Image: lululemon athletica
One of the most common challenges busy professionals face while away from home is keeping up with their fitness routine. A strange city, new surroundings, an unfamiliar schedule – all of these factors and more can contribute to all but derailing any healthy efforts. Here are a few tips to help manage the chaos and find opportunities to stay healthy, while in a home away from home, whether it’s PC Housing, or a hotel anywhere in the world.
1. BYO Gear
Come prepared with your athletic shoes and workout clothes. The first step in accomplishing any goal is to prep the necessary mise-en-place, and keeping fit away from home is no different. Bring travel friendly gear like a swimsuit, lightweight yoga mat, resistance bands or a collapsable exercise ball that you can inflate once you arrive at your location. You’ll be ready when you’re inspired to visit your hotel or PC Housing’s pool, spa or fitness center.
2. Be Creative
If you forget your workout equipment or can’t fit it in your carry-on, and you’d rather stay in your own room, you can always use everyday items as stand-ins. Large water bottles can double as hand weights. A standard room chair can be used for tricep dips. Perhaps one of the most therapeutic things to do at the end of a long busy day, is to stretch, with the help of a nice fluffy towel.
3. Be Sneaky
When fitness is on the brain, any life activity can also be used to optimize physical fitness. It’s as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. You can park farther away from your destination in order to sneak in a few extra steps. Do lunges, squats or calf raises while brushing your teeth, or waiting for the microwave to beep.
4. Be an Explorer
If you will be in one city for a while, be adventurous and get to know the neighborhood. Ask your barista for tips on the local hiking trails while you get your morning coffee. Look up your city on Yelp or Mosey on your lunch break. Take a walk around the block to see what hidden gems are just around the corner. Many local gyms even offer a free or low cost guest pass for short term visitors.
Image: YouTube
5. Switch It Up
Like any routine, it’s hard to stick with a fitness regime if it’s boring. Instead of doing the same old pilates DVD that you’ve had for years, look up some new moves on YouTube. You can find fun workouts of all kinds online, which translates to readily available (and free!) instruction by experts, in everything from pilates and yoga, to stretching and dancing.
While guests of PC Housing will always enjoy free access to their fitness center, others will need to do a little bit more research to make sure there is a gym as part of their hotel package. However, with so many resources at their fingertips, any traveler can stay fit while working or playing anywhere in the world, no matter where they stay.