This week, I'm headed to a short six days trip to Hawaii. In this post, I'm sharing what packable workout gear I put into my carry-on suitcase and how I plan to workout while on that trip.
Some people take a complete time off from working out when they're traveling. I love to work out when I'm traveling, especially when going to a pretty place where I can enjoy outdoor workouts.
When I'm at home, I can workout at local parks and run on the trails I know every single day. So if there's a chance to explore something new, I'm in.
How I Workout When Traveling
I like to keep working out as simple as possible. I'm using pretty minimalist workout equipment anyway, also when I'm at home, but when I'm traveling, I keep it even simpler and bring only a few pieces of packable workout gear.
When I travel, there are usually two kinds of activities that I can always do: 1) run and 2) simple bodyweight HIITs.
Depending on the place, I check out other things too: This past winter when I visited Finland, we did some cross-country skiing, we always do some of water sports when in Hawaii, like stand-up paddle boarding or kayaking, and sometimes I check out a local yoga studio to try something different. It's a nice way to keep moving, without necessarily having to do regular workouts.
And, I pretty much always get in at least one run.
But the regular workouts like running and bodyweight (or minimal equipment HIITs) are always available, if you have some pretty basic packable workout gear with you.
Short Workouts When Traveling
If I have a lot of time in hand and if it's a true vacation trip, I may take time for longer runs. “Longer” nowadays means about 1 hour runs for me (years ago, that would have been average; long would've been anything starting from 90 minutes).
Other workouts though are mostly 20 minutes long, 30 at most. I want to do my workout and still have time to go do other fun stuff!
This upcoming trip will be mostly work though, so I probably won't be having too many long runs there. Therefore, short, up to 20 minute long HIITs will be my main way to go.
Packable Workout Gear for My Upcoming Trip
I'm used to travel very light and for most trips, bring only carry on suitcase. I've traveled a lot in my life, especially while I was studying in foreign countries and later when my now husband and I lived in different continents. These times really taught me how to pack just what I really need and not much else.
But I do bring some packable workout gear to use for my workouts. They take just a little bit room and are really light.
Here's my packable workout gear: The four things that I'm going to take with me.
Running shoes
I've had running shoes in my bag whenever I travel for as long as I remember. Even if there's tons of snow and cold degrees in the destination, I try to get in at least one run. I'm used to run in snow since I was little. In this trip though, snow won't be an issue 🙂
If I'm in a new place, I like to go out and explore my surroundings by running. And if the place is familiar already, I want to go back to see all that again 🙂
Of course, I will use the same shoes for my usual HIIT workouts.
Having said that, I hope I can squeeze in a few barefoot beach workouts on my upcoming trip. Jumping and running in the sand makes every workout so much harder.
Jump Rope
There's no smaller and easier piece of packable workout gear than a jump rope. It fits even into the smallest bag and it's very light. It's perfect for carry-on only travels.
Jump rope is great for HIIT workouts that I'm planning to do during the next six days. High Knees or Double Unders are my favorite jump rope techniques, but there are also other exercises that you can do with a jump rope so that you never get bored.
Here is one awesome bodyweight only jump rope workout that I will probably do. It's quick and simple!
Resistance Band
I will also bring my resistance band, which is similar to this one. I'm using it for practicing Chin Ups, if I find a bar where to put it. I'm still struggling with getting several decent Chin Ups in a row, so I use resistance band to be able to do more reps.
Resistance bands are also great for practicing Pistol Squats. You can simply tie the band around a bench or pole, so it assist you in getting up from the bottom position, like in this video.
Pinky Ball
A good friend of mine gave me this Pinky Ball some time ago, and I've been using it to massage my hamstrings that get tight from pistols. Also, if you practice handstands and your forearms get tight, you can use it to give yourself a much-needed massage.
It doesn't have to be this ball, any small ball will work. You probably can't fit a foam roll into your carry-on, but a small ball like this will easily go into every bag.
That's about it–I'm ready to go!
Conclusion
Six days is a very short time, but I want to be able to workout also when traveling, especially when I have the chance to do it outdoors. For me, staying acrive makes the whole travel so much better.
I don't like to depend on any gym or fitness class when traveling. I may pop into some of them if I have time or if I find something really interesting to try out, but I can still get in a good sweat session if I have just a few pieces easily packable workout gear with me.
Your turn: Do you work out when you're traveling? What kind of workout equipment you bring with you, if any?
Disclaimer: This post includes some affiliate links, which are for products that I personally trust and use.
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