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Best Travel Gym Equipment: Stay Fit Anywhere Without a Gym!
- Name
- Ryan K
- @thefabryk
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Traveling is an exciting opportunity to explore new destinations, immerse yourself in different cultures, and create lasting memories. However, it can also disrupt your fitness routine and make it challenging to stay in shape. The good news is that with the right travel workout equipment or travel gym equipment, you can maintain your fitness goals and stay active no matter where your adventures take you.
In this post, we'll explore the best travel gym equipment and travel fitness equipment that we like to use and provide tips on maintaining your travel workout; creating a flexible fitness routine that adapts to your travel schedule.
Table of Contents
The Best Travel Gym Equipment
While our go-to is always having access to a gym in the places we are visiting, this is not always possible in some off-the-beaten-path places that we go. On top of that, when we are in places like the United States, where a day pass to a gym can sometimes hit $50, we scream out a hard 'NO' and move on.
When we know we are not going to have access to a gym, these items quickly come out of our bags, or pockets:
1. Resistance Bands: Versatile and Portable
Resistance bands are a must-have piece of travel gym equipment for any fitness enthusiast on the go and these are easily the favorite on the list. These lightweight and compact workout bands provide a full-body workout and can easily be packed in your suitcase or carry-on. With different levels of resistance, you can adjust the intensity of your workouts to suit your fitness level.
Resistance bands allow you to perform a wide range of exercises, including squats, lunges, bicep curls, and shoulder presses. They are also great for targeting specific muscle groups and can be used for strength training, flexibility exercises, and even rehabilitation.
Whenever we don't have access to a gym, these automatically become our replacement, and we can do exercises with them from our balcony, in a park, on the beach -- just about anywhere, with minimal space needed. We always have these with us, from Berlin to Bali, as they don't add much in terms of weight or space in our luggage.
We tend to like to have both the ones with and without handles with us, as you have an even wider range of exercises you can do:
Compared to some other items that we have questionably packed in the past, resistance bands have been a must:
2. Jump Rope: A Portable Cardio Option
If you're looking for a simple yet effective cardio workout, a jump rope is the perfect travel companion. Skipping rope is a high-intensity cardio exercise that gets your heart rate up, burns calories, and improves coordination.
It requires minimal space and can be done indoors or outdoors. Jumping rope not only boosts cardiovascular fitness but also engages multiple muscle groups, including your legs, arms, and core.
Plus, it's a fun and nostalgic way to stay active while traveling, although it totally may take some practice 😅 (I suck at it).
We tend to like the jump-ropes commonly used in boxing. Again it is easy and compact to pack in your luggage, so you can make room for all your sexy outfits!
3. Yoga Mat: Find Your Zen Anywhere
A travel yoga mat is an essential item for travelers who want to practice yoga or other floor-based exercises. It provides a comfortable and clean surface for your workouts, whether you're in a hotel room, at the beach, or in a park. A foldable exercise mat also adds stability and cushioning to your movements, reducing the risk of injury.
Look for lightweight and compact mats that can easily fit in your suitcase or backpack. With a yoga mat in tow, you can find your zen and stay flexible and balanced during your travels. Depending on where you go, I find this to be the most readily available item at stores, so you may not need to bring it with you. But if you want to bring it, normally you can attach it to your travel bag and nobody will say anything when you are flying.
Believe us, as people who like to practice yoga at least once weekly, we couldn't believe it took us as long as it did to get one.
We like Lululemon, or its cheaper, but very similar cousin Retrospec Solana.
Bonus: Utilizing both resistance bands and a yoga mat!
4. Portable Fitness Apps: Your Personal Trainer on the Go
In the digital age, fitness apps have become invaluable tools for staying fit while traveling. These apps offer a wide range of guided workouts, from bodyweight training to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) routines. They provide step-by-step instructions and video demonstrations, ensuring that you perform each exercise correctly.
Some apps even offer personalized workout plans tailored to your fitness goals and level of experience. Whether you prefer a quick 10-minute workout or a full-length session, portable fitness equipment like these apps can keep you motivated and on track wherever you are.
At the time of writing this post, my favorite online tools for planning workouts are:
- ChatGPT - All the rage these past years, I admittedly love prompting ChatGPT with my workout needs (specifically using the GymStreak Workout Creator), and it will spit out a comprehensive weekly workout for me! It isn't perfect, but it is a low-cost way of generating effective workouts. When you get bored or don't have specific equipment, you just ask it to adjust.
- JeFIT - As mentioned in this post, JeFIT is my go-to tool for inputting workouts and tracking my progress. You can put in reps and sets and track how you are doing from day to day. After I use ChatGPT to plan my workouts, I input them in here. However, the tool even has a random workout generator as well, so you can skip ChatGPT altogether. It is free to use with some in-app purchases.
- Nike Run Club - I absolutely love this app for running. It is motivating to see how much you've run over the years and to go back and see all the places you have run. They have plans so that you can start to build up your running skills if you haven't done it yet. The best part is it is free!
- Komoot - I use this to find scenic places around me to run (or hike, bike), so I am not just running down dirty, dangerous highways. While there are a lot of add-ons, the planning part of the app is free.
There are plenty more apps out there that are a bit more guided if you are a beginner, but using all of these in conjunction have helped us to create a sound, flexible workout plan.
5. Do What the Locals Do
Probably the most interesting and culturally immersive travel gym equipment you can utilize is not in the form of a product or physical item, but rather it is just doing what the locals do.
In Busan and Seoul, South Korea, we skipped the pricey gyms and worked out with the locals in their outdoor gyms.
In Thailand, our particular area of the city did not have a gym, so we took a Muay Thai class. It stretched us to the limits 🤣.
Spend a bit of time researching what the locals do in your destination for exercise or even scope it out once you arrive. This is undoubtedly the best way to connect with the local community as well.
Bonus: Utilizing both resistance bands and a yoga mat!
Conclusion
Staying fit while traveling doesn't have to be a challenge. By incorporating the right travel workout equipment into your routine, you can maintain your fitness goals and stay active on the go.
Whether it's resistance bands, a jump rope, portable fitness apps, or just doing what the locals do, there are plenty of options to choose from based on your preferences and fitness level. With these travel-friendly tools, you can stay in shape, enjoy your travels, and return home feeling energized and accomplished (and maybe having met a few new friends).
So, pack your bags, grab your favorite travel gym equipment, and embark on your fitness journey wherever your adventures take you!
Cheeky little post-travel-workout vanity shot because this time I found a gym and was very happy!
