Cardio Workout Ideas When Traveling

Getting a good cardio workout while traveling can be difficult unless you have planned for it properly before leaving, such as deciding:

• what equipment you need to bring (if any)
• which hotels have fitness centers
• the time of day you will exercise
• your fitness routine. 

What Equipment to Bring

If you are traveling by air, and with the current baggage weight restrictions, most of the time it isn’t practical to bring heavy fitness equipment such as dumbbells, however, you most likely have room for a set of one or two pound wrist weights. In a pinch you can even use a couple of 16-ounce bottles of water. And of course a jump rope weighs almost nothing and doesn’t take up much space at all.

Hotels With Fitness Centers

Before you go, be sure to research which hotels on your itinerary have fitness centers. If they all do, then you most likely have access to all the equipment you will need for a good cardio workout. Most hotels also have swimming pools, so you can also do water aerobics or swim laps. If you are into walking or jogging (while wearing your hand weights), be sure to ask when you check in if they can recommend any good (i.e. safe) routes to take. 

The Time of Day You’ll Exercise

Traveling is tiring, so while you may like to exercise at the end of the day when you are home, you might want to consider doing it in the morning before breakfast when traveling. Find out from the front desk at your hotel what time it gets light out and plan you walk or jog accordingly.

Your Fitness Routine

Your fitness routine while traveling may be entirely different from the one you do when home.  One good cardio workout that doesn’t require any equipment, other than a good pair of running shoes or cross trainers, is:

• 20 squats
• 50 crunches
• 20 lunges
• 15 push-ups
• run or walk 2 miles

Cool down with the same squat/crunches/lunges and push-up routine done in the warm-up phase. If the weather is bad outside, you can do the run/walk phase on a treadmill at your hotel. Another good workout is finding a set of stairs you can climb up and down. That will get your heart pumping!

Of course for a workout to be classified as cardio, it has to elevate your heart rate into the aerobic zone (55% to 85% of your maximum heart rate: 220 - your age) and it has to last for at least 10 minutes (20 minutes or longer is better).

So as you can see, it is not hard to get good cardio workouts while traveling. Strap on your shoes and get going!

How to Avoid Getting Bored With Your Cardio Routine

One of the biggest reasons people stop exercising is because they lose the enthusiasm and the motivation they had in the beginning. One of the reasons for this is that if you’re exercising to lose weight you may hit a plateau where you’re not losing as much weight as you did in the beginning. This can be frustrating and it can make it easy to give up.

However, if you’re having fun, then it’s much easier to push through the challenges, whatever they may be. And if you’re having fun, then you won’t get bored with your cardio routine. So let’s take a look at some of the simple ways you can not only prevent boredom, you can actually enjoy your cardio program.

Get Outside

True, in many situations it’s much easier to exercise in a home gym or in a fitness center. However, the sun and fresh air can have an invigorating effect on you. In fact, exercising outdoors can be good for you mind, body, and spirit.

According to the New York Times, exercising outside improves mood. It also reduces cortisol levels and reduces stress more than exercising indoors. And some studies have shown that people who regularly exercise outside have a greater commitment to their exercise program. If you’re struggling to stay motivated to exercise, try getting outside.

Finally, exercising outside is generally more strenuous than exercising indoors. This is because your body has to respond to a continually changing environment. As you adjust, your body works harder. Imagine the difference between running on a treadmill and running on a trail. Your legs and joints have to adapt to every tilt in the path and every rock you step on or around.

Mix It Up

Are you familiar with the saying, “Variety is the spice of life”? If you’re prone to boredom, then one exceptional way to stay active and engaged is to include a variety of cardio exercises into your program. You might dance, run, jump rope and hop on the rowing machine all in the same week. It can be tempting to jump rope on Monday, dance on Tuesday and so on.

However, if routine feels stifling, then perhaps a better approach may be to try to do something active every single day rather than to schedule your week. A home gym with a variety of equipment or a gym membership where there are many classes and equipment pieces to choose from can help you stay interested in working out and losing weight.

Be Social

Some people prefer to work out alone. Others prefer to work out with friends or in a group. If you’re generally a solo exerciser, then try exercising with friends or take a class. You may be surprised at how much fun it can be to work out with other people. Many exercisers feel like their fitness community is also a strong support system. Conversely, if you find that you’re getting bored with your club runs or group fitness classes, try working out on your own once in a while. You may get something different and beneficial from the experience.

Are Step Machines Bad for Your Joints?

In general stair step machines are not bad for your joints, unless you already have knee or ankle problems or are predisposed to developing issues with these joints. You should avoid stepping motion exercises if you have:

• arthritis
• gout
• chondromalacia (inflammation or irritation of the cartilage under the kneecap)
• plica syndrone (inflammation of the plica tissue on the inner side of the knee)

Benefit of Using a Stepper

If it doesn’t hurt your joints when using a step machine, there are several health benefits gained in using one. First, it is a great form of cardio exercise; a 140-pound person can burn on average almost 600 calories an hour. Because step machines use a vertical motion instead of a horizontal, they require more effort to complete the exercise. More effort equates to a better cardio fitness workout over a given period of time. 

Second, because step machines target the calf, gluteal and hip flexor muscles, they are a great way to strengthen and tone your lower body - especially the thighs and buttocks.

Proper Form

As discussed above, using a step machine can be a great way to get both your heart and lower body into shape. But if you use it wrong, it can also cause problems.

The proper form for using a step machine is to:

• grip the hand rails lightly to maintain your balance, if needed. If you have to hang on the handrails to keep up with the machine, you are going too fast.
• stand upright while slightly leaning forward at the hips. A slight forward lean prevents your lower back from overarching and your knees from locking.
• take moderate even steps. Not only does this technique help you burn the maximum number of calories, it is also better for your calf muscles.
• keep your entire foot on the pedal. This prevents you from over-stressing your calf muscles and enables your buttocks and thighs to get the maximum workout.

To work your hamstring muscles more, move your foot until your heel is just off of the foot pad.

Alternatives to Using a Step Machine

If you find using a step machine causes pain in your hips, knees or ankles, there are two good alternatives:

• using an elliptical trainer or
• doing water aerobics/swimming.

Both still provide great cardio fitness workouts, but without the constant stress and pressure on your lower body joints. When using a step machine, you are bringing your full body weight down on a hip, knee and ankle with each step you take, trying to overcome the resistance of the foot pad to drive it downward.  Because you are alternating and concentrating all your weight on one leg at a time, more so than say if you were just walking naturally up a set of steps, the extra pressure can cause problems, especially if you are overweight.

5 Things You Should Do Before Starting a New Cardio Workout Program

If you are new to cardio exercising, the absolute first thing you should do is consult with your doctor to see if your heart is healthy enough to do cardio workouts. Once cleared by your doctor, then move onto these five steps:

1) Determine Your Fitness Level

To know if you are improving or not, you have to know your starting point. Here are some simple measurements you should take before starting a cardio program:

Pulse rate - take your pulse rate before and after you walk one mile.

Weight - if you are using cardio as a weight loss method, you will want to know your weight before starting your program, so you know how much you lose.

Body Mass Index - a fairly reliable measurement of a person’s body fat based on weight and height. You should strive to have a BMI of less than 25.0, but more than 18.4.

To measure your BMI on the U.S. Standard System, take your weight in pounds divided by your height in inches2 and multiply by 703. If you use the metric system, then take your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters2. The resulting value from either system is your BMI.

2) Develop Your Program

First, determined your end fitness goal. If it is to lose weight, write down your desired ending weight. Regardless of your goal, it has to be realistic and achievable.

Next create a balanced routine encompassing 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week. In that time, a couple days per week should include strengthening exercises. For the rest of the week, create a few different cardio routines so that you can keep from getting bored with the same routine. 

Always go at your own pace. Start slow if you are just getting into exercising and increase your pace as you get fitter.

Finally, give your muscles time for recovery, by working different muscle groups with each routine.

3) Gather Your Equipment

If you are new to exercising and depending on the cardio program you plan to use, you may need some equipment you may not already have, such as wrist weights. Also because most cardio workout programs involve running or moving around a lot, be sure to have a good pair of running shoes or cross trainers. Plan to replace your shoes at least every six months.

4) Start Exercising

If you are not a regular exerciser, then start slow. As with all cardio routines always be sure to warm up before exercising and cool down afterward. You may only be able to go for 5 to 10 minutes when first starting out, but soon you will be able to go a full 30 minutes. Also it is just as beneficial to do three 10-minute workouts as it is one 30-minute routine.

5) Monitor and Assess Your Progress
Periodically reassess your fitness level to see if you are making progress. If so, great; stay with your current activities. If not, see how you can change things up to make more progress.

You Don’t Have to Enjoy Running to Get a Good Cardio Workout – Different Types of Cardio Exercise

Jogging/Running

Millions of people around the world jog or run for fun and fitness. One of the reasons for the popularity of this type of exercise is that it’s really easy to do and anyone can do it. All you need is a pair of shoes and a place to run. And the good news is that you can run in a number of places, inside and out, and it's great as a cardio exercise.

You can run or jog:

• On trails
• On an indoor track
• On an outdoor track
• On the sidewalk in your community
• On a treadmill in your home or in a fitness center

You can run for fun or competitively or both. You can run by yourself or with a group. You can run short distances or long distances. And you can run as part of a varied exercise program. Running burns calories, too.

A 200-pound person can burn more than 500 calories in an hour of jogging. Jog for an hour a day without changing your diet and that’s one pound lost each week. Change your diet and the weight loss increases significantly.

Some studies have also indicated that running increases your longevity. The Copenhagen City Heart Study followed 20,000 Danes for 35 years and found that joggers lived an average of five years longer than non-joggers.

Race Walking

If you have joint problems or just don’t like to jog or run, then consider speed walking or race walking. You can maintain a pretty fast pace when you walk and burn almost as many or more calories.

Race walking uses your upper body to increase momentum; therefore a 200-pound person who race walks for an hour can burn almost 700 calories. It can take some time to learn the form for race walking but you’ll be able to burn as you learn. And you can race walk indoors on a treadmill as well as outside.

Cross Country Skiing

While most people can’t cross country ski outside year round, you can use an indoor machine and enjoy similar benefits. In fact, cross-country skiing is considered the top calorie burning exercise.

An hour of moderate effort on cross country skis or on an indoor machine, like a Nordic Track, can burn almost 800 calories for a 200-pound person. It’s because you use both your arms and your legs for this fun and low impact movement.

A Guide to the Perceived Exertion Scale

The Perceived Exertion Scale is a chart you can use to estimate how hard you are exerting your body when working out. When determining your exertion level using the Borg Perceived Exertion Scale, you have to take into consideration:

• heart rate
• breathing rate
• amount of sweating
• muscle fatigue
• in general, how tired you “feel” during your physical activity

To explain the Borg scale in more detail, at the bottom of the scale - 6 - no exertion takes place; at the top of the scale - 20 - maximum effort is taking place. If you perform aerobic exercises, your goal is to be somewhere in between; most people try to be in the 12 to 14 range with 13 being “somewhat hard, i.e. you are feeling tired, but you can continue.”

If you walk, then your perceived exertion level would be more around a 9 to 11 - “walking at a comfortable pace.” Run sprints and you are more around a level of 18 to 19 - “you cannot continue that pace for very long.”

The measurement of exertion is a very individualistic thing and can vary among people doing the same activity at the same pace. For example, if you have an exercise partner not in as good of shape as you, s/he may perceive a higher level of exertion than you.

While your perceived exertion level is somewhat subjective, when combined with the talk test (also subjective) and your target heart rate (objective, as it is something you can measure by taking your pulse), you have a fairly accurate perception of your exertion level. From there, you can adjust it as necessary according to your fitness goal or at least your desired result from that specific activity at that point in time. The point being your perceived exertion level can vary according to the activity you are performing.

If you are not familiar with the talk test and target heart rate, here is a definition of each:

Talk Test - You can determine your level of physical activity by how many words you can say when talking while exercising. If you are at a high vigorous level, you should only be able to say a few words at a time.

Target heart rate - When working out, you should stay in the 80% to 90% of your maximum heart rate. To find your target heart rate, take 220 minus your age. Then multiply that figure by 80% or 90%. Monitor your heart rate and try to keep it at this level while exercising.

As a point of interest, Borg, the creator of the Perceived Exertion Scale, found that by adding a “0” to your perceived exertion scale figure, it was close to your desired target heart rate. By knowing your target heart rate, you could use this as a cross-check to see if you are accurately measuring your perceived exertion level.

Are Martial Arts Good For Fitness?

One of the biggest challenges of finding a fitness regimen that will work for you is picking something that you can stick to. Usually, people find it easier to stick to a workout plan if they choose a physical activity that they enjoy. Martial arts can be a good choice, because they are entertaining and help you to learn a practical skill while you improve your physical fitness.

Choosing a Marital Arts School

There are many different kinds of martial arts school, from karate and taekwondo schools that are suitable for the whole family to enjoy, to Brazilian Ju Jitsu schools and boxing schools aimed at adults looking for a more serious form of self defence. Before you commit to a particular school, think about your goals. Are you hopping to simply boost your fitness levels, or do you want to learn a competitive skill. Is self defence one of your goals? What about sport? Your answers will determine the kind of school which is best for you.

Assessing A School's Training

Whether you are looking for a self defence focused school, or a fitness focused school, you should assess the way that the school trains with a critical eye. The key word here is “aliveness”. The best way to improve your skills, and to get fit, is t train with intensity against a resisting opponent. If a school focuses exclusively on compliant drills, where one person stands still while the other person tests a move, you may learn a lot of different moves, in theory, but you won’t get a good workout, and you won’t learn how to do the moves under pressure. Training which is “alive” offers exercise, and helps to train your muscle memory.

How Much Do Martial Arts Cost?

Martial arts training should not cost a lot of money, at least not if you train only once a week. If you want to train more often than that, then you can expect to pay a monthly fee, which should be comparable to a gym membership. Considering that you are joining a martial arts class in order to get fit, you can probably get rid of your gym membership and put that money towards your training. If you find it hard to motivate yourself to go to the gym then it makes sense to spend that money more wisely elsewhere.

Taking up a martial art, or any other sport, is a great investment. Not only will you make new friends and learn new skills, you will improve your fitness at the same time. Studying a martial art gives you a goal to work towards in the form of belts, cords, or whatever grading system your new art uses. Having a goal to aim for helps you to stay motivated, and gives you something to focus on when times get tough. If you are lucky enough to have a talent for your new art, you may even be able to compete in it and earn trophies too.