Traveling can throw a serious kink in your fitness plans, especially when you travel often for business. It’s so tempting to throw caution to the wind, eat everything in sight and forget your workouts, but you’ll pay for those choices. Instead of losing the thread every time you leave home, follow these tips for healthier travels:
Pack accordingly. You’ll never get a workout in while you’re away if you don’t pack the right gear. Make sure your suitcase includes items like a pair of running shoes, workout clothes, a swimsuit, a jump rope and resistance bands. Even if you hope to use the hotel’s gym, be prepared in case it’s a little less than promised.
Carry healthy snacks. One of the hardest things about being away from home is not having easy access to your regular healthy snacks. Instead of snagging a donut in the conference room, come prepared with better options like almonds, peanut butter and meal replacement bars. Find out where you can get local produce near your hotel before you even leave home.
Watch your eating carefully. Snacking is one thing, but meals can be a serious killer on trips. Everybody in your party is bound to overindulge — they’re away from home, after all, and it’s time to celebrate. Resist the temptation and stick to meals that aren’t going to add inches to your waist. Basic lean meats with vegetables are always good bets; avoid the empty calories in alcohol entirely.
Take opportunities where you find them. Wear your tennis shoes anywhere you can and take time to walk. Walk from the airport to the hotel, from the train station to the big meeting or up a couple of flights of stairs to your room. Even if your schedule is too hectic to maintain your regular workout, the extra miles you can clock by walking will go a long way.
Make your plans before you leave. Figure out what you’re going to do to maintain your fitness plan before you ever set foot on the plane. Whether that’s taking extra long walks around the city, burning calories in the hotel pool or just not destroying your body with all the restaurant food that’s to come, write it down and gather what you’ll need to accomplish the task. You’ll be surprised how well you can stick to a fitness plan when you put it in writing.
Try some in-room workouts. There are lots of quick in-room workouts spread across the internet designed for travelers — bodyweight exercises are especially good. Choosing four compound exercises, like bodyweight squats, push-ups, single leg hip thrusts and pike pushups and working them in a circuit will give you a challenging workout that uses a wide range of muscles.
Although travel means not always having the best access to gym equipment, you can always call the hotel ahead and find out what their facility has to offer. Then you can thoroughly research machines like the Sole treadmill and many brands of elliptical trainers through Fitness Equipment Source and her sister site, Treadmill-Ratings-Reviews.com.
