Everyday exercise is an integral part of one’s body. Such regular physical activity can have multiple benefits: balancing the blood pressure, reducing blood cholesterol levels, minimising the chances of a heart attack, providing more energy to go on with the day, strengthening bones and muscles, etc.
While travelling, it gets really hard to keep track of your daily physical activity or even have the space or resources to work out properly. Therefore, we have put together a list of 5 exercises you can do while travelling. Keep in mind that these exercises are not meant to be medically advised. However, you can check in with many online healthcare experts, such as those at Click Pharmacy, to better understand what fits your requirements and what suits your health best.
It is often suggested that you should not skip the exercise for more than two days to be consistent with your workout routine. Hence, the following exercises are made to be done whether you are travelling on an airplane or staying in a hotel room with no equipment.
1. Push-ups:
Most hotels have gym services in order not to disrupt the exercise schedules of their clients during their travel. And even if they don’t come with a gym, you can do this exercise in the comfort of your hotel room as well!
Push-ups are a great way to get a sufficient amount of daily physical activity with multiple health benefits such as:
- Provide flexibility
- Provide a good posture
- Burning of calories
- Enhanced muscle strength
- Protects from multiple injuries (such as lower back injuries or shoulder injuries)
The correct way of doing a push-up:
Doing a push-up for the first time can be a little hard, but we all are familiar with the words “practise makes perfect”. So just keep on practising, and it will be a piece of cake for you in no time!
- Start by adjusting yourself in a plank position and flatten your palms on the ground.
- Next, straighten your torso, arms, and legs as much as possible.
- Ensure a 12-inch distance between your feet and that your weight is appropriately distributed.
- Lower your body in such a way that your chest barely touches the ground.
- Push yourself back up after momentarily waiting for a few seconds.
- Repeat the process until the desired goal is reached.
2. Yoga:
Yoga is a type of exercise done with both the mind and the body. But the best part is that you can do some yoga exercises in confined spaces, such as sitting in an airplane seat or during a car ride, as well!
It has many benefits, such as improving one’s flexibility, posture, muscle strength, mental health as well as physical health, etc. In addition, it can provide relief from certain body aches as well.
A yoga exercise that can be done without any equipment and in a confined space is discussed below.
Slow and steady neck rolls:
- Whilst sitting in your seat, begin by letting your head hang low.
- Next up, start by moving your head gently to the right side
- Take it all way to the back.
- And then move it towards the left side.
- Repeat this circular movement 5 more times.
- After completing these movements 5 times, let your head sink in a downward direction again.
- Now this time, start by moving your head to the left side
- Take it all the way to the back, only as far as it can possibly go
- And finally, move it towards the right side.
These movements will aid in removing any stress or tension in your neck that may be caused due to travelling.
3. Walking:
Going for a brisk walk or jog while on vacation is one of the most convenient methods to get some exercise. While travelling to any place, you have all the space in the world to walk on.
Walking is “the best form of cardio”. Jogging/ walking are excellent aerobic exercises that require absolutely no equipment other than your own two feet. You can take a walk in the park near your current residence or run on a treadmill. A 30 minute Walk is deemed highly beneficial to one’s health because, believe it or not, taking a walk can aid in:
- Improving the immune system
- Strengthening bones and muscles
- Protecting from high blood pressure
- Preventing various diseases such as heart diseases, etc.
- Loss of excessive body fat
4. Knee pillow squeezes while sitting:
Now get this, you’re sitting in your seat on an airplane. The flight is 12 hours (or more for dramatic effects) long, and you wish that you could work out a little to get rid of the stress or tension in your body from sitting in one place for 12 hours straight. Well, we’ve got you covered.
How to do it:
This exercise can be done while sitting, and it’s called the knee pillow squeezes while sitting (but without the pillow)
- Sit in an upright position with your feet 6 inches apart.
- Shoulders should be pulled back as far as you possibly can.
- Now, joining your fists together in the shape of a pillow, put them between your knees.
- Start squeezing your fists with your knees inwards and outwards.
- Repeat these movements.
5. Sitting cats and dogs exercise:
This next exercise is perfect for improving hip and spinal mobility. It’s called the cat and dog position but doing it while sitting.
How to do it:
- Sit straight with your feet at a 6-inch distance.
- Let your pelvis sink back into your spine.
- Draw your shoulders in a downward direction whilst tucking your chin into your chest.
- Now, slowly and gently, roll in the opposite direction.
- Draw the pelvis forward and bring the shoulders back whilst simultaneously stretching your spine.
- Again, do not strain your neck, just imagine that you are stretching it out.
- Seamlessly transition between these two positions
This is a collaborative post. Image from Unsplash.