How far do you go to keep fit while travelling?

[APAC747]

As an avid cyclist, I decided to start taking my bike on work trips after a couple of years of incessant travel took a toll on my health. I packed my road bike in a soft bag, so it could always be squeezed into the back of a taxi or onto a train.

Because time was always at a premium and I'd mostly stay in large cities, I would quite often sacrifice sleep to ride. It wouldn't be unusual to return from dinner with clients at 01:00, wake up at 04:00, go riding, then get back to the hotel before breakfast opened.

On one occasion, I even took my indoor trainer with me so I could ride inside my room while it was -20°C and snowing outside!

What lengths do other AFF members go to to keep fit?

 

[JohnK]

Not as extreme as riding a bike in the middle of the night but I love to play golf and then after golf go for evening walks.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

What lengths do other AFF members go to to keep fit?

Most of my holidays will include cycling or hiking, plus general walking as I tend to much prefer activity based holidays over merely looking type holidays.

Even when not doing a 4-9 day cycle we will typically either just hire a bike for a day, or do a cycling tour. I find the short cycling tours to be a great introduction to a new city and to get one's bearings. Ditto for the walking tours.


Indeed virtually all of my holidays will be themed around a particular theme such trekking to Annapurna Base Camp, 7 day cycling circuit of Alsace etc.

If the activity is car touring tough I will make sure that I still do some hikes or bike rides.


For our 11 week UK trip next year though the cycling (5 day Coas2Coast, 4 day Cotswolds, 5 Day Norwegian Fjords, 1 day Rallarvegen Bikeroute ) are all in the lat half of the trip and after a 14 day small ship cruise and so will hit the excerise bikes each morning while on ship.

We do not look to be super-fit, but want to maintain our fitness and morseo now we are in our fifties PLUS as I said we just enjoy active type travelling!

 

[dairyfloss]

What lengths do other AFF members go to to keep fit?

I once walked to the self-serve bar on a long-haul flight, instead of pressing the call button... does that count?

 

[RB]

Currently our trips are centered around walking. Each day involves some new territory to cover. I am not the type to get up before breakfast to exercise though!

 

[APAC747]

I once walked to the self-serve bar on a long-haul flight, instead of pressing the call button... does that count?

Sounds brutal.

 

[perthjay85]

every time we travel be it on a cruise ship or by plane I take this along with me:
PTP Total Resistance Gym - rebel

A pretty full on resistance band setup that can be used in a lot of different ways, Being a Jetts member I am not usually far from a Jetts gym so I can use that.
On a cruise ship I will generally visit the gym once a day and run around the running track if they have one.

Then I kill all of it with plenty of alcohol so I maintain on a cruise haha.

 

[perthjay85]

I once walked to the self-serve bar on a long-haul flight, instead of pressing the call button... does that count?

what a mad man hahaha

 

[RooFlyer]

I've asked my doctor several times if there's a way I can claim the cost of my overseas holiday trips on Medicare, as I walk all day, climb every church or other tower going and generally get far more exercise than I do at home.#

However I do this not to "keep fit" (which I find a repugnant idea) but as a practical way of getting about without it costing a lot.

# in this I have been unsuccessful so far. Anyone got any ideas?

 

[Pushka]

every time we travel be it on a cruise ship or by plane I take this along with me:
PTP Total Resistance Gym - rebel

A pretty full on resistance band setup that can be used in a lot of different ways, Being a Jetts member I am not usually far from a Jetts gym so I can use that.
On a cruise ship I will generally visit the gym once a day and run around the running track if they have one.

Then I kill all of it with plenty of alcohol so I maintain on a cruise haha.

How much does that weigh? MrP might like this.

 

[perthjay85]

How much does that weigh? MrP might like this.

From memory with everything it weighs about 5-6kg and it is not the most compact, but it is the first thing that gets packed every trip.
They removed the clips from bands it would save a bit of weight but too much effort for me to worry about.

 

[eric2011]

All my trips are for personal reasons, no business. On cruises we will walk miles from the ship, sightsee, food, drink and walk back. At hotels, be it airport or city we will also walk miles and do the same think. Over the course of a day we could walk unto 10 KLM, which is maybe 3 times what we would walk at home
This does not include normal movement and exercise as a part of day to day life.

Depends a lot on age and health, WE ARE OLDIES

 

[kermatu]

For work or leisure I almost always walk more than usual when travelling. If I have time I will also take advantage of hotel spas to get massages (surely that counts) and occasionally use the gym. But the massage takes priority.

unfortunately I do eat and drink more when away, so I suspect it all balances out. eg today I had a full hotel breakfast this morning (at home I have nothing), had a couple of small plates in an airline lounge then lunch on a three hour J flight (a bit more than my usual sandwich) am currently in a lounge having a couple of glasses of scotch way earlier than I would if at home and I still have a five hour dinner flight in J still to come....

 

[drron]

I always walk to the lift going to Happy hour.
On a cruise I will use the stairs as the dining room is only 1 deck away.

 

[Justinf]

I'm an avid jogger. One of the best ways to really see somewhere up close and literally smell the smells and take everything in is to run into it.
I hate traffic lights so I'll research a route before heading out early in the morning. Getting back to my room with 7 or 8km under the belt and coming back to a hot coffee and sitting down before a shower to start the day puts me in such a great frame of mind.
And of course those extra calories burnt off, means I can indulge in a microbrew or two later on.

 

[Cynicor]

Hotel gyms. I'm a connoisseur of them now, and some of the best gyms are in really surprising hotels. Same with some of the worst- you can tell when they have been added as a "brand standard" requirement rather than because "we should have a gym".
I rarely run outdoors when overseas because I'm either in the snow or in a city.

I also try to walk cities rather than use transport where time permits (mostly).

 

[Dr Ralph]

I once walked to the self-serve bar on a long-haul flight, instead of pressing the call button... does that count?

Sounds extreme to me. Definitely not for everyone.

 

[eric2011]

I always walk to the lift going to Happy hour.

Put on your hotel preference that you want a room close to the lift

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I work O/S and walk for fitness. 10-20km most days (at 8k feet). Having said that, when I'm at home I tend to eat out every day as I don't get to do that otherwise, so the waistline doesn't seem to be reducing much!

 

[Pushka]

Hotel gyms. I'm a connoisseur of them now, and some of the best gyms are in really surprising hotels. Same with some of the worst- you can tell when they have been added as a "brand standard" requirement rather than because "we should have a gym".
I rarely run outdoors when overseas because I'm either in the snow or in a city.

I also try to walk cities rather than use transport where time permits (mostly).

I select hotels with good gyms for MrP. But hate it after doing that when you get there that the gym is closed for renovation. Seems to happen a lot. Surprisingly some of the best gyms have been on cruise ships.