How to stay fit on vacation?

Question

I am doing CrossFit on a regular basis. However, this summer I will be on a 4-week-long vacation.

I have seen this question: What's a good exercise regime for when traveling/vacationing/etc.? and this one: What kind of cardio exercises can be performed without a gym or fitness equipment?, the latter recommending this list of Body Weight Workouts.

However, not only do I expect to have no access to fitness equipment, but doing pull-ups, muscle-ups, etc. will be challenging without a rack of some sort.

What types of exercises should I perform to stay at least somewhat in shape while traveling? Especially considering the broad nature of CrossFit (I am looking to do more than "just" jogging).

Answer 1

There's an old saying you may be familiar with:

"Where there is a will, there is a way".

The first thing to realize is that whatever you decide to do, it will not be the same as CrossFit. That does not, however, mean you can't get in a good workout. In addition to some of the recommendations in the links you posted, I would look to purchase some resistance bands. They're relatively inexpensive, easy to travel with, and can offer a variety of exercises to train various body parts. In addition, don't overlook common everyday items that can be utilized in body weight exercises. For example, stairs. With a set of stairs you can do push ups, step ups, and triceps dips. There's also “packable workout gear” that can provide resistance work.

Lastly, you might want to consider Isometric Exercises that do not require any equipment.

Answer 2

Obviously you will be limited to bodyweight exercises. I would try to get in some basics bodyweight resistance training and some plyometric style cardio as it will help with the explosive power of your muscles. There are plenty of portable equipment options too for relatively cheap should you choose to invest such as bands which generally come with a door catch so you can work both push and pull muscles

Answer 3

I noticed that you mentioned that you do crossfit regularly in your question. A quick google of crossfit travelling WODs will give you lot of options. This list, which happens to be at the top of the google search, has a lot of good examples. http://reebokcrossfitone.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Travel-WODs.pdf I also like this website, which is designed specifically for working out while travelling and has a little more variety than others. http://www.thetravelingwod.com/ Get creative and look for unlikely things to use for equipment. You can do a lot with a tabletop or chair. If you want to get a little crazy you could even fill a container with water or use heavy books as weights. If you find it impossible to workout without equipment, most places have parks and playgrounds where you could improvise something. If all else fails, you can always do a few sprints outside. If none of that helps, remember body weight exercises and HIIT are usually equipment free.

Answer 4

Just how much you want out of any workout is going to be determined primarily by your mental attitude (goals, persuasion, "want-to") towards your workout. There are plenty of workouts people do not do because they're "hard"--e.g. difficult. There are plenty of workouts people do not do because they're "boring"--no gear/equipment is involved, it's not social enough, it's too "different" (too slow, too long, too repetitive, looks weird, afraid to look odd doing it). I daresay we've all been there when looking for different workouts.

So... as long as you can convince yourself it's a worthwhile workout, as long as you can mentally prepare yourself to WANT IT, you can experience results with almost anything if you put an appropriate amount of effort into it.

Here are some ideas for low-to-no-gear workouts:

• Body weight workouts
• Calisthenics
• Ruck Sack
• Running (mix it up: do intervals or sprints, try a fartlek, go further/longer than you ever have before, etc.)
• Swimming (don't go it alone; minimally have supervision/lifeguard and a capable swim buddy)

I've linked to some examples for you, and you will find some overlap, but any or a combination of these should provide you with some good options to consider using while on vacation.

You also mention that it's a longer vacation (4 weeks or so). If you will primarily be in one geographic location, you may even be able to find an athletic club or other school (e.g. martial arts, etc.) where you can sign up for a 1-month trial just to try something fun and different.