The avid traveler—she’s Royal Caribbean’s first-ever "Adventurist" and has her own travel series, Shaycation!, on YouTube—tries to stay active every day. “I like staying fit and active whenever I’m on the go,” she said, adding that physical activity also serves as self-care, even on her busiest days. “Going to the gym, for me, is very therapeutic. I will always make time for myself to do that.”
Let’s be real, though: Surfing and rock-climbing isn’t always a go-to option for most of us. But, as it turns out, Shay’s favourite workout tools are all under $10 and easily stash-able in a carry-on.
“I’ll always bring a skipping rope with me, I’ll bring bands, and I’ll bring little sliders—I have that with me everywhere I go,” she said.
The sliders alone are pretty much all you need for a killer workout, especially if you only have a small space to work with. Shay’s personal favourite move? Plank position, with the sliders under your feet or hands. “Whether you’re on carpet or whatever the flooring is, you can get a great full-body workout from just doing a plank alone,” she said.
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Mini bands are also a favourite of the Pretty Little Liars star. “They’re awesome!” she said. “You can do squats anywhere. You can literally make your hotel room, or wherever it is, a gym.”
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Despite being a fitness fanatic, Shay stated she “would never” look at a scale—and doesn’t feel pressure to. “I think it’s so deceiving,” she said. “If I drink a cup of water, it’s different!”
Instead of focusing on a number, “I go based on how I feel. And to be honest, I do feel my best when I’ve had a good healthy week and I’ve worked out,” she admitted. “But I’m also an everything-in-moderation girl. I will always have a bite of a chocolate brownie. I will always have a bite of pizza. But maybe I just don’t eat the entire thing.”
No matter where she is in the world, Shay maintains that staying active, eating consciously, and not stressing about it are her keys to staying fit. “I kinda just do what I feel like,” she said, “and that seems to work for me.”
This article was originally published by Women's Health.
