Exercise on Tour: Tips to Get You Moving
Whether you’re squeezed into a bunk, stuck in a windowless dressing room, or staring at a 15-minute gap between soundcheck and show the “perfect workout” is a myth on the road. Touring is an endurance sport, yet the environment is designed to sabotage your physical health with erratic schedules and limited gear. But “no gym” doesn’t have to mean “no progress.” By reframing your environment and prioritizing high-impact, low-friction movements, you can maintain your strength and sanity without ever stepping foot in a fitness center.
Here are a few tricks to keep you moving when the road tries to keep you stationary:
Take a brisk walk
‘Brisk’ means you can still talk but not sing, and you may be puffing slightly. Aim for 30 minutes a day if possible (try three ten-minute brisk walks if you’re struggling to find a 30 minute slot – perfect for rest stop breaks!).
Walking helps to maintain a healthy weight, reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, improves management of various conditions (including diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension), strengthens your bones and muscles, and improves your balance.
Find out more about the benefits of walking.
Skipping
According to the British Rope Skipping Association, 10 minutes of skipping can have the same health benefits as a 45-minute run (and skipping ropes are cheap to buy and easy to pack!) Skipping is a full body workout which uses your abdominals to stabilise the body, legs for jumping, shoulders and arms for turning the rope. Skipping can:
- Burn up to 1,300 calories per hour and help with muscle toning
- Help in muscle toning as it is a body weight exercise
- Improve footwork, balance, coordination and agility
- Give a full body workout either indoors or outdoors
Therabands
Therabands are often used for upper body rehabilitation. Tie them to a door knob or to other furniture and get a great upper body strength workout. Therabands come in different colours representing different levels of resistance, so it’s easy to develop a graded strength program.
Yoga
Flat, light weight, and easy to lay on top of your bag, add a yoga mat to your travel kit. If you are travelling with a computer or tablet, you can download plenty of great yoga sessions to complete in the comfort of your own room.
Go mobile
There are lots of apps which will help you take your exercise program with you. Search your app store for your favourite type of workout. There are sensational apps for yoga and interval training (and even workouts that can be done in under ten minutes with no equipment).
Stretching counts!
Whether it’s a rest stop break, chilling in the green room, or a warm up before bump in, take time to stretch.
Swimming
Swimming provides countless benefits to both the mind and body, so consider packing swimwear and goggles.
Mix it up
Variety is important and helps you stay curious and engaged. Also, your body likes it. Lift weights in your hotel room one day, go to the local bowls club the next.
- Hire a bike and explore the town
- Research walking tracks and outdoor exercise facilities
- Walk around a gallery or exhibition
- Visit a Farmers Market and stock up on healthy produce
- Explore getting a multi-site pass to a 24 hour gym
- Community centres often host free or low cost fitness classes (Zumba, yoga, Tai Chi, walking groups etc.)
How do I exercise when I feel constantly exhausted?
It is essential to manage your energy levels, particularly while on tour. It is important to know your own body, and what it’s used to, and your personal exercise needs. Touring can sometimes be a ‘shock to the system’, where suddenly you’re doing a lot more or a lot less physical activity than usual. Pay attention to:
- Your preferred time of day for exercise
- How much more or less exercise you are doing on tour and whether you need to cut back or up the intensity
- Your diet, sleep and hydration – addressing these first might help reduce your feelings of exhaustion and enable you to increase exercise
- Days off! Make sure your exercise regime or the tour schedule isn’t exhausting you – always have at least one day off organised exercise and workout sessions per week to maximise rest and recovery.
- Go easy on yourself – touring can mess with your routines. That’s OK. Take your time and enjoy the journey – you might invent new routines on tour that work even better for you!
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