my brother before climbing stairs on the great wall

Like many people, I struggle with keeping my routine going while on the road.  I am not one of those people who will pick up their running shoes and hit the streets, though I wish I would become one (and may have to try).  So I have been on the hunt for easy to manage workouts while on the road that I can do from my hotel or nearby but still enjoy.

1. Tone it up on You Tube – I found out about the duo (Kareena and Katrina) behind tone it up from their show on Bravo (which I didn’t keep up with).  It spurred me on to checking out their online fitness videos, and unlike the show I got hooked.  I start with yoga (cause who doesn’t need a stretch), and move onto HIIT or abs or something.  Because the videos are 15 – 20 min on average, they can be done quickly.  And many of them from your hotel room if you don’t want to brave the gym.  Definitely a haute find.
2. Barefoot (almost) running – In Bali I didn’t bring running shoes due to space constraints, so when I wanted to hit the treadmill, I used my water shoes.  Now this is not recommended for everyone, but a jog was possible for me with these puppies, and gave me the barefoot running experience.  Being creative here is the key, and if you have a clean beach at your disposal, maybe barefoot could really work out.
3. Build in hiking or get outside in some way – now that Spring is almost here, I want to be outside as much as possible.  And if I am on the road, it’s great to look up a cool place to build in a hike (like Croatia – Plitvice Lakes or Cherokee National Forest) and get to spend some time exploring nature.  It’s great cause my friends are all about this now, so we build activities into our vacation, like private yoga classes in Mexico, or a good nature walk.
4. Try something new – I love the old adage “do something every day which scares you”, and as hard as this is, I channeled this energy when I tried surfing in Bali.  While I don’t do this enough, like walking the stairs on the great wall pictured above, I felt like surfing would redeem me a bit.  And what I learned, after many wipeouts, is that surfing in a reef break for your first time is super hard. (Note to self – try this again on a beach break somewhere.)
5. Look up local classes on Yelp – who doesn’t love yelp in the US for great food or entertainment finds; I certainly do (thanks Yelpers!).  So in order to keep up with whats haute and happening any city, I use Yelp’s “search map area” function to find things which I may want to do near me, like yoga or zumba.  Sometime drop-in rates can be pricey, but it’s worth it for a good kick in the a$$ while on vacation. Note: Another great tool I have discovered is the mind body app. Most spas and gyms use this service, which is linked to your credit card. Easy peasy.

Hope these haute tips will keep you inspired and active while on the road, and if anything, provide some food for thought.