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5 reasons we’re joining the gym before traveling

5 reasons we’re joining the gym before traveling

Yep, you heard right. We’re joining a gym in the lead-up to our departure date in mid-2011. “But aren’t you guys supposed to be saving for long-term travel?” we can hear you asking, or at the very least thinking.

While we definitely are in savings mode, we have weighed up the benefits against the cost and have concluded that gym memberships are indeed a wise investment for the 6 months leading up to travelling. While many consider them to be a complete waste of money, we’ve come up with a list of reasons why we think joining a gym before you travel is a great idea.

Health benefits. It’s a well-known fact that exercise keeps you healthy, reduces stress and boosts your immune system. If this prevents one of us from catching a cold, virus or the dreaded flu whilst on the road, then it will be well worth it.

Fitness and Strength. Traveling means that we’ll be doing plenty of walking and other cardio activities on nearly a daily basis. It also means carrying around suitcases and backpacks regularly. By increasing our fitness and strength in the next 6 months, it will hopefully make these tasks simple rather than arduous.

Opens up possibilities on the road. Would those who lead sedentary lifestyles be able to climb a mountain? I would doubt it very much. And while we might decide not to climb that mountain, at least we have the choice to make.

Creates good habits. By making exercise and the gym part of our daily routine, it will firmly be embedded into our lifestyle by the time we get on the road. Exercise is easy to overlook when you’re busy traveling, but it will be much easier to make time to fit it in if we are already doing it prior to leaving.

Look good in photos. Who wants to look back at their travel photos in a few years time and see bloated versions of themselves? We’re going to look back at this experience for the rest of our lives and may as well look great!

Those are our five main reasons, but we’ve also come up with a list of secondary reasons why joining the gym is a great idea.

  • You can exercise at the gym regardless of the weather outside.
  • Going to the gym eliminates any distractions that get in the way of exercise.
  • It’s safer to exercise at the gym at nighttime.
  • There is no need for extra equipment at home, eliminating clutter.
  • It provides an escape from family, housemates, etc.

If you have any other reasons, please list them in the comments and we’ll add them to this post.

Flickr Photo: jerryonlife

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