When you’re on the road or have dependents to care for, it’s easy to allow fitness to slide. The gym is great, but attending as a parent or extended traveler can become difficult. Also, as gym goers, we evolve to rely on the gym for health, enslaving ourselves while reducing creativity and the potential for new adventures. For example, no gym, or commuting to the gym can become an excuse to skip exercise. I’m here to challenge this false notion with the fact that you can get even better exercise anywhere, with the right creativity.
My spouse and I reached our peak in fitness over a span when we traveled for 6 months straight only using a gym for a week (and she was pregnant).
Partly because you are training unconventionally and your body is working harder to adapt to this new stress. For all the parents and nomads, here’s how you can get in shape or improve your physique and health, no matter how advanced you may be.
The Essentials:
- Resistance Bands: Compact and versatile, bands are your best friend for strength training when space is limited. They can add resistance to nearly any movement—think squats, lunges, presses, etc.
- 5+ Gallon Water Buckets: One of the simplest ways to add weight to your workout is to pick up a bucket at your new destination and fill it up. Use it for deadlifts, presses, or weighted carries. The water’s sloshing can even engage stabilizing muscles that traditional weights can miss.
- Discs and Inertia Wave: These tools are lightweight but pack a punch when it comes to dynamic training, helping with balance, core work, and even sprint-style movements.
- Sandbags: Whether you buy one that’s adjustable or DIY with a local bag and some sand, these are excellent for strength training. They can be used in place of barbells and are ideal for outdoor settings like parks or beaches. Great for carries, curls, squats, throws, short runs, etc.
- Gymnastic rings: Attach them to a tree, pole, rim, etc. Light and compatible for taking kids to the park and they can even join in on the fun. Literally over 100 different exercises for each part of the body.
- Rucking: Load 25 + pounds in a backpack and walk with good posture at a decent pace for 20 + minutes. Super accessible for parents, you get cardiovascular benefits with a sprinkle of strength training, especially the heavier you go. I go 50 plus when I want a good session. You can go with your partner and keep the kid(s) in a stroller making it a fun family event or see the city if traveling.
Think Outside the Gym: Creative Outdoor Workouts
Make your workouts more dynamic and engaging. Forget the treadmill—you’ve got a whole world to explore. Save $, time, and accumulate adventures.
- Sprints & Hills: Find a nearby park, hill, or beach, and use the natural elements to build power and endurance. Sprints are one of the most effective ways to improve cardiovascular fitness, and hills add an extra challenge for your legs and glutes. To add a layer of difficulty (no affiliate), check out bands from Xceler8 Athletics.
- City Workout Parks & Calisthenics Parks: Many cities around the world have outdoor workout areas equipped with bars for pull-ups, dips, and other bodyweight exercises. These are perfect for a no-frills, effective workout. Also, there’s often a nearby park or space for kids to enjoy themselves.
- Biking: When exploring a new place or spending time with your family, biking is the best of both worlds. It allows you to cover more ground while getting in a good cardio session. Plus, it’s an incredible way to get a feel for the area and find hidden gems you might miss on foot or in a car.
Natural Elements Add a Layer of Complexity Hard to Simulate in a Gym
Using sand, water, bands, or gymnastic rings in replacement of traditional weights trains a different kind of strength. Both are needed but we often neglect this unconventional method of training. This not only punishes your core, fast twitch muscles, and more but also your senses.
Remain Focused But Give Yourself Grace
Staying fit can be more than structured workouts. It’s about making movement a part of your daily routine. Walk instead of driving when you can. Take the stairs. Stretch in the morning while enjoying a sunrise or warm up before a hike. If you keep your body active throughout the day, you’ll maintain your strength, endurance, and flexibility without needing to carve out hours for the gym. Since becoming a father, there have been weeks where I can only afford 15 efficient minutes a day for fitness and I’ll physically look better (which isn’t my objective).
Focus on Functional Strength
Life is about adapting to new environments and unexpected challenges. Having functional strength can make all the difference. Think of your workouts as a way to prepare your body for whatever the road throws at you. The instability of a filled water jug or a sandbag can mimic the unpredictability of carrying luggage through crowded train stations or hiking over rocky terrain.
Sandbag drills can prepare you for saving your partner or children if they become immobilized or danger appears.
Imagine doing a workout on the beach—filling a water jug with ocean water and using it for weighted carries, or performing lunges and squats in the sand to work your stabilizing muscles. These experiences go beyond just burning calories; they are about truly immersing yourself in your surroundings.
The tools and techniques you use on the road can train muscles and movements that traditional gym workouts might not target as efficiently. Plus, by training outdoors and adapting to whatever you have on hand, you’ll improve your agility and balance—key components of overall fitness that are often overlooked.
The Freedom of Staying Fit
Fitness doesn’t have to fall by the wayside when you’re traveling or busy with family. It can become part of experiencing a new place or part of spending time as a family. Embrace the flexibility and creativity that comes with working out in unfamiliar surroundings. It’s not just about maintaining your physical health; it’s about embracing a lifestyle that lets you thrive, no matter where the road takes you.
With a little planning and the right mindset, your next adventure, whether single or with family, can be your best yet, keeping you fit, strong, and ready for whatever comes your way.
