06 Jun
2019

Traveling abroad this summer? La Jolla Sports Club has a few functional moves to get ready for your trip (also, these exercises are kind of fun [insert shrug emoji])!

“Escape through travel works. Almost from the moment I boarded my flight, life in England became meaningless. Seat-belt signs lit up, problems switched off. Broken armrests took precedence over broken hearts. By the time the plane was airborne I’d forgotten England even existed.” – Alex Garland, The Beach

As of this post, Summer is officially only 15 days away, but with this rain (windshield wipers are needed? in May? in June? really?!), your trip to Crete might seem like a world away. While you can check the weather in Thailand (hint: hot) and prepare your bags for your destination (pro tip: if you are going to Thailand, take a light sweater, because the buses and planes are freezing), have you thought about how to prepare your body?

Oh, man, what luck! This post is all about doing just that. We love our La Jolla Sports Club members, so let’s jump right in and make sure you don’t get sidelined by a twisted ankle.

La Jolla Sports Club Personal Trainer, Kevin Root, on the Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand

We asked our globetrotting, gallivanting, street-food-adventuring, carry-on-bag-only-carrying La Jolla Sports Club Personal Trainer, Kevin Root, some ideas on how to get ready for that trip. He took a break from plotting his next adventure to weigh in on a few ideas below.

Putting the fun in ‘Functional’

Travel can put a weird stress on the body. Food doesn’t sit quite right… You’re sprinting to catch a train that ends up sitting on the tracks for three hours while they chase down a runaway goat, or better yet, chasing off a herd of water buffalo that are in the way… Someone on a moto just snagged your phone while you were lining up OMG the perfect selfie… That 13th-century street has some missing cobblestones and whoops, there goes an ankle… A thousand different things can and will happen on your travels, so it’s good to prepare your body for that inevitability.

These exercises below can be dropped into your current routine, or maybe just make a fun day out of acting like a kid again. We would ask, however, that if you’re making your own little jungle gym for your jungle adventures that you be aware of your space and keep your fellow La Jolla Sports Club members in mind. You might be off to Mozambique next week, but Jonathan has a TPS report due at 8am.

These are just a few of Kevin’s functional travel exercises, but think about where you’re off to, adjust, add and have fun!

One of Kevin’s favorite countries to visit, Vietnam, has approximately 1 billion motos per person.

Set up a little obstacle course to avoid getting hit crossing the street. Hint: You just gotta go, they’ll avoid you.

You’re going to be stepping over luggage or humans somewhere along the trip, so you better get used to it.

One of Kevin’s tios in Ensenada calls America ‘The Land of No.’ Sometimes you gotta duck under the rail and see what’s on the other side.

Not all countries have a high toilet. Often times you’ll find a squatting situation.

The TRX is a great way to get used to being in that position. And you’ll want that practice when your street food uhhh… doesn’t stay. Ask Kevin about his night in Krabi.

Balance is needed every single day. Even if you’re not on a trip, this is a great exercise to strengthen the stabilizer muscles and work on proprioception. Try to hold each leg for a minute in a set of three.

Hitting the Parthenon? Something tells us they didn’t have levelers in 447 BC.

Practice stepping up and down uneven steps.

This position look familiar? Overhead bins on planes and trains can wreck havoc on your spine.

Practice safe rotational core moves in the gym and protect your back on your trip.

The farmer carry is perfect for getting you ready for your luggage. Be sure to practice both sides of the body.

And how many times have you had luggage with the exact same weight?

‘Walking’ on the bosu will help prep you for uneven surfaces.

Practice stepping up and down on those uneven surfaces.

Get creative and have fun! Any questions, be sure to ask one of your La Jolla Sports Club Personal Trainers.

Mark Twain once said that travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness—open your mind, roll with the ups and downs and above all, have fun, life is short!

Check back next post for how to keep fit when you’re on the road!

// Your friends at La Jolla Sports Club

Fitness + Travel + Summertime = You

Traveling abroad this summer? La Jolla Sports Club has a few functional moves to get ready for your trip (also, these exercises are kind of fun [insert shrug emoji])!

Putting the fun in ‘Functional’

About the Author

Member Guidelines for Reopening