Exercise When Traveling With Portable Workout Equipment
If you travel a lot, you might know that it’s hard to get a workout in. The key is having the right portable workout equipment that works anywhere you go.
Sure, walking or running is the obvious choice for staying active on the road. But if you’re like my wife and me and prefer resistance and strength training, you’ll need a different approach.
We work out daily with resistance bands (click to view on Amazon), and honestly, their versatility is unmatched. They give us full-body workouts while being lightweight and compact enough to fit anywhere.
That said, resistance bands are just the start. We’ve collected several other pieces of portable gear over the years, and I’ll show you exactly what we use and how we make it work on the road.
The Workout Equipment We Use While Traveling
1. Jump Rope by Loocio
Let’s start with the simplest tool, the jump rope. You might not have used one of these since you were a kid, but let me tell you, these can lead to some killer workouts.
A jump rope is probably one of the best things you can throw in your bag. It weighs basically nothing, takes up no space, and you can get your heart pumping in just a few minutes.
We’ve used ours all over the place: right next to our RV, in cramped hotel rooms, even in quiet spots at airports when we’re stuck waiting around. As long as you’ve got a bit of floor space, you’re set.
Whether you need to wake up in the morning or you’ve been sitting in the car all day and need to move, it’s perfect. Plus, it’s great for coordination, and you’ll burn calories without stepping foot in a gym.
For something that takes up basically no room in your luggage, a jump rope gives you way more than you’d expect.
2. Ab Roller Wheel By Vinsguir
Now here’s something that might surprise you, the ab roller wheel. I know, I know, it looks like one of those cheesy infomercial gadgets, but don’t let that fool you.
This thing will absolutely destroy your core in the best way possible. It’s small, lightweight, and fits easily in any bag or RV storage compartment.
We’ve rolled this thing out in hotel rooms, campsites, and inside our RV. All you need is a smooth surface and maybe a towel under your knees if you’re on concrete.
The beauty of an ab roller is that it works way more than just your abs. Your shoulders, back, and arms all get involved trying to control the movement. A few sets of these and you’ll definitely feel it the next day.
If it’s your first time using an ab roller, be careful and start slowly. These things are no joke and can humble you pretty quick. But for something that takes up basically no space, you won’t find a better core workout tool.
3. Resistance Bands by Wsakoue
Here’s where things get good, resistance bands. I’m talking about those sets that come with like five different bands, each with different resistance levels.
These things are game changers for travel workouts. The entire set weighs maybe a pound and takes up less space than a pair of shoes, but you can get a full-body strength workout that rivals what you’d do in a gym.
We use ours constantly in the RV, hotel rooms, at campsites, pretty much anywhere. You can anchor them to a door with door anchors, a picnic table, or even the RV hitch if you need to. The variety of exercises you can do is honestly crazy.
Want to work your chest? Loop them around something and do chest presses. Need to hit your back? Wrap them around your feet and do rows. Shoulders, arms, legs, you name it, these bands can handle it.
The best part is you can adjust the resistance by using different bands or doubling them up. Light day? Use the yellow one. Feeling strong? Stack a couple together and go to town.
For the space they take up versus what you get out of them, resistance bands are probably the best investment you can make for staying strong on the road.
4. Mini Stepper by Sunny
Now this one might seem a little crazy for travel, but hear me out. The Sunny Health & Fitness Mini Stepper is basically a portable stair climber that you can take anywhere.
This thing is surprisingly compact for what it does. Sure, it’s bigger than resistance bands, but it still fits in most RVs and you can even squeeze it into a larger suitcase if you really want to bring it along.
Here’s the thing about having this in your camper. Sometimes you just don’t want to go outside. Maybe it’s raining, or you’re parked somewhere sketchy, or it’s 100 degrees out.
With this stepper, you can get your cardio in right inside your RV while watching TV or listening to music. No weather issues, no safety concerns, just hop on and start stepping.
Is it as portable as a jump rope? No way. But if you’ve got the space and want something that really gets your heart pumping while working your legs, this little stepper does the job. We’ve definitely gotten our money’s worth out of ours on longer trips.
5. Adjustable Dumbbells by Unnmiiy
We had some of these for a while, and honestly, they worked great. The versatility is incredible, and if you’re serious about strength training, nothing really beats actual weights. You can do everything from bicep curls to squats to chest presses.
But here’s the thing that got us. Even though they’re adjustable, these things are still heavy and bulky. We’re talking at least 45 pounds for a decent set, and they take up a good chunk of storage space. After hauling them around for a few trips, we just didn’t feel the weight was worth it.
Don’t get me wrong, if you’ve got a big Class A motorhome or spacious travel trailer and you really miss lifting real weights, these could be perfect. But for our setup and the way we travel, we ended up going back to resistance bands and calling it good.
How do you exercise while traveling?
Walking and running is the best way to get fit during travelling. Nice article, good read and informative.