Exercising while traveling can be challenging. The chant “I’ll do it when I get home” can lead to disappointment when you return from your trip in the form of weight gain and sluggishness.

Exercise should be considered a regular necessity, just like brushing your teeth. So how do you maintain exercise when you’re in motels, hotels, trains, and planes?

Many hotels have gyms, which make it easy to exercise unless equipment is limited and multiple people use it. There is nothing worse than waiting your turn to use equipment when you have little time to exercise.

Meeting your aerobic needs can be accomplished in a number of ways. You want to get 20 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise per day.

Walking is a great way to meet your cardiovascular needs. You see wonderful things when you take walks through the places you visit. Makes exercise dual purpose, see fun things while you exercise. Be sure to walk briskly. You can include friends and family to make it a social event too.

You can go jogging. Going to a local park or jogging around town can be a lot of fun. Make sure you pack good running shoes!

Jump ropes are great alternatives for exercise when walking isn’t practical. If you are staying in a less than desirable neighborhood, walking or jogging may not be a good idea. Jump ropes pack up easily and can be used in your room or hallway.

Going up and down stairs also works in a pinch. Spend about 10 minutes twice a day running up and down the stairs and voila.

If you have a small portable DVD player or your hotel has a DVD player, you can bring exercise DVDs and do them in your room. Stay active during the day. Try to find ways to move.

Strength training is also easy to accomplish. If your hotel has a gym, take advantage of it or take elastic resistance bands with you. They easily fit in your luggage and can be used anywhere.

You can use your own body weight for your resistance. Do the basics. Start with a few sets of squats and then lunges. Fifteen repetitions in each series should be enough. Move on to a few sets of push-ups. Ten reps per set is usually enough to work your upper body. Do a few sets of dips in a chair or next to the tub. Follow with crunches and then do a few sets of back extensions. Close with a good stretch.

When you ride in your car, get out and stretch often. Take short walks every hour or two. Stretch your legs. Make big circles with your arms to loosen up your upper body. Try to get out of the car every hour or two and get some exercise.

When you travel by train, you have plenty of time to walk around the train. Stand up and stretch while looking out the window. Do some running on the spot. You want your blood to flow. Again, get up and move around every hour or two.

Traveling by bus is a bit more difficult to move during the trip. Sitting by the window is fun because you can see the sights. Don’t feel bad if you have to ask the person next to you to let you out so you can walk the halls for a bit. You just helped them get some blood flowing too.

Travel by plane requires you to keep your blood flowing. You can get into serious trouble if you don’t move while flying. Your blood needs to be circulated. Gravity is pulling on your circulatory system. His body dehydrates very easily while flying as well. Try to stand up and stretch every hour. Drink a glass of water every hour to counteract the problem of dehydration. You can move in your seat, bring your knees to your chest, roll your shoulders, flex and straighten your feet. Be inventive and move.

Traveling is fun. It’s good to get away. But it’s no good coming home and beating yourself up because you gained weight. With a little planning and creativity, you can return home from your trip with only fond memories and no extra baggage on your body.

by Lynn Hahn