Working out while traveling is one of the hardest things for people to do. Even for me and I teach Pilates. Why? Well, aside from the obvious: you are on vacation or out of your routine. It is often not easy to get a workout in. Think about it, when you traveled last you probably had time to get a workout in but your hotel didn’t have a gym or it did but you didn’t know what to do. There are classes out in the community but which ones to take? Well, thank goodness Pilates is something you can do ANYWHERE and the props are super easy to travel with. Even in a carry-on!
Thera Band: this takes up almost negative space! And it’s great for adding some tension to your Mat Pilates workout. You can also use it to stretch out those tight spots from flying or driving long hours.
1lb. weights: Ok, these are trickier if you’re flying as many airlines weigh your bag and those 2 lbs. might mean leaving your favorite shoes behind. Think about grabbing those two complimentary water bottles your hotel left you and adding them to your Mat practice in your room to challenge your abs and upper back muscles.
Squishy ball: TBH I have never done this. But, when I polled my OPC members what props they take on trips, many of them said they take a squishy ball. I like this one. If I were to add this to my baggage, I would deflate it and pack the air pump too. They don’t take up a ton of space but just need a little forward thinking.
Mini Magic Circle: a regular size Magic Circle is probably too big for most suitcases. But the mini will fit in even an international carry-on. Great for getting some hamstring stretches before you add it to your Mat workout.
Toe Corrector: this underused Pilates apparatus is easy to toss in a bag. And, I promise you I have not gotten even the strangest look from a TSA agent. It’s great for working your feet that could always use some extra love. Especially if you are on a trip where you are doing lots of site seeing or even sitting in a lot of meetings.
Before you next trip, make sure to locate these props and see which ones will be easy for you to travel with. You definitely don’t need to travel with all of them. Just the ones you know you’ll use. And then, make sure you’ve got your workout exercises with you or take class with me online where ever you are whenever you travel schedule allows.
xx~LL
