What are Your Must-Have Travel Fitness Items?

Whether you work out in hotel gyms or you try outdoorsy exercises in new cities, it is important to plan your exercise routine before you travel, and be prepared for the unexpected. I remember waking up in a hotel once and going down to the fitness center, only to find out that there had been an issue with water the night before. Because of the carpet and possible mold I guess, no one was allowed in there for the rest of the day. I was pretty glad I had an alternate plan.

Here are my top must-have travel items:

• Sneakers/Trainers: Of course this is the most important of the bunch. I know some workouts don't require sneakers (like yoga), but most do. So even if I plan to do yoga, I still take my sneakers.

• Exercise Video: Even if I am in a spot with a gym, anything could go wrong. Sometimes, I take a couple: one for cardio and one for strength training. 

• MP3 Player: Runners need music, and so my iPod and arm band are absolute necessities in my life. They go with me on every trip.

• Sports Wear: Do not ever ever underestimate the power of your workout clothes. I learned the hard way when I went on a half marathon trip and forgot my sports bra. I couldn't buy another one because the race started at 6am. Needless to say, the bruises on my chest helped me realize that a regular bra is NEVER to be worn to exercise.

• Nike+iPod Sensor: You all know about my love for the Nike+iPod app and sensor. If you are a runner, this is a great tool to help measure your distance, your time, and calories burned. It's such a small device that I take it with me on every trip.

Optionals:

• Jump rope: When I have room, I take my jump rope as well because it is an easy and fun way to burn some calories. However, I do have a jump rope that has 3 pound weights on the ends of it, so I only carry it when I can afford the extra pounds.

• Yoga mat: When I go on longer trips, I like to take my mat to stretch, do floor exercises, and maybe do some yoga. However, this takes up some room in a suitcase (and you need a big suitcase), so it all depends on how much room I have.

What are your travel exercise must-haves?

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Essence.com

 

10 Minute Workout: Arms

To round up the 10 minute workout series, today we'll focus on arms. The arm muscles are pretty hard to tone, and as you grow older, people start to talk of the 'arm jiggle'. I found this video from the Mel B workout DVD. It is great because it does not require weights; you can use basic items around you. She uses bottles of water. Plus, you can see her sweat as she exercises. I get pretty bothered with workout DVDs where the instructors do not sweat and do not breathe hard. It feels like they are pulling one on me.

Anyway, enjoy this arm workout video. Try it, and let me know what you think!

Cheers Eights & Weights!  

10 Minute Workout: Buns and Thighs

Interested in those short shorts or just want strong legs and a tush you could bounce a quarter off of? Well, you'll like today's workout. Continuing with our 10-minute series, this workout is quick and effective. Don't be fooled by the short period of time; you will feel your buns afterwards. 

Exercise TV does have videos available for free in some hotels as well, so if you are ever travelling and don't have a gym nearby, check your TV.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

10 Minute Bootcamp with Jeanette Jenkins

Continuing with our 10 minute workout series, here is another one from Jeanette Jenkins on Fit Sugar. I like Jeanette because you can relate with her body and it doesn't intimidate too much, but at the same time, you can see she works very hard on it.

This bootcamp workout mixes cardio with upper and lower body for a total body conditioning. If you don't know what a burpee is yet, get ready to cry because she makes it a little harder. If you do know what it is, then you already know it is a great exercise.

If you don't have much time, it is great to get it in here and there during your day. If you do, there is no harm in repeating the video a couple of times :)

Try it out, and let me know what you think!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

10 Minute Fat Blaster

In the spirit of the quick summer workouts, I thought I'd share this 10 minute fat blasting workout I found today. Well, I didn't find it; it was actually recommended by an Eights & Weights reader (Thanks Etoile!). I watched it, and loved it, and I'm definitely going to be trying it out. You can too :)

The routine is from PopSugar TV and though it may not look too hard initially, it is constant motion, and I am sure it is pretty difficult. Let me know what you think.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Win Killer Abs in 6-Weeks!

What time is it? Freebie time! As promised, this competition is unrestricted, which means it is open to anyone anywhere. Have you been dying to find some great abs workouts? Or simply dying to have Jillian Michaels privately train you (Well, this is probably as private as most of us will get)? Then this is a competition you should definitely enter!

What do you need to do? It is very easy. All you need to do is fill out the form below. But first, make sure you are following Eights and Weights on either Twitter or Facebook (Or why not both?! I mean, we made it easy and provided you the links). If you are not following us on Twitter or Facebook, your entry will be disqualified.

How does the selection happen? Randomly, of course. Entries close on July 31st, and then a winner is randomly selected to get the DVD. We will post it to you wherever you are! Why? Because it's summer and we really want you to have those killer abs :)

Good luck!

10 Minute Workouts: Abs Ripper

Hi Eights & Weights! Folks are always asking about quick workouts they can do, especially when it comes to strength training. So I thought I could show you some videos I found. Today's video is focused on abs. As you watch and practice, don't forget that this alone should not be your workout program. This is a helpful tool for days when you need to squeeze workouts in here and there, but you'd still need to get your cardio in and strength train other parts of your body to see the desired results. However, this is a great quick abs routine you can incorporate into your program. Enjoy!

Cheers Eights & Weights!