My wife and I are in our fifties and try to live a fairly active lifestyle. At our age, if you're not making daily strides in terms of your fitness it doesn't take long to fall behind. My regular workout routine consists of walking, cycling, and lifting weights. When you’re traveling it’s a challenge to find access to a gym or workout equipment and can also be very expensive.
Resistance bands seem like a good option because they're easily packable but I’ve never found a brand that I’ve felt has given me a decent enough workout to continue using, and I’ve tried a few.
Of course, packing heavy dumbbells or Russian kettlebells is completely out of the question. Although I do have a folding bike (my trusty Brompton) it’s not always convenient to fly with it.
What is a traveler to do?
Over the past few years of travel I’ve honed a wellness, cardio, and strength training routine for the road that requires little or no equipment. These give me as good of a workout as I get at home and keep me functioning at the highest levels so I can get the most out of each trip.
QIGONG
I’ve practiced this simple twenty-minute qigong routine all across the world these past six years. This particular routine from Judy K. Young is my favorite and judging from the millions of views it must be a lot of other peoples’ go-to qigong workout as well.
This is free and can be streamed from a phone, laptop, or tablet. Qigong melts away the stress and centers you into the present moment, both very valuable while you’re traveling. I instantly feel more at ease after I practice this.
STAIR CLIMB
Whether you’re staying in a hotel, Airbnb, or hostel, if you have access to even one flight of stairs you can get an excellent cardio workout in minutes. We have one flight of stairs in the Airbnb we’re staying in here in Sedona and I strap on my headphones and climb up and down for twenty minutes every day.
WALKING
Traveling by planes, trains or automobiles means sitting for long periods of time and there’s nothing worse for your health. Walking is something you can easily do while you’re waiting for a flight and it's better than sitting at the gate while staring at your phone.
MEDITATION
I’ve been meditating now for more than half of my life but sometimes I need extra motivation to keep me on track while I’m on the road (or in the air). I’ve tried a few meditation apps to help keep me on track but my favorite, by far, has been Headspace.
This app provides you with a slightly different guided meditation every day, tracks your progress, and also reminds you when it’s time for your daily practice. Here’s a referral link if you’d like to try Headspace free for 30 days.
NAVY SEAL BURPEE
Last but not least, is the burpee. If I could only do one exercise for the rest of my life it would be this one. Burpees are the most efficient exercise I’ve found for both strength training and cardio. They’re not easy at first but you’ll be amazed at how much this one routine transforms every major muscle group of your body.
If done regularly these quickly increase overall strength and muscle mass. The key factor to utilizing the benefits of Navy Seal Burpee is your form must be absolutely perfect. At first do them very slowly until the exercise is integrated into your muscle memory. If you allow yourself to slip into a sloppy version of the exercise they won’t be nearly as beneficial. Burpees take discipline but the results are nothing short of incredible.
T R A V E L - T I P S
Swiss Army Knife
I can’t even begin to tell you how useful this little Swiss Army Knife is, especially when traveling. You can buy them for around $20 and they’re worth every bit of that. They take up essentially zero room in your bag and have scissors, tweezers, a toothpick, a nail file, screwdriver, and a blade. Just make sure to pack this in a checked bag or TSA will confiscate it. This is, by far, the most useful thing I carry in my pocket aside from a credit card. Just yesterday I used the tweezers to pick out a cactus thorn that was stuck in my leg after I backed into it while taking a picture on the trail. Ouch!
A Good Book
You can't get any more low tech than this. Life can be hectic and it can sometimes be difficult to find time to read. When you’re planning a trip, pick at least one book to bring along. Travel days usually consist of short, intense periods of stress then lots of empty hours of sitting and waiting. There’s no better way to pass the time than with a good book. It's good to have an option to fill the hours with something other than in flight movies or staring at a digital device.
All for now. Trust your instincts, invest in you, live boldly, and take chances.
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Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive.
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These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, Mindful Moments, will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com.
Let’s Keep In Touch
I've just started taking tai chi classes, and I cannot remember the moves at all! Have you memorized that 20 minute routine? It looks so good.
It's so difficult to memorize the moves at first. I do have this routine memorized now but have been doing it for years. It helps to list the names of the moves on a sheet of paper. There's something about the physical act of writing them down that etches it into memory. How are you liking tai chi? I always feel so amazing after a qi-gong session. There has to be something to it.
I love it! I feel so much stronger already, and my memory is improving. That's a great idea to write the moves down, but we usually do it to recordings that are in Chinese! It's getting easier, I am watching differently, which is cool in itself.
Now if I could do tai chi outside in my bare feet, all my physical problems, which are thankfully very few, would be solved.
That's amazing that it's helping. Even my mood and overall outlook improves when I do it. I believing in earth-grounding. I've noticed when I wear shoes that don't have rubber soles I feel better and more connected to the Earth. Hopefully the weather improves enjoy for you to give that a try soon.
Have you ever tried cold showers? I've been hearing about the benefits for years and just started integrating it into my daily routine when we first got here in Sedona.
This Dr. Berg video was finally the thing that made me start trying it. I started gradually but after a month and a half I can tolerate it as cold as it can get for about 30 seconds. I'll tell you, there's no need for caffeine in the morning when you do this! Lol.
lol not my thing!!! Wim Hoff-ers are impressive, but that stuff is not for me. I'm glad you like it though. there must be more pleasurable methods to increase your norepinephrine. I'll stick with one cup of coffee a day. I like the new word I now know though - hormesis.
It wasn't my thing either, I like my showers piping hot! I won't go any more than 30 seconds but do feel the benefits and I still have my coffee. ; )
Those are some great tips. I have seen characters on shows do the burpees. They look like a really good way to hurt myself to me. I actually did 20 pushups the other day just to see if I could do it. I honestly think I could have done 25, but I was sore for the the next two days. It hurt my abs more than anything.
If you can do twenty pushups at once you're more fit than probably half the population. The burpee is relatively safe if you focus on your form and start off slow. I'd recommend only doing five of them very slowly your first few days. One burpee is probably the equivalent of five or so pushups and this particular style of burpee (Navy Seal) concentrates on your core.
I'm not sure I could do the part where you pull your leg in. I feel like my wrists aren't strong enough to support my body during that part. I did say I think I could have done 25, does that make me more fit that 2/3 of the population? :) I was going to try one this morning after my workout, but then I forgot all the moves and I got distracted by something else.
The ability to do 25 pushups at once just might land you in that percentile! Most people would be surprised to learn how unfit the average person is, especially the younger generations. Yes, this is almost identical to the Navy Seal version, the only difference is you don't put your arms over your head. If you start slow your wrists will get stronger. My forearms have gotten a lot stronger in the 4 weeks I've been doing this.
I think a lot of the reason I am able to do as many as I did is because I have been working on my upper body with our Total Gym. I can definitely see the difference in my shoulders. I think I surprise some people at how strong I am. I'm stealthy like that.
That's good! Once you build that muscle mass it's like a calorie burning factory. You'll age a lot more gracefully too.
That's the plan! :)
Then, I do the right. I don't prefer using elevator if there are stairs available.
Also, I make my way to home longer while walking.
Smart! That's a good example of ways to integrate exercise into your day.
Great tips there, when it actually comes to reading, I think this is one of the best tip for traveling, this is because we're hardly ever going time to maybe sit in a plane or in a bus. Infact, I find it easier to reflect on myself while reading whenever I'm traveling. Another tip I'll add is listening to good music. Not everyone might like this, but this is also very good and relaxing.
I always bring at least one book. Having the time to read is such a luxury these days I try to take full advantage.
Oh, I thought you were younger than that, Eric!!! You're looking pretty good for being over 50. Before the pandemic I would go to a gym that was close to the house and after I got off work, I could be there for an hour. I would also walk along the shore of the beach and even take a book with me to read. But after the pandemic I have been very lazy. I have no excuses, but I feel like the days of confinement took away my "youth". hahaha. Now I prefer to stay at home and listen to music according to my mood: salsa, merengue and if the heart is sad and the soul is tired, some jazz and blues. With this post you cheered me up! Maybe I can get some pages on Youtube that might interest me. Have a great start of the week, my friend. Hugs
Thanks, Nancy! I'll be fifty-two in June. We had a gym membership pre-pandemic too but cancelled a year or so ago because the gym wasn't maintaining their equipment. The mind and body are so connected I can see how the pandemic caused so many people to stop their fitness routines. I think we've just begun to realize what far reaching effects those two years had on our psychology.
Salsa and merengue are like sunshine for the soul! I'm a big fan of jazz too.
I'm glad this cheered you up! I hope you have a wonderful week!
To stay fit, I usually run every day for at least 40 mins at an average speed of 7 kmph. That is how I intend to release my happy hormones. It's much needed even at 40s.
It's actually a good idea, I could even try this at home(while not traveling). Thanks for recommending it.
Wow, I must explore it then.
Thank you so much, Sir, Eric. It's nice to engage with you after a long gap.
Thanks great! I've never been much of a runner and probably wouldn't want to start in my 50's because it can be hard on the knees. Some people love it though. I've heard it releases the endorphins like nothing else.
You're welcome! I discovered stair climbing while working in high rise office building. Co-workers and I used to take an afternoon break from our desks and climb for exercise.
Great to hear from you! I hope your year has been a good one so far.
You and your wife are a very healthy and happy couple. Happiness will arise from a healthy body. Thank you for some tips to keep body fit and healthy that you share here. have a nice day my friend.
Thank you, Eliana! We're trying to fend off the effects of Father Time! : ) Have a wonderful week.
Walking backwards, as strange as it might sound has been a game changer for me (and my knees) esp. when traveling. I picked this one technique from the "Knees Over Toes guy". You can't carry all kinds of gear with you when you fly, therefore we need to be creative. Thanks for sharing the Navy Seal Burpee. I'll add that to my routine!
Thanks for that tip about walking backwards! My wife has knee trouble and she mentioned that her doctor told her to do this to help strengthen it. Traveling with gear is a lot easier if you're fit, especially if you don't check a bag.
Almost saw this too late! In my younger days I could do 100 push ups in one go. Nowadays I only have my sinews left and the "handful" (7) of pills that I have to take every day creates muscle de-generation.
So I really needed to reblog this as it looks very good.
Thank you Eric.
One hundred is really good! I'm sorry to hear about the medication causing those side effects. I don't use much more equipment than this when we're at home. I started using a Russian kettlebell in the place of all other weights years ago. The kettlebell replaces everything. You're welcome! I hope you're having a good week.
In all honesty, I was close to super fit at the time Eric. Thank you and be aware that every time one sees the doctor to complain about a side effect, he will give you another pill to counter the side effect. But the new pill comes with its own side effects. A mugs game and I am trying to do things naturally now in an effort to get off the medication.
I have heard about the Russian kettlebell swing exercise, but I don't know if it's the same thing that you are talking about?
Always a good week when it rains my friend. Started this afternoon with all of the usual storm wind warnings and said to continue until 9am in the morning. Then again it will rain over the weekend, so everyone here is in a good mood !LOL
I hope that the week is also kind to you.
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First of all thank you are these tips, I'm really impressed by how you are spending your life traveling all around the world, and to be able to do that, you are doing exercise and meditation to keep your body fit and mind relax. I have just started going to Evening walk with my wife and my goal is to do it on the daily basis and don't miss it. I can't travel the world like you but will try to travel occasionally.
You're welcome! Making fitness a habit is the key. Once you do this you start looking forward to it instead of dreading it.
I also have a plan to start going to gym, Lets see i can stick to my plan or not.
All great tips. I've camped in the middle of nowhere and, apart from the tenuous hiking, saw some ppl exercising using rocks. It's all about creativity.
Thanks! Now that is what I call creativity! Where there's a will, there's a way.
You are absolutely right when a person is getting older he should take more care of his health the way you are keeping it the way you walk daily and also burn the cycle these two things man It is very important for the health of the human being. Here in Pakistan, the older people don't have more time than the new generation today because they exercise a lot and there anyway. Today's young boys and girls don't seem to be paying attention to the fact that exercise is very important for them. The way you have shared this moon exercise with us, I will definitely try it.
Thanks! I think the older generation is healthier, on average, here in the US too. Gen-X was raised to play outside and be active and not to play video games. There were video games when I grew up (Atari 2600 and Nintendo) but the games weren't as immersive and time-consuming.
Most welcome dear. You are absolutely right. Today's children do not care much about their health.
Laziness is insidious and strong, but only increased training and motivation can defeat it. You are great, I could not
You're right, laziness is in us all. It's a constant battle against it. Our brains are quite creative in coming up with reasons/excuses.
Yes, you are right, it is very important to stay healthy and as you mentioned you and your wife are fifty years old so it is very important to maintain yourself. By the way, exercise is as beneficial for everyone as it is for people of any age but in young age you can avoid such things because your are more stronger. As you said your regular workout routine consists of walking, cycling, and lifting weights, I got a lot of motivation from this because in the age of 24 I am not doing these things which I should do. Have a nice day
Thanks! I hope you have a good week.
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Exercise is really much important to stay fit and maintain a healthy living and I could testify that using the stairs as an exercise tool is not easy but plays an important part to exercise.
quite an interesting article that friends have shared, always healthy for you friends. have a nice day.
Great solutions, hehehe.
This is a good post
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