It’s so important to stick to some type of exercise route when traveling.  You may not do a complete workout, but it’s important to do something.  If you’re on vacation you really should get out and see the sites, walking is the best exercise.  If you travel for business or are stuck in your hotel room or have no access to a gym you can still exercise. 

Resistance bands are inexpensive, light weight, easy to carry and can fit in the nooks and crannies of your suitcase.  They work like cable machines by keeping constant tension on the muscle and they cause you to use more stabilizer muscles adding a different dynamic to each movement.  They come in different tension levels ie: light, medium, heavy and very heavy.  I suggest getting 2 or 3 different tensions because different muscles will need the different resistance.  I also recommend purchasing the door attachment, this makes it possible to attach the band at any height to do pull downs and presses.

Resistance bands are not only great for traveling, they’re also a good way to change up your exercise routine.  I always say “Never do the say workout twice” and by integrating bands into your routine you can really shake things up.

These are the bands that I use and I love them

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services