This article is poignant. When I was away in Iceland recently I promised myself that I would do an evening routine of sit-ups and/or yoga etc. I did. Once! Somehow I didn’t have the motivation/equipment to do more and a nice beer/wine seemed to get in the way. I don’t feel too guilty, however, as I did a fair amount of walking each day and enjoyed a couple of longer mountain hikes.

This post from David Elliott of Fitness-Mad suggests different ways to keep on exercising when you’re away from home with work or on holiday.

Walk/run

You’re in a new city or country, so what better way to make sure you see it than by walking? Walk to meetings if working away from home. On holiday, take a walk or run along the beach or if you’re in a city make your way to the nearest park for a walk or run. It doesn’t take too much effort to find a place to run or walk, even if it’s simply a short loop close to the hotel that you can repeat

Yoga

Yoga is easy to do any time anywhere. You can easily pack a lightweight yoga mat in your suitcase and do a short workout in your hotel room, or, if it’s warm, in a park or on a beach.

Body weight exercises

Body weight exercises need no equipment, although are much better achieved with a suspension trainer. Where you take an easy-to-pack suspension trainer with you or simply use your own body weight, a quick bust of these exercises will keep you in shape. Do squats, lunges, jumps, crunches, planks and push-ups for an all over total body workout.

Swimming

If you’re lucky enough to be at a hotel with a pool or by the sea then make the most of it. Swimming is a great cardiovascular workout for the whole body and good for increasing muscle strength and tone.

Get rolling

A foam roller, like an exercise mat, is a light piece of equipment that can be taken on a trip and allows you to have the benefits of a masseuse and a workout at the same time. Hollow foam rollers can even be stuffed with clothes to take up even less space. They are becoming extremely popular with athletes and runners as they aid muscle tightness so, in effect, are dual purpose.

Resistance Training

Resistance training has many of the benefits found in weight training and can be done in a very small space such as in your hotel room. Resistance tubes or bands take up almost no space at all and can offer a complete body workout.

Cycling

Why not hire a bike to find your way round your new location? Cycling is great cardio exercise and a brilliant way to get around, see the sights and stay in shape.

As you can see there are plenty of ways to keep in shape without your usual gym session or full kit and it doesn’t have to take lots of time, money or space.