How can you stay in shape on the road when you won’t have regular access to a gym, bicycle, pool, even a jogging trail?

Once, after returning on a transpacific flight from a Christmas vacation, I planned to stay in Tokyo for two days.

I arrived on December 30th and stayed out all night for New Year’s, checked out of the hotel after stumbling back in the morning, and then continued to be awake all day until an express 8-hour midnight train to Kyoto to look at some temples.

Unfortunately, I was so exhausted after that train ride that I slept for the duration of my stay in a youth hostel near the train station, slurping ramen and watching DVDs in my few waking hours.

The moral of the story? Don’t travel too hard.

This is advisable for any number of reasons, including the danger of getting drained and unable to function at an optimum physical level.

By forcing myself through all-nights and an unreasonable travel schedule, I not only ensured I would be unable to complete my itinerary, I also drained myself of the ability to do anything spontaneous along the way.

But how to stay in shape on the road when you won’t have regular access to a gym, bicycle, pool, even a jogging trail? Here are 5 tips for keeping fit on the road.
1. Run

Although there may not be a trail, there’s always some place to run if you know where to look. Large lakes are your best bet for a paved, level path, but feel free to speed through the countryside at 5 mpm (minutes per mile, you rookies) and startle those just leaving the house.

A useful website (better than Google maps, I think) can help you chart as-the-crow-flies distances across the globe: Gmaps Pedometer.

Incidentally, if you don’t have room to pack a pair of running shoes and live near open fields, barefoot running is better for your bones and form. Just watch out for sharp objects.
2. Play Ultimate Frisbee

For some reason, ultimate clubs seem to be a global standard for expats. Naturally, there are other choices available to you, but none quite as widespread (probably because it’s a simple team sport requiring the least massive equipment).

Reach out to your local expat community to inquire about meeting times.
3. Find Fitness Centers

Gyms can be expensive no matter where you are, and chances are you don’t want to be tied to a six-or twelve-month membership.

See if your area has a YMCA. If you’re in a small town, try to negotiate a decent per diem rate; better yet, make friends with the owner.

Otherwise, it’s a better idea to save your money and effort: instead of bench presses, have someone sit on your back while you do pushups; bring a small hand weight with you for arm workouts; take advantage of your environment by rock climbing, kayaking, or doing martial arts…you get the idea.
4. Sample Local Flavor

Cubicle life might be stable and comfortable, but now that you’ve chosen to travel, to break the mold, so should it be with how you decide to keep fit every day. Open your body to new possibilities.

Tai Chi in the parks of Peking. Caber tossing in Scotland. Climbing the steps of Aztec temples and Egyptian pyramids (if you care to bribe the authorities).

No one is saying you can’t return to a regular 90 minutes on the weight, 30 minutes of aquajogging, and 17.5 minutes of stretching – just seize what is available to you on the road.
5. Stay Away From McDonalds

Just before I arrived in Japan, I weighed 200 lbs (in a good way… and yeah, a little fat too) and went to the gym regularly. Within a few months, I dropped down to 180 lbs and developed more lean muscle.

Why? The Japanese diet is one of the healthiest in the world. If you’re passing through Narita Airport at some point during your Asian travels, take a moment to just look around. Notice anything unusual?

There are hardly any obese people in Japan. This is in sharp contrast in many American airports. I believe the healthy Japanese diet is due to two differences in cuisine: smaller portion size and less butter and grease.

With fewer familiar western-style dishes in Japan, I experimented with a variety of healthier foods and came to love the local cuisine.

Bottom line

Keep track of your pace while on the road. For anyone who lives an active lifestyle, traveling for long periods of time isn’t always ideal.

Once you’ve had a taste of what it means to be in shape and reach your physical peak – strength, high metabolism, stamina, speed, agility - you start to wonder how you could have lived any other way.

What are your ideas for staying in shape while traveling? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Turner Wright is a marathon runner first, an adventurer second, and a writer through it all. He has a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and currently lives in Kagoshima, Japan. Check out his blog, Keeping Pace in Japan.

当你没有常规的方法来实现上健身房，骑自行车，游泳，甚至是慢跑时，怎样做到在乘车旅行时保持健康呢？

我曾经在一次过完圣诞节假期从太平洋彼岸回来之后，又计划到东京去待了两天。

我12月30日到后在外面度过了新年之夜，早上才蹒跚着来到旅馆登记入住。然后我一直没睡着，直到乘上了8个小时车程的开往东京参观寺庙的特快火车。

不幸运的是，下火车之后我已经筋疲力尽了，以至于我呆在那里的时间里都是在青年旅社睡觉，在我少数醒着的时间里我就做做祷告或看一些视频光盘。

这个事情说明了一个什么道理呢？那就是我们不要在旅行中太过辛苦了。

这个道理在很多时候都是可取的，包括筋疲力尽后不能以最好的身体状况来旅游带来的危险。

在迫使我自己彻夜未眠和遵循了一个不合理的行程安排后，我想我不仅完成不了我的旅行了， 而且在途中我也耗光了我自己的精力。

那么当你没有常规的方法来实现去健身房，骑自行车，游泳，甚至是慢跑时，怎样做到在乘车旅行时保持健康呢？这里有5点能帮助你做到。

1. 跑步

如果你知道你要去的方向，你就不会因为没有小路而无处可跑。大型湖泊最好地为你提供了平坦的小路，但是你可能会在穿过乡间时不自觉地加快速度到5英里每分钟，同时也会为你离住所很远而吃惊。

Gmaps Pedometer是一个很有用的网站（我认为比谷歌好），它能帮助你记录穿过地球的直线距离。

顺便说一句，如果你没有足够的空间塞进跑鞋，而你又住在空旷的地方的话，赤脚跑会对你的骨骼和形体更加有好处。但是要小心一些尖利的东西。

2. 玩极限飞盘

由于一些原因，极限俱乐部对移居外国的人来说就像是一个全球的标杆。当然，你也可以有其他的选择，但是并不是很普遍存在的（原因可能是它是一个需要最少装备的简单团队运动）。

着手去打听你当地移民者社区的运动会时间吧。

3. 寻找一个适当的中心

无论你身处何地去健身房都是价格不菲的，而你也很可能不会愿意让6个月，甚至12给月的会员资格把自己套牢。

观察你附近的区域是否有基督教青年会。如果你在一个小城镇，就试图协商到一个入会的好价格，如果能和所有人做朋友那就更好了。

除此之外，这里还有一个能为你节约钱和精力的好方法：当你做伏地挺身时，不要用长凳，而是让一个人坐在你的背上;在做手臂运动时捆上一个重量适中的小物品；利用好你攀岩，皮筏，或练习武术的环境。。。你了解到这个想法了吧。

4. 体验当地风情

卧室生活是安定而舒适的，但是既然你选择要去旅游，暂停这样的生活，那你就应该下决心每天如何做才能保持将康的身体。来开发你身体的新潜能吧。

比如在北京公园里的太极，在苏格兰的掷木桩，在阿芝克台人庙宇上和埃及金字塔上的爬阶梯（如果你贿赂当地政府的话）。

没有人说你不能从常规的90分钟的负重，30分钟的慢跑和17.5分钟的拉伸练习中恢复过来­­——你只要抓住你乘车旅行中可用的机会就好了。

5. 远离麦当劳

在我到达日本之前，我体重为200英镑（状态良好，或者有一点偏胖），也经常到体育馆健身。在几个月的时间里，我体重就减少到180英镑，也练出了不少肌肉。

这是为什么呢？日本的饮食习惯是世界上最健康之一。如果你在亚洲的旅行中经过成田机场，环顾一下四周，看看有什么不寻常。

在日本很少有非常肥胖的人。这与在美国的很多机场有着鲜明的对比。我相信日本健康的饮食主要归功于烹饪中的两点不同，那就是分量小和黄油油脂少。

在日本少量的不正式西方菜肴中，我用很多健康的食物做了个尝试，也开始喜欢上当地的食物了。

底线

在旅途中保持自己的步伐。对每个有着积极的生活方式的人来说，长时间的旅行并不是很理想。

一旦你尝试了所谓的保持健康的方法和达到你体力的顶峰——力量，高速新陈代谢，耐力，速度，和敏捷——你就会开始惊叹你曾经怎么会有过那样生活方式。

你对在旅途中保持健康有什么样的想法吗？请在注释中和我们分享。

Turner Wright 首先是一个马拉松运动员，然后是一个探险家和作家。他在Austin的高级舱房大学里有航空和航天工程，目前他居住在日本的鹿兒島.检查这个博客，让他在日本并进齐驱。