Travel Fitness Tips: Staying on Track While You’re on the Road

Travel Fitness Tips: Staying on Track While You’re on the Road

May 30th, 2013 // 8:54 pm @ Coach Erik

 By Mike Manning

Staying fit while on the road can be very difficult for many travelers. Temptations abound. Too often, when travelers return home they have lost all of their momentum from their fitness regimen. Sometimes they get it back. Sometimes they don’t.

Many of the common pitfalls that travelers fall into while traveling can be avoided with a little determination and planning. Let’s take a look at a few ways to ensure that your fitness does not suffer while you are traveling.

Booking your hotel

When it comes to travel fitness, planning starts with selecting a hotel. Many hotels now offer a variety of exercise options. Many have fitness centers in the hotel itself, exercise equipment, and running trails. Doing your research in advance can reveal these places. Go online before booking your hotel and look for hotels with gyms. On my most recent trip to San Francisco I booked a hotel that had a 24-hour gym by doing some research on a site called Gogobot, which gave me a large list of hotels in San Francisco. From here I was able to scan through the hotels and see which ones had the proper fitness amenities for my needs.

No gym? No problem.

If you cannot find a hotel with a fitness center, no problem. You still have options. For example, you could bring a yoga mat with you. You could perform yoga moves, stretching, and other types of aerobics right in your own hotel room. You could also bring a set of dumbbells or resistance bands. Resistance bands have the advantage of being more lightweight and packable.

Sometimes, a hotel without a gym does have walking or running trails nearby. If so, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity. Pack your running clothes and shoes. If you are unfamiliar with the area, be sure to ask the hotel staff if the area is considered safe.

You can also do aerobics near the hotel grounds. Jumping jacks, sit-ups, and other forms of aerobic activity do not require much space. Get moving. If your hotel has a swimming pool, bring your swimming trunks along.

Healthy eating

Probably the greatest temptation when it comes to travel fitness is overindulging in food or alcohol. While it is fine to indulge occasionally, it is important to show some restraint in this department.

Find a restaurant that caters to your individual dietary needs. Eat salads, while taking it easy on the fattening extras. Eat normal portions and take any extra food with you to the hotel.

When you return home, get back into your normal exercise routine as soon as possible. The hardest part is the first few days. Once you have resumed your normal habits, it will be much easier to maintain.

For more about Mike and his unique insights on fitness, nutrition, travel and life, visit his blog:  http://mikemanningmusings.blogspot.com/

Category : Blog/Vlog &Fitness Sparks &Inspiration