HEALTH TAKE FITNESS ON THE ROAD
One of the great things about getting older is having the perspective to be continually amazed at everyday things. I’m writing this week from an airliner heading to Houston, Texas, for the weekend. The fact that I’m connected to the Internet and working on a tablet from my seat is pretty cool, if you ask me. My tech-savvy kids would just roll their eyes, but ... whatever.
The Medical Exercise Training Institute is located in Katy, Texas, and I’ll be there for three days learning some of the latest techniques for helping clients manage their medical conditions with exercise.
As I was preparing for my trip, I figured that it would be natural to touch on the challenges of travel that everyone faces when they spend a day on the road, in airports, on planes and in hotels. It’s always exciting, but, getting out on the road can be tough on the body. It can also be a disruption to your fitness and nutrition plans as you move out of your daily routine. With the holiday season upon us, the topic is even more relevant.
If you know me, you’ll know that I’m a realist. I understand that nobody is perfect and if you’re expecting to be perfect when you are away from home for long stretches, you’re fooling yourself. All I ever ask of people is that they do the best they can, no matter where they are.
Doing the “best you can” while travelling means that, in the worstcase scenario, you will at least maintain your fitness level while you interrupt your everyday life with the trip. It might seem daunting, but with a few strategies and tips you can do it. Here are seven that you can apply right away.
1. Fill up on exercise before you leave. In my case, this meant I did not take my usual day off from weight lifting on Wednesday. It is highly unlikely that I will get my normal Friday workout in today, so I shifted my rest day to today and worked out on Wednesday.
2. Approach travel like just another day at the office and prepare everything you’ll need for your trip the day before you leave. This includes checking in online for flights, printing boarding passes and exchanging money. If you can leave home in a low stress manner, it will feel like just another day.
3. Bring fruit and vegetables with you for snacking. There WILL be junk food en route, so if you can offset that with some wholesome fibre-rich foods, you’ll feel much less like you are out of your routine.
4. Walk as much as possible. If you are driving, stop hourly to stretch your legs, but, also take a walk around the parking lot at a rest stop area. On a flight, get up and move on an hourly basis.
5. Complete a 10 to 15 minute body-weight workout in your hotel room each morning. Most hotels have gyms, but, most travellers don’t use them. Basic moves like jumping jacks, squats, pushups, crunches and dips are all you need to maintain your fitness for a few days on the road. Do 10 repetitions of each with little to no rest between exercises and complete as many rounds as you can in 10 to 15 minutes. If you are used to the machines at your gym, you might be shocked at how challenging this kind of routine can be!
6. Make a loose plan for your eating. If you know that there will be a big “splurge” meal happening during your trip (Texas barbecue!), then eat as healthfully as you can until that meal. Order side salads instead of fries, minimize any fried foods, skip dessert, etc . ... You’ll feel better for it and the splurge will be even more enjoyable.
7. Drink as much water as you do coffee or alcohol to help against dehydration.
Enjoy your holiday trips, but don’t let them destroy the momentum you have built toward better health and fitness.
Ernie Schramayr, CPT, is a Medical Exercise Specialist in Hamilton who helps his clients manage medical conditions with exercise. You can follow him at ErniesFitnessWorld.com. 905-741-7532 or erniesfitnessworld@gmail.com.