Every time I get to a new city the first thing I do is to figure out where to workout while traveling. Fitness is important to me while I am on the road. These 6 steps should help you figure out where to get your sweat on!
Finding where to workout while traveling can be challenging. It may not be as easy as typing “gym” into Google Maps and finding a location. Or while looking for a park to run in, you see a green space on the map, but later find out it’s a landfill!
When I was in Thailand for six months, typing the word “gym” didn’t always seal the deal. Sometimes it would lead me to a mechanic or a restaurant. It was while I was in Asia that I figured out the perfect plan on how to find where to work out while traveling in a new country.
Here are the steps you can take to figure out where to workout while traveling.
Step 1. Use Google Maps to Find a Gym
Before you even leave on your trip, do the easiest step first which is to type “gym” into Google Maps. You may get lucky and strike gold and find a bunch of places, or you may find it leads you to a gas station, you never know. If some actual gyms pop up, see if they have reviews or a website.
If they have a website, try to email them to see if they offer day passes. Only glance at the reviews as you always must take people’s opinions with a grain of salt, not everyone has the same preferences and needs when they work out.
Flag all of the “gyms” so you can check them out upon arrival.
Additionally, you can use TrainAway, which is a platform that helps people find and access gyms when they travel!
Step 2: Use Google Maps to Find Parks
While you are searching for a gym on Google Maps, also do a scan of the area for green patches. This may indicate a park that you can run in, or possibly a trainer may be offering free boot camp classes there, depending on how large the city is.
Flag these parks so you can refer to them later. Do a distance search between your accommodation and the park.
Can you run there or is it walkable? Did you pack the right running gear or do you need to find some missing items?
Step 3: You’ve Arrived, Now Walk or Run Around Your New Neighborhood
One of the first things I do when I visit a new city is to go for a run in the early morning hours. You can do a quick scan of the shops and stores to see if there is a gym within a few blocks of your accommodations. If you plan on running outside, ask yourself questions like:
- What are the roads like?
- Are there sidewalks?
- Is there a lot of street traffic?
- Is one side of the street shadier than the other?
If you find an open gym, go inside and ask how much a day pass is and do a quick scan of the gym. Questions to ask yourself:
- Does it have a treadmill, bike, free weights, or machines only, do the machines look old?
- Does the gym look clean, do I need to bring my towel, is there water to buy and are there snacks for me to purchase after?
- Do they offer classes?
Talk to the person at reception and ask for their daily and weekly rate as well. You can even ask them if there are areas where locals run.
Looking for the perfect running gear?
Then you may like this post on the Ultimate Runner’s Packing List!
Step 4: Back to the Internet Again to Dive Deeper
Didn’t find anything on Google Maps or see anything on your run? Then it’s back to the drawing board and time to use our friend Google.
Search for blog posts or trip advisor reviews. Use terms like “where to workout in xxx, gyms in xxx, free workout classes in xxx, best studios in xxx, and fitness classes in xxx”. You will be surprised by what you may find.
People just like you may have needed to work out and write a post about their experience. Like the posts that I wrote: Where to Workout and Run in Kuala Lumpur and Where to Workout in Chiang Mai.
The posts will give you honest opinions of the locations and maybe give you a few ideas that you may have never seen during your walk or run around the area.
Step 5: You Have No Internet, Now What?
You’ve walked around your neighborhood and didn’t see anything, and for some reason, you also do not have internet access. Your best bet is to ask your hotel/ hostel hostel for local recommendations.
Even if you are staying in an Airbnb and you never met the host, you can still contact them via email and they may know where to work out while traveling, as they do own property in the city you live in.
Step 6: You Have No Internet, No Host and It’s Pouring Rain Outside
We’ve all been there. You get to your accommodations and you don’t speak the native language, the Wi-Fi doesn’t work, Google Translate isn’t making any sense and it’s pouring rain outside. You feel helpless to find somewhere to workout while traveling. But don’t worry, just use what you got!
Find an area of a room or common area that you can get a bodyweight workout in. For 10 minutes, do as many rounds of this workout as possible, rest for one minute, and complete one more time. A quick 20-minute-high intensity workout to get your heart rate up:
(30) Jumping jacks
(30) mountain climbers
(30) high knees
(30) bicycle crunches
When there is a will, there is a way! There should be no excuses for not being able to workout while you are traveling. Use the steps to figure out where to go, and you may even get lucky and make a few new friends along the way at the gym.
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