Sometimes I am forced to leave my beloved New York City -- in the past year alone, I've traveled to West Palm Beach in Florida; Kirkland and Seattle in Washington; the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina; and most recently, Huntington Beach in California.
While traveling can be fun, missing my favorite workouts stress me out. Here’s how I continued to search for the perfect workout even when I didn’t have access to my favorite New York City fitness classes:
My Grandma’s Independent Living Facility -- West Palm Beach, Florida
• I brought two exercise DVDs: "Core Fusion Pilates Plus" and "Core Fusion - Pure Abs & Arms." Both are great for travel because Pilates Plus needs no equipment, and "Abs & Arms" comes with an awesome resistance band for arm and abdominal sections.
• Ran four miles three days in a row. My little brother – a non-runner – even joined me on one of those runs.
Kirkland, Washington
A big exercising vacation! While my brother and sister-in-law were at work, I managed to do the following:
• Hot Hatha Yoga at Hot Yoga of Kirkland. They have a special first-timer deal: $10 for 10 classes. Many studios outside of New York City have amazing offers like this – always check.
• Nine-mile run. I decided the ideal running temperatures of Northwest summer and a change of scenery would be the perfect place to complete my half-marathon training run. I was right.
• Hot Power Yoga at Hot Yoga Kirkland
• I didn’t love the hot yoga, so on my last day I did my "Core Fusion – Energy Flow Yoga" DVD.
Smoky Mountains, North Carolina
I had a 10-mile training run on the schedule, so I was disappointed that the Nantahala Village Resort & Spa resort had hiking trails but no running trails. Here’s what I ended up doing during the long Labor Day weekend:
• Five-mile hike up the mountains to incredible views
• Six-mile treadmill run (At the halfway point, I took a break and did some dumbbell arm work)
• Push-up/plank session in my cabin
Seattle, Washington
• I used this opportunity to get my barre-class fix at Barre3 at their gorgeous Seattle location (a much farther trek than when I went to the West Side to take it in New York City)
• I took my brother’s dog Santana on a run around beautiful Green Lake
• "Core Fusion - Energy Flow Yoga" DVD
Huntington Beach, CA
• Three-mile run along the gorgeous beach and 30 minutes of exercises from "Core Fusion Cardio" in the resort fitness center (and I loved knowing exactly what I was doing among the hardcore weight-lifting men!)
• Three-mile run and push-up/plank session in the fitness center
• Four-mile speedier run
I am really pleased that I was able to maintain such a great workout schedule even while traveling. Of course, it might not always be possible everywhere you go – and that is fine! Remember that a long walk counts, and you can do push-ups, planks and tricep dips anywhere. But I was always happy to get back to my regular workout routine back in New York City.
And sometimes, skipping my workout and simply enjoying the vacation is the most important thing of all.
RELATED: How Do You Work Out When Traveling?
Dori Manela is a writer, content manager and social media consultant. Raised in Queens, Dori now lives in Manhattan, taking as many exercise classes in NYC as possible in search of the perfect workout. She started Dori's Shiny Blog in November 2007. As her passion for fitness grew, DSB turned into a health & fitness blog. With the help of her favorite social networking site Twitter, Dori has connected with other bloggers, boutique fitness studios, companies and readers to share her love of working out.
