A person who has to travel a lot in their line of work often finds it difficult to adhere to a regular cardiovascular fitness routine. Generally, a person’s aerobic capacity declines 5-10% within 3 weeks of inactivity. If physical inactivity continues for up to 2 months, the person can lose every benefit from cardio that has been gained earlier.

Maintaining cardiovascular fitness and a healthy weight while traveling is challenging, because it’s all too easy to have extra helpings at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and tea. In addition to that, sitting while working and being driven from one place to another can only result in a more expansive rear view.

One of the first ports of call would be the hotel’s fitness center. At the very least, it should have a treadmill; however, most fitness centers are small and feature only basic equipment. They might also be too crowded for most people’s liking. Hopefully, the hotel has a pool you can access before or after a long day of work.

If the hotel doesn’t have such facilities, then try going for a run around the area itself or look for a local gym. The common sense safety precautions for travel apply here. It would be an excellent networking opportunity if you could assemble a group of likeminded business travelers from the same hotel, which would provide safety in numbers. You can also find walking or jogging tours in some cities, or take advantage of bike-rental facilities.

At the same time, people who travel for business might simply be unable to carve out time for cardio from their work obligations. In such cases, it would be feasible to pack a jump rope. Jump ropes are cheap, light, and take up a minimal amount of space in a bag, and they provide a decent cardio workout right in the hotel room. A jump rope workout can prove surprisingly challenging, and beginners should attempt 2-minute sets with 1 minute of rest for a total duration of 15-20 minutes, although this would vary based on how fit you are.

Maintaining aerobic fitness while on the road can be challenging, but every little bit counts. Staying active not only helps to prevent weight gain, it also makes it easier to ease back into the routine back home.