Keeping Fit While Traveling

Contributed by Mike Manning

mikemanningmusings.blogspot.com 

Even for a dedicated person with an established fitness routine, it can be difficult to stick to it while on the road. There are several reasons for this including lack of time, being too tired, and lack of facilities. Fortunately, there are many different ways to overcome these and other obstacles. Continuing to exercise while out of town can keep one feeling fit and can help work off some of the extra calories from dining out for three meals a day.

Today most hotels have a fitness center, but many of them have only the minimum equipment like a few treadmills, bikes, elliptical machines and potentially a universal machine. Additionally, the gym is usually in a tiny, low-funded room that does not have the type of equipment needed to continue one's routine. This is where research comes in before booking a hotel. On a recent trip to Maui I was able to book a hotel with a great fitness studio by checking through a travel site beforehand. I looked through all the Maui hotels and was able to find out which ones had the best fitness areas in my budget. I would suggest anyone traveling to do this same type of research in the future.

An alternative to working out in the hotel gym is exercising in the hotel room itself. Many hotels offer a fitness channel on the television. These channels will have several fitness programs cycle throughout the day. All of the routines will be designed to be performed in a smaller space with minimum equipment. Some of the programs will utilize equipment that can be borrowed from the front desk. One can also prepare their own workout routine or use one from the Internet like this one from Shape magazine.

Fitness while on the move is becoming somewhat easier as airports are responding to customers' desire to be more active. Some locations are offering marked walking paths while others meditation rooms for travelers to practice yoga or simply stretch and relax. Many in-terminal restaurants are also beginning to offer healthier options. For passengers travelling through Baltimore, Dallas Fort-Worth or San Francisco will be able to follow well-marked paths through the terminals to complete short half to one-mile routes. Adding this activity during a trip will not only help a person stick to an exercise routine, but will help offset issues that can be caused by air travel like cramped limbs or blood clots.