Sight-see in safety and stay fit!
With your busy life, sometimes it’s hard enough to fit in a visit to the gym between the office, your family and yes, you have to have a social life! It only seems to get more complicated when you’re on the road, but it doesn’t have to. Staying fit while traveling just takes a little forethought and planning—it really is easier than you think!
Hotels Have You Covered…
Some hotels have state-of-the-art gyms and even offer a full roster of classes including yoga, Pilates, and kickboxing. You can click here to check out some of the best hotel gyms in the world, some offering jaw-dropping views to help you sweat it out in style. These places go for the gusto as far as architecture, design, and equipment, so ditch the thought of having to battle with an outdated tread climber while looking at an empty wall. Tack on amenities like super-healthy room service choices, fitness concierges and even chic workout clothes and you might go home fitter than when you left!
…Or Not
On the flip side, you might end up in a hotel that has no gym—or even worse, that outdated tread climber with a view of the wall. In that case, you have two options. First, you can go to your iPad for a great in-room workout video that needs no equipment—here’s a great 20-minute version from NerdFitness and these five great travel workouts from BarBend. Of course, there are always the stairs, which constitute a built-in gym for many.
Of course, you could always opt to…
Take Your “Gym” With You
Never underestimate the power of a good resistance band, not to mention the fact that it takes up very little space in your suitcase (always a good thing). These simple yet versatile pieces of equipment can give you a challenging workout as good as any you’ll get in the gym, especially if you add in a small attachment that goes over the door of your hotel room, which automatically turns them into pulleys. Just be sure to buy thick enough tubing to make it taxing enough for your fitness level.
The second piece of “take along” equipment is a good jump rope. Choose a thin plastic speed rope over the heavier leather or sectional ones so you don’t add weight to your carry-on. If you have a balcony in your hotel room that’s wide enough, you might even squeeze in a workout with a view!
A third option is to look into a TRX Portable Gym. While it takes up a bit more space than a rubber tube or a jump rope, this equipment will give you a head-to-toe workout (easily modified for different user levels) that will keep you in tip-top shape no matter how long you’re gone from home. There are a whole series of videos you can view on your laptop to follow along unless you’re already familiar with your routine and can do it on your own.
Hit the Road While You’re on the Road
Sometimes business travel can take you to some great places with fantastic outdoor activities. Check with your concierge or your friendly social media contacts and ask about local attractions that might give you a very worthy morning hike (a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, for example, can offer up miles of trails through the beautiful McDowell Mountain Preserve.) Big cities usually have big city parks for running or biking and if you’re near the ocean, ask about ocean kayaking, swimming, or snorkeling. The fresh air will be very invigorating and you’ll be even sharper in the boardroom.
Calories In, Calories Out
Finally, staying fit while traveling also entails watching what you eat. It might be tempting to overindulge during a power breakfast or business meal at the steak house, but while there’s no need to totally deny yourself, you can please your palate without going overboard. Besides, half the fun of traveling is trying out local dishes and finding new favorites!
When you do get the menu, peruse it for a few minutes before going for the triple-decker French toast stuffed with cream cheese. Steamed, roasted, or broiled dishes are lower in calories than fried, sautéed, or creamed items, and remember you can usually order a dish prepared a certain way to stay within your healthy choices. And do pass on the breadbasket—just think of the bloat…
Prevention is a great way to stay healthy, but should something unforeseen happen you’ll want to have protection as well. Wherever you go, take along your emergency travel insurance or a medical evacuation services membership. Just visit www.skymed.com to find the one that best suits your needs!
