Workout Wednesday: How to Get a Kickass Workout While Traveling Without Having to Set Foot in a Hotel Gym

Let’s start this post with a note.  While this post is geared towards working out while traveling (for business or pleasure), the same advice can apply when you move to a new place and are: (1) trying to meet new people; (2) learn about your new city; and (3) trying to find a new gym.  Got it?  Good. Let’s talk about ways to get a kick ass workout while traveling.*

*For the sake of ease, this post is going to be divided into two parts – workouts you can do for free and ones you pay for, because sometimes it’s worth it. 

Free Workouts:

Perhaps the easiest way to get a good workout while taking in the sights of your destination of choice (or not) is to put on your running shoes and go for a good run. We’re huge fans of using running to get to know your location. It’s quick, it’s easy, it's cheap, and it doesn’t require a lot of planning.  If you’re particularly adventurous or at least somewhat familiar with the city you’re visiting, you can walk out of your hotel, pick a direction and go.  This is how Katie 1 discovered the Old Brompton Cemetery in London and how to see the Berlin Zoo for free (well at least the back side of it).  However, if you’re more of a planner, you can always pre-plan your routes.   We’ve had good luck googling “running routes + city we’re visiting.”  In particularly outdoorsy cities, we’ve also had good luck with hotel concierges providing us with good running routes (the Four Seasons in Vancouver has a particularly helpful business card sized map containing a wonderful route through Stanley Park).  Another good piece of advice is to try and locate nearby parks or trails near your hotel.  Most will have running paths that are clearly marked which will decrease your chances of getting lost. 

Do you want to interact with the locals while working out while traveling?  We’ve got you covered.  As we think we discussed in this post,  Katie 1 is a regular at her neighborhood Lululemon’s run club.  While planning her last trip to London, she discovered the Lululemon UK Instagram account which posted information about the run clubs offered at their UK locations.  The King’s Road location had a Saturday morning run club which fit perfectly into her travel schedule so she decided to give it a try.  It was one of the best travel decisions she ever made.  Not only did she have the chance to roam around King’s Road and drink coffee and take in the Saturday morning calm, she also had the chance to meet and really interact with some local ladies and enjoy a run led by a Barry’s Bootcamp instructor (who also happened to be the ambassador for that Lululemon).  And that’s not the best part!  The best part was the route, which took her down to the River Thames, past MI-6, past the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey through St. James Park to Buckingham Palace and past the Goring Hotel back to the store.  She’s been to London several times and this was hands down the best tour she’s ever had (and it was accidental, the run club leader didn’t know she wasn’t a local until midway through the run)! Added bonus? She also got to check out the differences between Lululemon in the US and Lululemon in the UK. 

What’s the point of that story? To encourage you to seek out free workout classes offered wherever you’re visiting.  Bougie athleisure stores love to get you in the door with a free workout (and the workouts can range from yoga to running to HIIT).  In fact, most Lululemons will have some sort of run club (either on a weekend morning or a weeknight) and Saturday or Sunday morning yoga.  These classes are free and are usually drop in so no need to sign up beforehand.  How do you find out about them?  Do a little bit of research before you leave.  Lululemon’s store locator will usually provide information about in store happenings so check that out.  Word of advice from a friend that works at Lululemon: make sure to check out the Instagram or Facebook page for the Lululemon you’re visiting to get the most up to date information as the information on the website can sometimes be outdated (you can also call if you’re feeling particularly old school).  Also, it’s not just Lululemon that offers these free run clubs and classes.  Sweaty Betty, Lululemon’s British cousin, often offers free classes at their various locations, so also check out their store locator for information about in store fitness offerings, although we do recommend that you call to confirm. 

In addition to purveyors of bougie athleisure, if running is your jam, local running specialty stores will often have weekend or weeknight run clubs. We've definitely taken advantage of Fleet Feet's run clubs here in Chicago.  Also, local parks may have free offerings as well.  We’re particularly smitten with the free workouts offered at the Park at Wrigley here in Chicago.  Do some research about local park districts and you may be surprised by what you find.  Obvious word of warning – these will be easier to find in spring, summer and early fall.  Winter offerings may leave you SOL.

If you want to spend money:

So… your search for a free class that strikes your fancy is a bust? That sucks.  However, sometimes it’s worth it to shell out a little $$ for a really cool workout experience while away from home.  For example, as we noted here we love a good destination race, so signing up for that Saturday or Sunday morning 5K might be super fun (also check back here in a few weeks for our guide to destination races).  Katie 2 has a friend/fellow bridesmaid that used the wedding of our friend to rack up some 5Ks, one the Sunday of the Bachelorette Party and again the morning of the wedding. We’ve had good luck just googling “Destination + Date + 5K” when searching for a good race.  We’ve also found Running in the USA to be helpful.  Still can’t find a good 5K? We’ve recently discovered that many cities offer running tours.  In fact, Katie 1 is participating in a scenic Brooklyn Bridge run during her upcoming trip to New York. 

Running not your thing?  Still want to work out?  That’s fair.  Traveling is a good opportunity to check out one of those super hypey boutique classes that haven’t quite made their way to your city yet.  For example, Katie 1 seriously contemplated trying out Soul Cycle during her last trip to New York (they’ve since opened several studios in Chicago. Katie still hasn’t attended).  She’s also contemplating trying out Barry’s Bootcamp during her next trip to New York. 

Not into hypey boutique classes?  Regularly workout at a national gym?  Ask your local gym if the location in the city you’re visiting offers reciprocity or if they’d be willing to give you a 3 day pass.

So there you have it – how to have a kick ass workout while traveling and never having to set foot in the hotel gym (unless the hotel gym is awesome or has awesome views or something).  Also, check back here later for a post about how to pack for workouts when traveling.  That seems like a good idea for a post.