Training while Travelling

Recently I received a great article form Mike Manning. It discusses a serious problem many people experience at some time, especially this time of year when many of you will be travelling abroad on holiday. Training while travelling a lot is hard, you are not used to the new equipment and chopping and changing time zones can play havoc on your hormones and energy levels, but there are ways to still accommodate your fitness needs while on the move.
Mike says:
‘Travel can create barriers to a healthy lifestyle. Frequent travelers tend to experience overall poorer health than those who travel only occasionally, and those who are away from home 20 days a month experience a much higher risk of obesity than those who travel less than one week each month. Although these are grim statistics, you don’t have to kiss fitness goodbye when you hit the road.
Advance preparation and some basic self-awareness can turn stressful, unhealthy travel time into an opportunity for fitness. Begin planning for healthy options before you leave home, and you’ll be surprised what a difference these plans make.’
Here are some of Mike’s tips:

1.      Research the place where you plan to travel before you leave home. Learn if your health club allows you access to a gym there. Find out about local fitness amenities such as running trails or tracks that are open to the public. Also make sure to do some research before booking a hotel. On a recent trip to Maui I booked a hotel with a 24-hour gym, which allowed me to continue my workout routine seamlessly. I did this by searching through a travel site that listed all the Maui hotels and from here could click through amenities associated with each hotel.

2.      Be sure to pack for success. Include workout clothes and a good pair of trainers as well as a refillable water bottle to help you stay hydrated wherever you go. You might also want to pack portable workout equipment such as a simple exercise band to help you get a powerful workout despite limited time and space.

3.      On your flight, take the opportunity to stretch and perform a few in-flight fitness activities. On long flights, working through a series of these exercises once an hour will help you avoid stiffness, cramping and swelling frequently associated with extended travel.

4.      When you arrive at your destination, take time to orient yourself to your surroundings before rushing to meetings or other events. Find the fitness facilities and other amenities. Take a few moments to familiarize yourself with your room and stretch or do a few yoga moves to get started.

Finally make sure that throughout your stay, take advantage of every opportunity to move and be active. You probably won’t have an entire hour to spend working out in the fitness centre, but you can make short work out sessions effective. If you have a particularly rigorous schedule, squeeze in a quick routine with a chair and your exercise band between afternoon meetings. Ten minutes is long enough to get your heart pumping by doing some jumping jacks, lunges and other on-the-spot activities in the restroom or other secluded spot.

Check out my holiday workout routine that I designed last year, no kit, not cost and almost a full body workout in approximately 30-45 minutes. Check it out by following this link: http://www.fitness-teen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/holiday-workout.html

References for Mikes article:
NY Times - "Adding Fitness to Your Itinerary" - http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/travel/adding-fitness-to-your-business-travel-itinerary.html?_r=1&

Gogobot - Travel reviews site for research  - http://www.gogobot.com/

Ace Fitness - "Top Ten IN-Flight Exercises to Reduce Jet Lag" - http://www.acefitness.org/updateable/update_display.aspx?pageID=494