Volunteer Global

If you’re like me, you’ll hit the gym regularly at home, and then that whole “exercise” thing flies right out the window when you’re on the road. Between junk food, hours sitting in an airport, or just sightseeing, working out drops from your daily activities -- and it's difficult to get back into your routine once you come home. So how do you keep fit while traveling?

If you’re working on a trail building, construction, or similar project, then you're in luck! You've probably got your fair share of exercise built in to your program. If you’re on vacation or on a less physical project, then you’ll want to put together a workout plan, even if it’s just a few simple routines.

Cardio

Cardiovascular exercise is the easiest thing to get out of the way. Since you’re in a new place, see how much walking you can do with your sightseeing! Go explore – but bring a map. Swimming also is a great workout if you’re near a beach or another body of water. Just check with your host group to ensure that it’s safe. You might even consider bringing a jump rope, which is small, easy to pack, and has the bonus benefit of all-over toning.

Strength Training

Reisistance bands are fantastic for everyday use at home, and they’re small and lightweight – perfect for packing. With resistance bands, you can modify any workout performed with dumbbells.

Let’s say you don’t have workout bands. You can do your own resistance exercises using furniture, your own body weight, books, and even jugs of water. Some examples include:

• Pushups
• Crunches
• Lunges
• Squats
• Shrugs
• Pullovers
• Stair climbing

You also might consider mat exercises, such as yoga or pilates. Not only can these be used for calming, meditative purposes, but they also can increase your flexibility and strength training -- especially your core.

Food

And finally, you’ll want to watch what you eat. I know many volunteer host groups don’t give much of a variation, but the meals almost always are healthy. If you’d like to bring backups, like protein bars (if you're a veg-head like me), make sure you can carry it!