When you first arrive to the hotel, go find said gym (before your room) so that you know exactly where it is. For some people, this may make you feel more comfortable walking into the unknown gym when it is time to workout.
In my college days of traveling, I would just pack clothing/shoes and arrive to the hotel room starving, followed by having to go venture out and waste money on junky food/drinks before the real fun even began. I quickly learned that I should bring food/water for the room to not only save money, but also as a chance to get “healthier” food in while I can. I always check the hotel’s website before to see if there is a fridge or microwave. A lot of places will actually accommodate you if you request one. The food I bring is then determined by appliance availability in my room. Some examples of easy food/snack options to bring are:
-— Overnight Oats… you can store in an ice chest or fridge and they do not have to be heated up
— Fruit such as berries or bananas -Mixed nuts (peanuts/cashews/etc.)
— Protein Bars -Rice Cakes & Peanut Butter
— Meal prepped meals if there is a fridge/microwave available
— Protein Shakes; either protein scooped into little baggies, or pre-made protein shakes
— If I’m desperate, bagels or PB&J (my friends can attest to these, haha)
—Water, water, water!!! Do not drink the room’s $8 water, bring your own!!!
Depending on the purpose and length of the trip, I will schedule my workouts accordingly. Fun/crazy trips require me to really plan ahead, because I don’t want to be too hungover or tired and skip a workout. I usually workout the morning I leave for a trip, and then try to stay on my workout schedule as much as I can while traveling. Consistency is key, so skipping workouts just because you’re traveling is never a good thing.
Many of my clients aren’t in charge of the hotels their companies book for them, and sometimes there is no hotel gym. This does not mean you can just forget about being active. If your trip is sedentary and not a lot of activity will be happening, then I highly recommend working out in the hotel room before you leave the room for the day. You can lay a towel on the floor as a yoga mat (I HATE hotel floors!!!) and use the room as your “gym”! A lot of leg and core exercises can be done without any equipment, such as squats, lunges, crunches, and bridges. You can also do HIIT workouts in your room, using squat jumps or any other high-intensity movement. If you really have NO idea what to do for a workout…
There are thousands of “at home” workouts available on Youtube. If a hotel gym has a machine you aren’t familiar with, Google or Youtube it. Don’t be afraid of looking something up while in the gym. Talking on your phone, now that is a no-no!
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Jess