When you are traveling, you may not be able to workout the way you usually do. But that doesn't mean that you should skip exercising altogether. Get creative, rethink the word “workout” and make sure to get some sort of moving in every day.

For the past two weeks, I was traveling in Estonia and Finland. We had a great time, but naturally, I wasn't able to do my much loved outdoor HIIT workouts there. Hey, it's not sunny California, it's chilly and snowy Northern Europe, just like in the picture above! But all that doesn't mean that I stopped working out altogether. I found a way to move almost every day, even if it was something as simple as walking.

And sometimes, I did snow burpees.

Many people stop exercising when they are on a vacation, because they want to enjoy their time at the fullest and not be bothered with working out. For me, moving makes a vacation even better. At times, I may even go a little overboard with it… But working out shouldn't be an annoying chore. Sure, we all get bored sometimes, but if it's always like that, it's time to change something.

But back to working out when traveling. What if you can't do the things that you are used to do? Instead of throwing in the towel, find ways how to still stay active.

Make Compromises when Traveling

If you are used to go to a gym but your hotel doesn't have one, what do you do? If you usually workout outdoors, but it's snowing and temps are freezing outside, then what?

To be able to keep up a workout routine, you need to make compromises. Because if you don't want to return from your travel feeling sluggish and slow, you've got to find ways to move.

For example, I am not usually a gym goer, but because the low temps and slippery roads outside, I went there a couple of times during my stay in Estonia and Finland. Some of the gyms were super small and had very minimal equipment, but you can always make it work. For example, in one gym I went to, the rowing machine was one of the few reasonable pieces or workout equipment, so I used that.

Also, if just a treadmill is all you have, you can still do a super simple interval workout without having to spend hours on the treadmill.

Rethink the Word Workout

Any kind of moving can be working out. The word workout is not limited to super sweaty HIIT workout, a hours long run or any other one single thing. For years, I used to think that running is the only way of working out, but I have now come to understanding that that's not the case at all.

You may want to rethink what the word workout means. For example, while I was traveling, some days I got my daily moving in by taking long walks with my friends or mom. That's totally okay! Plus, you get to catch up on life and spend some much needed friend and family time.

Other days I went cross country skiing. I've done that a lot in the past, but not recently. It was good to be back. Soaking up all the beauty of the nature while skiing on a frozen lake in Finland, followed by a hot sauna was so much more than just working out.

You won't be losing your strength and stamina if you can't do the exact same things that you have used to do. Go do something different that you have never done before, find ways to move and don't panic about missing your “real” workouts.

Activities To Do on a Vacation

Vacation is actually a great time to try out new things that you may not think of when you are at home. Sure enough, it depends where you are, but there are definitely ways to do something active in every destination. Take a look around you to see,

Are there parks or playgrounds? These are super fun.