing up for a local class? Yoga, step whatever. You’ll meet new people, and who knows what opportunities that will bring. …of course I am thinking viral marketing opportunity…
Seeing as you could *probably* manage to shape these few behaviors, why not add dog weight into some of the typical “body weight” exercises?
1. Down-stay on your back during pushups
2. Hind feet on your thighs for squats
3. Front paw pushes (think almost hopping) on your obliques while doing planks
Hotels with stairs at either end of hall ways make for great sprint interval training areas. Sprint from one stait case to the other, recovering on the stairs on your way to the next floor.
Hope this could help!
Emily & Heist