portable workouts anyone?

So I visit my family in India at least once a year for 3-4 weeks. India doesnt have as much of a fitness culture as the US, and also my husband and I tend to be travelling a lot when we are there. This means that my regular workout routine gets completely disrupted- last year I pretty much got none or very little exercise those 4 weeks.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get around this? I normally do 3-4 days cardio, a couple of days strength training and a couple of days yoga (about an hour a day for each).

I cant carry heavy weights or fitness machines with me in a suitcase....LOL!

Does anyone have any recommendations for good work out/yoga  DVDs?

Skipping rope = excellent cardio workout, nothing needed except enough space to skip and does not take up very much room in the suitcase!!!  You might try some resistance bands also.

And don't forget all the body weight exercises you can do. Squats, planks, pushups, crunches. All kinds of stuff.

Resistance bands or tubes are also great.  There is a version that hangs on the back of the door for a portable gym.  I think I saw that one at Target.

Also, if it is safe - just walk.  Walk everywhere you can.

Original Post by danaofdoom:

And don't forget all the body weight exercises you can do. Squats, planks, pushups, crunches. All kinds of stuff.

Bingo. All those and then dips/pullups (if you can find something to use for the latter) and you'll be fine.

Hmm, I have spent a reasonable amount of time in India (about a year all up) and I totally know what you mean! I would just vote for doing a lot of walking, plus keeping up with your yoga routine at home. You could try taking a fitness dvd for at home but hey - if it's a holiday, you don't have to work too hard

I face a similar challenge when I travel on business.  I'm too shy to go to the fitness rooms at hotels.  I have tried the following things:

1.  Resistance bands.  (I copied this web page and view it off-line to guide me.)

2.  Exercise videos.  I rip them from DVDs and have them on my laptop.  You could also put them on an iPod, but they might be kind of small to view.  Hey, I bet you could even buy some from iTunes.

3.  Old Fashioned exercises like push-ups and sit-ups.  I'm a fan of the Royal Canadian Air Force plan.  You can find a copy of the booklet in PDF form here.  There was also a modified version published for women.  (Hey, if it was good enough for the Royal Canadian Air Force, then it's good enough for me.)

4.  I have also simply played lively music on my laptop and danced around the hotel room for 30 minutes or so.  (With a stretch/cooldown period afterwards.)