As an avid traveler, I am consistently thinking of simple and effective ways to stay fit while on the road. While there are always excuses that one can come up with, I am confident that there are many ways to maintain fitness levels and even increase them while traveling.

My fiancee and I are embarking on a 3-month backpacking trip through Southeast Asia and India starting in February.  Ultimately, I want to ensure that all of categories of fitness are addressed while traveling abroad:

  • muscular strength
  • muscular endurance
  • aerobic capacity
  • flexibility

As we are trying to pack as light as possible, the only tools I am going to bring are as follows:

TRX Suspension Trainer – I have only been using the TRX for a short time, but am completely sold on its effectiveness and portability. I like that that the TRX Suspension Trainer is a functional training tool in that it trains your body as a functioning unit and not a bunch of individual muscles – key to maintaining overall fitness while traveling.

If our accommodations do not have suitable doors to anchor the TRX, I will be on the lookout for trees, bars or other suitable anchoring spots. The TRX Suspension Trainer comes with a small bag for travel purposes and will take up minimal space in my pack. See my previous post entitled “TRX Suspension Trainer: The Ultimate Core Workout” for further details on the TRX.

TRX in Laos

Digital Pedometer – I do not normally use a pedometer in my day-to-day fitness regime, however I thought it would be interesting to see how many steps I take each day, throughout the course of our trip. Obviously the pedometer is very lightweight and its battery (LR1130 button cell battery) lasts a long time and is easy and cheap to replace. My pedometer features a clock, step counter, distance counter and a calorie counter.

pedometer

Trail Running Shoes – As we will spending time in both cities and trekking in remote locations, I am opting for a pair of trail running shoes (Mizuno Wave Cabrakan Trail Running Shoe) – the only pair of shoes I will bring). They will provide the best combination of comfort, lightness, durability and functionality. I will use my trail running shoes for hikes, general walking and running.

mizuno wave cabrakan

When my trip begins, check with Backpack Fitness often as I plan to post my workouts, comment on what is working best and note where I have made modifications to my traveling fitness regime.

Who says you cannot maintain fitness while traveling?  Stay tuned!