6: Staying Active on Your Travels

Discover how to keep your fitness flame burning bright while you're in a new destination - whether for work or travel! As I speak to you from the sunny vibes of San Diego, I'm thrilled to share some personal hacks and anecdotes for staying on top of your workout game, no matter where work or wanderlust takes you. With a fresh brand for this podcast brewing and a summer launch on the horizon, let's ensure your next trip is as movement-filled as it is memorable.

In this short episode, I provide quick and easy tips on how to plan your next trip to continue staying active. And for those moments when you're winding down in your hotel room, I recommend online resources  - specifically Yoga with Adriene for anyone brand new to yoga – to keep your energy pulsing. So take notes as you plan your next trip so you continue staying strong on your wellness journey. 

Mats and Miles is a weekly show about yoga, running, and Pilates featuring conversations with everyday people who champion a consistent movement practice. Hosted by runner and mat movement enthusiast Shuva Rahim, You’ll learn from inspiring practitioners and instructors, get fitness-related recommendations, and hear race reviews.

Do you or someone you know have an interesting yoga, running, and/or Pilates story who would make a great guest? If so, send an email to matsandmiles@gmail.com.

Subscribe on your platform of choice, and thanks for listening!

Transcript

Shuva Rahim: 0:00

Hey friends, at some point I will be incorporating this podcast into a new brand I'm working on, which I hope to launch by the summer, if not earlier. In the meantime, I wanted to chat a bit about movement while traveling, which I decided to throw in as an episode, since I'm in San Diego right now for my job. I work in the higher tech industry for my day job and my position requires me to travel at random times throughout the year to different locations, which means I've been on a lot of planes and in many hotels. Now, one thing I try to do is incorporate some movement every day into those busy work on location days. If you travel, regardless of why, I encourage you to schedule in dedicated time for purposeful movement when you're away from home. The reason why this is important is it helps maintain your current level of energy and can help enhance it, so when you're back home, you're not feeling less energized than before you left. Now, of course, this will depend on where you're going and what's available in your travel area. The bottom line is any movement is better than nothing. So here's a few tips based on my experience about what to consider when incorporating movement when you're away from home.

Shuva Rahim: 1:19

Number one go to Google Maps before your trip to check out the area where you're going to stay. If you're going somewhere you've never been before, look to see how close things are to you. Is there a walking trail you can utilize near where you're going? Or, if the weather is bad, can you use the hotel gym or even a local recreation center that's within a reasonable driving distance? A lot of community rec centers will have pricing for visitors for a single time use and often will have a track, which is nice to use in bad weather. If you're a runner, if you want to run outside and it's in a colder climate than what you're used to, make sure to pack an extra layer as well as gloves and a hat. Number two look up local studios in advance, especially if you're a mat enthusiast, and figure out what class or classes you can attend based on the schedule posted online. You'll likely be paying the per class fee instead of a membership if you're visiting for a few short days.

Shuva Rahim: 2:20

I don't always get a chance to do this as much as I'd like to, but I've enjoyed taking yoga classes at different studios away from home and learning from instructors who are new to me. Introduce yourself, tell the instructor that you're visiting from out of town. You may need to rent a mat if you don't have one with you. Bring a bottle of water with you and come at least 15 minutes before the class to give the instructor time to register you properly which may include filling out some paperwork and introduce you to the studio. This will likely include telling you where the restrooms are and maybe where the accessories are, such as blocks and towels. Also, coming early will help ensure you get a good spot. If you want to sit up front next to the instructor, by all means do so. I definitely don't recommend being far away from the instructor, because it will be hard to see and hear, especially if there's lots of people, and that will impact the quality of your visit.

Shuva Rahim: 3:18

Number three access online resources. If you've had a long work day and it's going to be hard to feel energized when you get back to your home base, I totally get that. The temptation is to plant yourself on the bed and turn on the TV. Instead, I challenge you to go online and find a video to work from, even if it's in your pajamas. Believe me when I tell you that I've done that many times. If you're brand new to yoga. I recommend looking up Yoga with Adrienne, who is an instructor based in Texas and has a huge video library on YouTube. Otherwise, support your local home studio. They may have their own video library from which you can choose to do your own private class, and many of those classes are going to have a wide range based on your ability level, whether you're a beginning student or intermediate or advanced. So save this episode for the next time you're planning a trip, and I hope it will trigger ideas for you that will make your travels a more movement positive experience. Thanks, and have a great day.