Anyone who has taken a travel assignment knows it can be a challenge to stay (or get) in shape when you’re living in a completely different place than home. Luckily, there are a ton of easy (and fun!) options for you while you’re on the road. Check out our seven tips to stay fit as a busy travel nurse.

1. Invest in easy workout equipment for traveling. You can always stick to just your basic running shoes and resistance training using your own body weight, but if you’re looking for equipment that you can easily take with you on your travels, your best bet is to start with the basics – an exercise or yoga mat, a pair of dumbbells, and a jump rope. If you want to add even more items, try a kettlebell, resistance bands, and a small bench. Check out this article on Exercise Equipment to Help You Stay Fit While Traveling.

2. Workout for free with YouTube. There are literally thousands of free work-out videos on YouTube, no matter what you’re looking for. Some of our personal favorites include Blogilates and MadFit, which features workouts you can do from your living room without ANY equipment.

3. Check out the local scene. You’ve already tried the local restaurants, the local museums, the local shopping – why not try a local class? Two places to look for great deals are GroupOn and LivingSocial where you can find major discounts on classes ranging from kickboxing to Pilates to barre to anything in-between in your area. Using an app such as ClassPass will also show you all of the participating fitness classes (and salons and spas!) in the area as well.

4. Join a national gym. If you must workout at a gym, join one that has locations all throughout the country where if you’re a member, you are free to workout at any one of them. Snap Fitness and Anytime Fitness are just two examples that have thousands of fitness centers throughout the US.

5. Take a walking tour of your new city. Not only is walking great for burning fat, it’s also super simple since it only requires a pair of supportive shoes. Try taking a walking tour on your own or signing up for a guided tour.

1. A do-it-yourself walking tour in Birmingham, AL
2. A guided, two-hour art tour in Houston, TX
3. A “real” ghost tour in Minneapolis, MN

6. Go for a run. Back home you probably had a familiar running route that you loved, but in your new city, you’re not sure where you should go. Check out runkeeper.com – a free running community site with an app that shows you different routes in your area, helps you set goals, and track workouts and progress

• For the nature lover, a scenic 2.29 run through the Kinnickinnic River park in Milwaukee, WI: click here.
• For the serious runner, a 13-mile run around the city of Sacramento: click here.
• For the history buff, a light 2.11 mile run around the bay of Norfolk, VA: click here.

7. Join a virtual workout community. Popular trainers, such as Kayla Itsines or Katrina and Karena from Tone It Up, offer meal plans and downloadable workouts that you can do at home, PLUS online communities with thousands of other people who are going through the same training as you.