Fitness: Don't Leave Home Without It

Squeezing in a workout is tough enough during your daily routine. When you’re traveling, whether for business or vacation, it often seems hopeless. It’s not. With a little creativity, planning and determination, you can stick with your fitness regimen no matter where you roam. Here are six ways to do it.

1. Go clubbin’.
   The easiest workout solution when traveling is to hit a well-equipped local health club, where you can swim, ride, run, walk, lift weights, take an exercise class, etc. Some hotels offer on-premises equipment (though it’s usually limited), while others make arrangements with nearby health clubs so guests can work out for a reasonable fee. If you can’t find a club, or exercising indoors doesn’t excite you, here are some options...
   
   
2. Pack your shoes.
   Running and walking may be the best traveling workouts. The equipment doesn’t take up much space in your suitcase. You can do either activity almost anywhere, whether you’re power-breakfasting in Manhattan or kicking it on Bora Bora. Running is especially time-efficient, so you can get an excellent workout in less than an hour, even in sketchy weather. Bring a reflective vest and small flashlight if you have to run in the dark. (And always take ID.) Staying in a high-rise hotel? Jog the stairs if the neighborhood’s not running-friendly. For the skinny on running all over the country, visit the Road Runners Club of America’s Web site (http://www.rrca.org).
   
   
3. Shrink your bike.
   Gotta ride? Traveling with a conventional bike can be inconvenient (packing it, lugging it); expensive ($100-plus roundtrip for many domestic airlines); and worrisome (love those baggage handlers). You could try to rent a bike at your destination—popular resort areas offer the best hope. Elsewhere you never know what, if anything, will be available. (Another option: Save money by shipping your regular mount to a local bike shop, which can assemble it for you.) Or, get a special travel bike. One of our favorites is Bike Friday (http://www.greengear.com). It rides like a conventional machine (unlike many folding bikes) but has 20-inch wheels and quickly disassembles to fit in its own suitcase. Or get a bike built with a coupling system that lets you split the frame in half to fit in a case. (Visit S and S Machine’s website (http://www.garlic.com/steve/index.html) Bad weather or limited daylight? Pack a folding resistance trainer for your bike so you can ride in your room.
   
   
4. Get wet.
   Your swim stuff doesn’t take up much luggage space. The problem is finding a pool—a real pool. Many hotels advertise “Olympic-size” pools that turn out to be kidney-shaped bathtubs. Visit the pool finder at the U.S. Masters Swimming web site http://www.usms.org, which has a national database of places to swim. No dice? Join a discussion group and ask for help. Still no luck? Head for your hotel’s glorified duck pond and do technique drills.
   
   
5. Pump it up.
   You can get a good strength-training workout in your hotel room. (No, you don’t have to pack barbells.) Try a 20- to 30-minute circuit featuring crunches, jumping jacks, toe touches, push-ups, and dips (using one or two sturdy chairs); and body-weight leg exercises such as squats, lunges and step-ups (onto a bed or chair). For pulling exercises, pack a doorframe-mounted, expandable chin-up bar or a set of large rubber bands (the kind often used by rehab patients) that you can tie to a doorknob or bed leg for exercises like seated rows. (These items are available at sporting-goods stores.) Try jumping rope, too.
   
   
6. Skate away.
   You’re not into running or walking. You don’t have access to a bike, pool, or health club. Fear not. Pack some inline skates, a helmet and pads (or rent some). Presto: a low-impact, high-energy workout-to-go. No quiet roads nearby? Look for a deserted parking lot or take a taxi to a park.