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A while back, I wrote an article about keeping up your fitness routine while traveling.  That article had a couple of solid, though vague, tips on how to avoid letting your vacation ruin all of your fitness progress.  In this article, I am going to give you 7 concrete tips that you can follow while you’re traveling to make sure you keep on top of your routine.

1. Download the 6 Pack App for the iPhone.

There are a couple of great apps out there for the iPhone, and the 6 Pack App is one that I personally use.  It provides visuals for how to do each exercise, but the reason it’s so good for using while you travel is because it has a special workout for people that are away from a gym.  Actually, it’s the “Travel” workout.  It provides you with a set of exercises that you can do when you’re away from a set of weights.

2. Use your luggage for weights.

I once went on an international trip where one of my friends packed a set of dumbbells.  She was hardcore.  I’m guessing you’re not that intense (heck, I’m not).  But I gotta say, it really hurts to not have any weights when you want to do some lifting.  An easy way to remedy this is to use your luggage for weights.  If you have any densely packed duffel bags, you can do a lot of different exercises, including curls, tricep lifts, tricep kickbacks, shoulder lifts, lunges, and a variety of others.

3. Focus on body weight resistance exercises.

Even if you don’t have any dumbbells or heavy bags, you can still work out your muscles.  Focus on doing supersets between different groups, using body weight resistance.  For example, one day, you can work out your chest, abs, and triceps.  Your routine could look something like this:

Pushups – as many as you can do
Bench dips – as many as you can do
Lying leg lifts – as many as you can do

Rest for 1 minute, then repeat continuously

4. Exercise in the morning

You should aim to exercise early, before your daily travel activities get going.  If you wait until the end, chances are you’ll be too drunk, too tired, away from your room, or stranded on the side of a highway without any knowledge of where the best man is (points to those who know where that’s from).

5. Run outside

If you’re used to running on a treadmill, you may have to change up your routine and run outside.  In fact, if you’re near a beach, one of the best exercises you can do is to run on the sand.  This will give your legs a real workout, and the cardio benefits you’ll gain will be just as good, if not better, than your normal treadmill routine.

6. Do stairs

Running up stairs is one of the best cardio exercises you can get.  Chances are you’ll be near a stairwell that will be relatively empty and primed for you to start using, especially if you’re working out in the morning.  By doing 20-30 minutes of stair sprints, you can get in some great interval training.

7. Bring a jump rope

If you’re really gung-ho about your cardio, you should bring a jump rope with you.  By doing this, you’ll be able to get in a great cardio workout without having to go to the gym.  Since you’ll already have your equipment, all you’ll need to do is find some open space, such as at a park, or the beach!

Workout out while traveling is hard, but it’s doable.  If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be able to accommodate your lifting and cardio routines while you’re away from your home gym.  Just make sure to stay consistent and you’ll be just fine.