Over the last year I have had to travel quite a bit for my job, and during my adventures I have learned a few tricks to staying fit while on the road.
Whether traveling by car or by air (or sea, I suppose), you have to take your exercise into your own hands. Do not assume that there will be facilities available for you to work up a sweat. For insurance purposes, many hotels do not offer much in the way of equipment. On top of this, walking or running in a strange city is not always a great choice.
You may even have some opportunities to attend a local CrossFit gym. Know how much that’s going to cost? $20 a day, if it’s not your native box. That’s right. Not cheap.
So what are we to do?
I am so glad that you asked. If you travel with a laptop computer that can play DVD’s or a portable DVD player, you can bring along a workout DVD to burn calories with. I usually have a couple in my computer case for just such an occasion. P90X and yoga routines are highly portable and require little equipment.
Exercise
Body weight exercises performed in a circuit will not only offer terrific resistance training, but will get that heart rate up for a killer cardiovascular workout. Put together a routine ahead of time so that you do not spend your time standing around trying to think of what to do next.
Pull ups, push ups, and tabata squats are easy ways to train the larger muscle groups. Sprints and other plyometrics can help as well. For arms and abs there are a million ways to curl and extend your triceps with resistance. Ab exercises can be performed anywhere at any time.
I have also found two pieces of equipment that pack small are a jump rope, and resistance tubes. The jump rope is possibly one of the greatest cardio workouts around. Give it a try and you will see what I mean. The tubes are a good way to through in some good resistance work. I found some that have three interchangeable tubes that vary in resistance.
Nutrition
Quite possibly the hardest part about staying fit while away from home is nutrition. If you can, bring your own food. If staying in lodging that offers a refrigerator, a microwave, and maybe a small kitchenette, hit the local grocery store and get just enough food to prepare for yourself while there.
If you have to eat in restaurants, use your head and make smart choices. Stay away from sauces, mayonnaise, fried and fatty foods. Ask for your meals to be made the way you want. If you are polite, and ask nicely, you would be amazed what they are willing to do for you.
This advice is not just for business trips. This applies for when you are on vacation as well. Do not think that just because you are on vacation that you get to eat and drink what you want. Make smart decisions no matter where you are, no matter the occasion. You will be much happier.
Tags: exercise, fitness, health, healthy, travel, traveling, workout
