Let’s face it! Travel, even if it’s for pleasure, takes you out of your element and makes it difficult to keep up your fitness routine. After all, you can’t do the same things at home that you do on the road. What you can do is PLAN-find out the lay of the land, bring your tools, check out some running trails and even sneak fitness in during your business meetings.
One of the main tips I have to staying fit on the road is to make sure to do some research around possible accommodations before booking. On a recent trip to Maui I was able to book a hotel with a 24-hour brand new gym by doing a little research on a travel reviews site called Gogobot beforehand. Here I was able to see a list of Maui hotels that I could thumb through to see which ones offered the best fitness amenities. If you are not a gym person and prefer to work outside, you can check into walking/running trails in the area. If you are neither a gym person nor an outdoor person, bring your favorite portable fitness equipment with you.
One of the best tools for maintaining your fitness routine is your smartphone! The article – The Best Fitness Travel Apps lists apps that you can download on your phone to maintain your fitness on the go. Runkeeper is a fitness app that tracks distance, time, and pace. You can use it for any exercise including running and working out on fitness equipment like the elliptical machine. There are also several workouts that you can download directly to your phone for easy access including P90X and yoga and Pilates workouts. Check out the app store or marketplace on your phone to find your favorite workout.
Did you know that running is making a comeback? According to America’s Best Urban Running Trails, more people are running/jogging not only to relieve the stress of traveling but also as a way to see the sights of the city they are visiting. The article goes on to describe running trails in Chicago, Boston, New York City, Washington, DC, Atlanta, and Minneapolis. If you aren’t traveling to one of these cities, find out what’s available where you are going and pack your running shoes.
Business travel is especially challenging for maintaining fitness – the environment (schedule, meals, etc) is often beyond your control. The article – How to Stay Fit on the Road offers great tips for maintaining your fitness during business travel including getting into the right mindset, exercising absolutely anywhere, training in your hotel room, exercising in the hotel gym, and maintaining a well-rounded routine. Getting into the right mindset before your trip will help you stay on track-pack your workout clothes and we’ve already talked about finding out about the workout facilities ahead of time. Even if you are stuck in a meeting there are lots of ways to “sneak” exercise in. You can do basic stretches in your seat, take “stand up” breaks every 30 minutes to stretch your legs or even walk a lap around the perimeter of the meeting room. The open space in most hotel rooms offers lots of options for exercising even without exercise equipment. You can do yoga or Pilates, light aerobics like jumping jacks or step-ups, or even body-weight exercises like pushups or lunges. The hotel gym is another way to go. Maintaining a well-rounded routine involves managing one’s own eating, sleeping, along with your exercise. Eating can be a huge challenge during business travel because someone else usually provides the meals. If there are no healthy options available, eat what’s available in moderation and load up on WATER which will keep you hydrated and help flush out the bad food. Being well –rested is also important for business travel. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep so that you are awake and alert for anything the business day throws at you.
Follow these tips and you will be ready to hit the road (and maintain your fitness) any time! Good luck!