Traveling full time, Josh and I have figured out exactly what products, clothes, gear, and even snacks are the best for being on the road 24/7. Fitness has always been important to Josh and me, and we wanted to make sure we were able to stay fit while traveling even if we didn’t have a gym membership. We are compiling lists of our Favorite Things, and this post is exclusively dedicated to our favorite fitness thangs. So, let’s get right to it.

We have both experimented with dozens of “at home” workouts: Yoga DVDs, P90X, Kayla Itsine’s BBG, Ab’Sanas, Bowflex Adjustable Dumbells, the list goes on. We have both found what works for us, and we want to share our favorite ways to workout while traveling.

The following are our favorite workouts, gear, and apps for staying healthy on the road.

1. Pvolve

Rachel’s Favorite Workout

What it is:

Pvolve is like pilates meets barre class meets old school aerobics. Using mostly my bodyweight and incorporating packable tools like gliders, bands, and ankle weights, the moves are designed to lengthen and tone muscles and keep things super low impact.

Why I love it:

Low Impact: I have had three knee injuries, a broken toe, and lower back pain. Read: I’m injury-prone. Pvolve is low impact—no burpees, no jumping, no potential for me to hurt myself.
It Works: Low impact doesn’t mean it’s easy. The movements are precise and controlled, and if you’re doing it right, your ass will burn. My legs look longer and leaner, my core feels longer, and I have more control over my movements in yoga and when I run.
It’s Cheap: for only $29.99/month, it’s the cheapest membership I’ve ever had. And you don’t HAVE to have the equipment to do the workout (it makes it better, but it’s not required). They also offer student discounts and 15 days free before signing up, so you have nothing to lose.

Cost: $29.99/month, with discounts if you commit to more months at a time. The equipment costs range from $14.99-$59.99, and you can bundle to save on equipment. Click here for a free trial!

2. Bodylastic Workout Bands

Josh’s Favorite Workout

What they are:

Set of rubber resistance bands varying in different degrees of resistance. Also includes handles and a few different attachments so you can workout just about anywhere. Why Bodylastics? They have a cord in the middle so they will not over stretch, or snap if they break. They are well-designed, inexpensive and have a great warrantee. My bands have lasted years and I use them a lot.

Why I love them:

Portability: I’ve spent a lot of time lifting weights, and now prefer to use bands exclusively. The first reason is portability. It’s obviously much easier to carry a small bag of bands on the motorcycle than a full set of dumbbells.
Better Workout: Second, I find that the bands actually give me a much better workout- the reason being our muscles are like a rubber band themselves and research shows they are as much as 7X stronger near the contracted point than when fully stretched. The bands get harder to stretch throughout the movement, while your muscle moves into a stronger position. Lastly, with weights, you are only resisting gravity which tends to move in one direction (thankfully). With the bands, you can resist your movement in practically any direction.

Cost: The price ranges from $24.95-$124.95 depending on how many pieces you want— I purchased the 14 Piece Set for $37.95. Check them out here.

3. Altra Running Shoes

Josh’s favorite shoe

What they are:

Altra shoes are running shoes based around two main concepts. FIrst, “zero-drop” which means the heel isn’t higher than the toe like a traditional running shoe. And second, that a shoe should be shaped like a foot. I know, crazy.

Why I love them:

Two main reasons I love these, and one reason I don’t.
No Knee Pain: First, the zero-drop makes it much easier to run without a heel strike. I have had some knee pain running in the past, and always read heel-striking was bad. I tried barefoot running which was good for about 100 yards. I tried minimalist sandals which I still use for walking, but I couldn’t run in them like some people do. The Altras really help me run with better form and avoid knee pain.
Toe Health: Secondly, they have a really wide toe box so my toes aren’t crammed into an unnatural wedge shape. That makes them much more comfortable to run in, and again avoid pain. That’s also the only reason for my only gripe: the wide toe box makes them a little less-than-stylish, so I wear them for running or workouts only. They’re not that bad, but definitely function over form.

4. Ab’ASANAS

Rachel’s favorite yoga

what it is:

This isn’t actually a yoga per say—it’s actually core work and wrist prep for handstands and inversions. I love yoga, and I can usually make my own flow if I want to move through sun sal’s or get my flexy on. But where I really struggle is with building the core and upper body strength it requires to do inversions, and specifically handstands. This e-book is designed to build that strength and get users able to do handstands.

Why I love it:

It Works: After using this literally for one week, I was able to hold a handstand without any wall-support for about 5 seconds. That’s huge for me. I’ve also noticed definition in my abs that never existed before. Big bonus, my yoga practice has improved ten-fold because my core and wrists are way stronger.
It’s Cheap: The e-book is only $14.99, which is super affordable.
You Don’t Need an Internet Connection: Unlike other streaming workouts, this is an e-book. Once you’ve downloaded it, it’s on your phone or computer for life. This means no matter how remote of a location we’re in, I can get a good 30-40 minute burn.

5. Map my run

Rachel’s favorite fitness app

What it is:

This app tracks your runs or walks. It also shows you routes that other users have done, so if you’re in a new place and aren’t sure where to go, you can follow someone else’s pre-made run route.

Why I love it:

It’s Free: Do I need to say more?
I Don’t Have to Think: Being in a new city almost every two days means I rarely know the streets of where I am. This can make it hard to plan a run route that makes sense, because I don’t know if there are hills, how far to go before turning around, etc. This app has routes that other users have already run, and there are users everywhere which means I can usually find a pre-made route that fits my mileage. If I want to just go out and run without a route, I can set the app to alert me every pre-determined number of miles (I like half-mile intervals), so I know when I’ve run as far as I want to.
Customizable: I can link up my own music, have a trainer’s voice turned on or off, and customize how often I want alerts (or if I want them at all).

CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF ALL OUR FAVORITE TRAVEL PRODUCTS

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We hope this was helpful for anyone who likes to work out from home or travels full time. If you have any apps, gear, or workouts you think we should check out while traveling, we’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Rachel + Josh