Exercise and travel
in
rhodes.jpg
Ask most people what they do to stay fit while traveling, and the answer is likely to be “nothing.” It’s a shame this is the case, because there are simple strategies we can all take to reduce stress, boost energy, avoid travel aches and pains and even tone muscles.
Best of all, these measures need not be cumbersome, time-consuming or complicated. Let’s take a look at some of these travel-friendly fitness tips:
• SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
Let’s be honest; chances are high that you won’t want to engage in long, exhaustive workouts while on the road. Remember, we’re trying to stay fit while traveling, not get fit while traveling. Knowing this, you are much more likely to see success if you limit your plans for working out to no longer than 10-20 minutes per session. Do, however, make a commitment to follow through with these shorter, “mini” workouts.
• FOCUS ON THE BENEFITS, NOT THE EFFORT
Traveling involves a host of distractions from our everyday life and schedule. These distractions will increase the temptation to skip exercising, especially at the end of a long day of meetings or a weary day of flight delays. To help resist this inclination, focus your sights on the benefits of this activity. For example, do it to reduce travel anxiety and stress, boost your energy, sleep better and enhance your mood. Knowing that these are the payoffs to just a few minutes of effort makes it much easier to go through with your workout, even when you'd rather crash in front of the TV.
• MAKE WORKOUTS PART OF AN ANTI-STRESS RITUAL
As part of an end-of-the-day unwind, or a first-thing-in-the-morning wake-up, have your workout become part of several activities. For example, start some coffee or tea and exercise while it brews. When your workout is finished, take a refreshing shower, after which you can relax as you sip some coffee or tea. Who knows? This just might become a regular travel ritual for you.
• PLAN IN ADVANCE
Do I need to tell you what your chances are of exercising if the first time you think about it is after arriving in your hotel room? Take a few minutes in advance of your trip to plan your workouts. These days, checking for workout facilities is easier than ever, now that so many hotels have included this information on their Web sites. Of course, if you have any additional questions, you can always call for clarification.
Once you know what facilities are available to you, you can then plan on what to bring. If you plan to work out in your room, you should become familiar with the plethora of extremely lightweight, travel-friendly strength training tools on the market, including resistance tubing. Pack a change of fitness-friendly clothes that make you feel comfortable and ready for activity; you’ll be more likely to want to change into them.
Don’t forget a water bottle. You may also want to pack a fitness book or magazine to help motivate you and provide guidance. Speaking of guidelines, it’s a good idea to put together a modest list of exercises and stretches — a quantity of 8-10, for instance — that you can do while away from home. Keep this list with your other fitness-related gear. Finally, schedule your workouts in the same manner you would any appointment: write them into your travel itinerary.
• MAKE IT WORK
Even the best-laid plans can go wrong, and this especially holds true whenever travel is involved. Before you throw in the towel with any last-minute changes, use some creativity to determine an alternate solution. Unfortunately, we tend to treat exercise with the kind of negativity that the moment something comes up to offset the plans, we immediately submit to them and say, “Oh, well.” Make a commitment to make every effort to salvage as much of your exercise plans as possible; you’ll be happy you did.
Sure, it’s always tough to initiate a change in your travel routine, but give this exercise planning an honest chance … with diligence, you’ll discover strategies and approaches that work best for you. Eventually, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.
Sample of a travel exercise routine without ANY equipment
ABS:
20 Regular Crunches
20 Cross Crunches (obliques)
20 Leg up Crunches
20 Legs down Crunches
Cardio 3 minutes (ex: jump rope, jumping jacks, steps, jog in place)
ARMS:
20 Pushups on the floor or wall
20 Tricep dips (all you need is a coffee table)
30 Bicep curls with water bottles
20 Side to sides (love handles)
2 Supermen on floor (hold for 20-30 seconds or pulse to 15)
2 Planks on floor (hold for 30-60 sec. or as long as you can)
Cardio 3 minutes (ex: jump rope, jumping jacks, steps, jog in place)
LEGS:
25 Sumo Squats (wide stance)
2 Sits on wall (hold for 30-60 sec.)
25 Donkey Kicks
30 Calf raises
15 Walking Lunges
Cardio 3 minutes (ex: jump rope, jumping jacks, steps, jog in place)
Beth Rhodes, Certified Exercise Specialist, is the owner of Fitness Together at 119 Colony Crossing in Madison (by Pizza Inn) and 1127 Old Fannin Road in Brandon (by Spillway Road). Call Beth for more information about developing a fitness program designed just for you. 601-992-3433
