Hiking miles through the snow-covered Norwegian forest, I finally reached my cabin in the woods. Piling timber into the open fireplace, I lit a match and watched the frost begin to thaw. But even with limbs tight from the icy outdoors, I wasn’t finished moving and stretching for the day. It was going to be a challenge to get a routine going here, but I was committed to my New Year’s resolution: to work out every day for a whole year.
My Norwegian Airbnb listing had suggested that there was some exercise equipment here for guests – but after searching the cabin from top to bottom, all I could find was a pair of olympic rings. Thinking, “Why not?”, I hung them from a sturdy ceiling beam and managed an hour of pull ups before heading to relax in the cabin’s woodfired sauna.
Prior to 2022, I never imagined that I’d be constructing makeshift gyms during a weekend away, but having committed to the challenge on New Year’s Day, I quickly found an immense joy and satisfaction in finding creative ways to break a sweat – no matter where in the world I was.
Working as a travel writer and content creator, I spend most of my time on the road. Like anyone who travels a lot for work, for me constantly being on the move meant constant excuses not to work out. Early morning flights, deadlines, poorly stocked hotel gyms – I’d pluck any reason from the air, but last year and post-resolution, I realised that there’s quite literally always a way. Whether you’re in Prague for a conference or Barbados for a beach holiday, exercise doesn’t have to be a chore to squeeze in. In fact, it can massively enrich the experience.
The rules of my fitness-and-travel resolution were simple: as long as I did a workout of at least 45 minutes, it didn’t matter what that was. I could take a hotel instructor’s class, go climbing, do gymnastics or lift weights. Of course I factored in “rest days”, too – on these, I could do yoga, run, cycle or go for a swim. It was the variety and destination-specific activities that made it fun, not a faff.
Naturally, there was the occasional morning where I had to wake up stupidly early to do squats and push ups at 4am before leaving for the airport; but for the most part it meant I tried dozens of new things. I lifted weights in outdoor gyms in Miami and Barcelona; I rented a bike and cycled along rainforest trails in Panama. I’d strive to find the fun and the unusual, whether it was the unique “flamingo yoga” class at the Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas or a long coastal swim through waters filled with stingrays, sea turtles, and (very friendly) sharks in the neighbouring resort of The Atlantis.
I worked my core mastering a paddleboard on millpond waters in the Caribbean, took a sandboard out into the deserts of Peru, and went ice swimming in freezing Finland. (When I say “swimming”, I mean I lasted all of seven seconds flailing about in the water. But I’m pretty sure Wim Hof would say that was good for you.)
Things didn’t always go to plan. I whisked my yoga mat inside pretty quicklyafter spotting a terrifyingly large snake slithering through the foliage in Costa Rica. But for the most part, my workouts brought me nothing but joy.
While kit was hard to find in some hotels, others’ facilities made things even more fun and challenging. Highlights included trying aqua aerobics during a visit to the Therme Spa in Bucharest, Romania, defying gravity in an aerial yoga class onboard a cruise ship, and taking on the “warrior challenge” – a gruelling but fun beach obstacle course at the Four Seasons in Punta Mita. I even pumped up a sweat in Heathrow Airport, taking advantage of the Peloton workout bikes not everyone knows are available in Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse lounge.
As 2022 drew to a close, I found that my on-the-road sessions had encouraged me to get that bit more adventurous with my workouts back home in London. I now swap out some of my regular old gym sessions for something I’ve tried on a different continent, whether that be a kickboxing class, kayaking the canals, or taking a rowing boat out on the river. It’s surprising how effective these are, too – although routine is important for success, I’ve found that by mixing up my exercise style, I’m challenging both my body and my mind, not to mention working muscle groups I didn’t even know I had.
What’s more intriguing is, I’ve found you can get a real feel for a place by engaging with its fitness communities. Some locals invited me for tacos in Mexico City after showing me how to use one gym’s calisthenics kit, while new friendships blossomed after taking a HIIT class from a Colombian fitness instructor I’d met the night before in a Bogota nightclub.
I’d always assumed that travel equals self-indulgence – spicy margaritas were my holidays’ best friend, often necked before hungover flights – but my daily goal even put that into perspective. I started to be more restrained and, on the whole, make better choices. There’s nothing like knowing you have a 6am spin class to make you reconsider that fourth tequila.
I haven’t changed any part of my travel plans or work structure to meet my goal – just used whatever kit I could find and joined whichever groups I stumbled across. As a result I feel fitter, stronger and healthier than ever, and the constant supply of endorphins has helped to keep my mental health in good shape, too. But more importantly I’ve made memories and friendships, and it’s for that reason that I intend to stick to the challenge in 2023 and beyond. What started as a January whim has transformed my travel life, and made me love both adventuring and fitness even more.
Calum’s top tips for staying fit on the road:
- Don’t be put off by lack of kit – hotel gyms tend to be under-equipped but a couple of dumbbells is really all you need for a quality workout.
- Learn the basics of calisthenics – understanding how to build strength using your own body weight means you can exercise effectively anywhere.
- It doesn’t have to be expensive. Hotels and resorts often offer fitness classes at no extra cost, local gyms will often offer a free trial, and outdoor gyms are usually free.
- If you’re unsure of where to get a decent workout, then ask around. Your hotel concierge or Airbnb host can usually point you in the right direction.
- Embrace the unusual: if you hear of a strange-sounding hotel group activity or a local class, go for it! It can be as much of a glimpse into your destination as a tour or a landmark.
