How to Stay Fit Abroad Without Breaking the Bank (by Porter Geer on the LWWL Team)
by Porter GEER
France: the land of wine, cheese, and baguettes. And more baguettes. And more cheese. And throw in a few pastries, and then some more wine. Needless to say, traveling and studying abroad for long periods of time is often a time when many struggle to maintain their health and fitness goals. You’re out of your normal routine, in a different environment and/or culture, and will likely find that indulging in native cuisines of the places you’re visiting is a highlight of your travels.
Before diving in further, let me introduce myself. My name is Porter and I am on the LiveWellWithLiz team! I’m a junior at Vanderbilt University, living and learning abroad in Toulouse, France, for the Spring 2019 semester. While I am loving my time here and absorbing the local culture as much as possible, the transition away from the “health and wellness” trends that were a big part of my daily life in the States to a more laid back culture here in France has definitely been an adjustment. As someone who considers herself an athlete, is used to trying out new workout studios, experimenting with the latest collagen products, and discovering vegan desserts regularly at home, this transition has been especially challenging.
Of course, it’s not like health, wellness, and exercise don’t exist in other countries besides the States. Nowadays, there are typically gyms and different sports clubs in almost any city. If you are fortunate enough to be studying in a bigger place with solid public transportation, you can check out monthly gym-membership options! For me, the gym option was not worth the bang for my buck. If you plan on traveling most weekends, then realistically you’ll be getting into the gym 3-4 times a week at most. Especially if it’s a long commute to get there, the gym may not be your best option. Many bigger cities also offer a variety of workout classes, but can be expensive and most (from my experience) do not provide a “first-class” discounted rate. So for those of you who are looking to save your money and stay fit, you’ve come to the right place.
While I have been truly enjoying tasting my way through local bakeries and walking everywhere, I quickly began to miss the easy accessibility of my campus gym and the flexibility of ClassPass. So, I set out on a mission to figure out how I could maintain my fitness abroad, while saving my money for the bigger things, like travel. Check out some tips I’ve rounded up below:
Walk everywhere and map your routes. A cliché associated with being abroad is that you’re “walking everywhere.” While I’m sure you’re walking around the city center exploring the culture it has to offer, it may be valuable to walk into some more suburban but pedestrian friendly areas and map where you’re walking. This way, you’re not only seeing a different part of your new home, but you can also find safe and familiar places to run in the future. You may just find a green path intended for strolling or biking that becomes your new go-to spot for a jog!
“At-home” workout videos. I cannot explain how much YouTube has been a saving grace for me. The majority of my days, you can find me in my room streaming videos from POPSUGAR Fitness or Heather Robertson. These videos are all free, range from five minutes to an hour, and cover so many different types of exercises. On days when I need a good sweat, I’ll crank out a 30-40 minute bodyweight HIIT video, and on others, I plop down on an extra towel and enjoy some barre and pilates. There are so many to try, I have yet to get bored! If you’re looking for some good ones, you can check out my YouTube playlist here.
Find a buddy (and maybe a park.) We all know that it’s easier to be motivated if you’ve got someone right there with you. Regardless of whether you’re studying abroad with friends or in a program with new people, it’s 100% worth talking to those around you about finding ways to keep exercising abroad. Public parks are great places for you to go with your friend or workout buddy to do yoga, HIIT, Pilates, you name it. Having an accountability buddy also makes you less likely to cancel your workout.
Order an easy workout accessory online. If you’re really serious about maintaining your level of fitness, it’s a great idea to consider ordering a workout accessory to wherever you’re living. Almost every country has access to Amazon or a similar platform, and many sporting good stores may also carry equipment. Some favorites I’ve found have been a simple set of dumbbells, TRX bands, and an exercise ball. The TRX bands can also go over a door, or outside on a tree (see #3!).
Stretch. As noted in #1, studying abroad typically involves a lot of walking, especially on travel weekends. While walking is a great way to keep you in shape, it’s also extremely hard on the calves, hamstrings, knees, and feet. Tight hamstring muscles can actually lead to lower-back pain, which is definitely not something you want when traveling! After a weekend trip or even daily at night, I really recommend taking 10-20 minutes to get a deep stretch in. Doing this can help lean and lengthen your muscles, increase blood flow, and improve flexibility, which is critical when you’re walking everywhere! Stretching before bed can also relax you and help you sleep better (which is helpful with travel jet lag!).
Stay hydrated and get adequate sleep. In order to stay healthy overall and have adequate energy levels to support exercise, it’s really important to drink a lot of water and make sure that you’re sleeping enough at night. For me in Europe, it has been especially challenging that restaurants do not serve water like they do in the US. I really recommend carrying a reusable water bottle around with you, along with getting that recommended 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Letting your body recover and rest is equally as important as working out when it comes to maintaining your fitness levels.
While my fitness life may be very different here, I have gained much more important things than muscle these last few months. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world, and feel so lucky that I’ve been able to make it work. If you are currently or have studied abroad at any point in your life, I would love to hear what you did to stay active and fit during your time. Send us a message on Instagram @livewellwithliz or comment below!
