Fit for the Road Series: Part I. Sunday in the Park.

Debbie Hatch | Family & F.I.T.

Running

For the past decade – actually, going on 11 years now – I’ve spent 200+ days a year on the road. I’ve been in just about every state in the US and many locations throughout Spain, Portugal, Germany, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Staying healthy while traveling that much can be challenging.

 

I plan to share several of my road-warrior tested tricks in this series. Chances are, even if you don’t travel as much as I do, there are times you’re going to be away from home. If you’re on vacation, vacation. Relax. Enjoy the local culture and food. Get your exercise by walking around and taking in the sights. If you’re on the road more than that week or so vacation, though, you may want to have a few of these tips in your back pocket.

 

Many hotels have improved their fitness centers with the addition of free weights, and the occasional universal machine. For the most part they remain cardio-centric with a treadmill, recumbent cycle and/or stepper. I’ll provide some hotel exercises, and tips for finding a gym while traveling, in one of the future pieces of the series.

 

To stay fit while traveling, bodyweight exercises are a super convenient option. I mean, you need nothing except your body.

 

I travel as a single female so I have to consider my safety when I travel. My preference is a good balance between too many people (so that it’s crowded) and too few. If I’m outside, local parks can provide the perfect location. For example, three of my favorites are:

Minuteman Park in Concord, Massachusetts. This is trail running at its best, not to mention the history! I ran there last year on the 4th of July – it was kind of cool to be there on that day.

Altus City Reservoir in Altus, Oklahoma. The downside of this location is that it’s just a loop. The upsides include geese, ducks, benches by the water, beautiful sunsets, and pull-up bars. It was here that I did my first EVER pull-up three years ago. You’re also free to do walking lunges and skip here, without anyone giving you so much as a second look.

Chimney Rock State Park, Chimney Rock, North Carolina. Stairs. Lots of stairs. There are also numerous picturesque trails.

 

Today I spent a little time at Leesylvania State Park in Woodbridge, Virginia. It’s going on my top 10 list, too. Not only were there running trails but also a “fit trail” consisting of several bodyweight workout stations. Here’s how you can use the park.

 

Warm up with balance squats, high knees, toe touch rotations, and jogging.

Balance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Station:  Push-ups & Pull-ups

Pushups

 

 

 

 

 

Pullups

 

Jog to Second Station:  Crunches & Ab Rotations (straight legs, up & over, rotating right and then left.

Abrotations

Crunches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jog to Third Station: Monkey Bar Shuffles

Hangs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jog to Fourth Station: Dips & Inverted RowDips

 

Jog to the Fifth Station:  Press-ups

IMG_7769

 

A quick Google, Yelp or Trip Advisor search can provide you with locations, and feedback, of local parks.

If you’re on Yelp (Debbie H) or Trip Advisor (ChprChk), look me up.  I am a top contributor on both sites and have LOADS of evaluations posted.

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  1. A fantastic resource for travellers who want to keep fit! Thanks for sharing!

    1. Thanks for taking the time to read it, Corinne.

  2. Debbie, I admire your fitness and I love your message that we can stay in shape without equipment as we travel. Question: in the balance squats, is it better if the lifted leg is straight? Or does it matter? Thanks for the great recommendations.

    1. Thanks for the compliment, Kebba. If you can hold your lifted leg out straight, by all means, do it. That’s fantastic!!! If you can’t though, it’s not key to the exercise. The work is done with the standing leg.

  3. Cool blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog jump out. Please let me know where you got your design. Cheers

    1. Thanks so much for the compliment. If you’re asking about the theme of my website, it’s a standard WordPress theme. It’s called Graphene.

  1. […] doing that on the plane.  I run in neighborhood parks, lift in the hotel fitness center, utilize residential playgrounds, watch exercise DVDs and travel with both a jump rope and fitness […]

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