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eLearning Series:
Your Most Popular Exercise & Fitness Questions
Learn the right way to get into
shape...
( 50 articles
in this series )
Fitness
When You Are On The Road
Fitting in your workouts is tough enough during
a normal workweek but when you have to be on the road it can
be close to impossible to maintain a regular exercise schedule.
How can you possibly keep physical activity as a priority when
you stay in a different hotel every night?
Welcome to the twenty-first century, a land of portable workout
equipment, companies that reward physically fit staff members,
and websites that can point you to fitness-friendly hotels!
In the old days you simply put up in whatever mom-and-pop motel
was convenient and stayed in your room watching “The Price
is Right” and eating a microwave dinner. Times have
changed and more people are concerned about maintaining health,
especially
while traveling for business. Thanks to the millions of business
travelers wielding considerable power over the travel industry,
there are more fitness options on the road than ever before.
Here are few tips and ideas to make your next road trip physically
active and challenging.
Check
out your hotel before you get there
Thanks to the advent of the Internet, you can find out almost
any information that you need to know within minutes. Sometimes
this can be bad but in the case of hotel accommodations, it’s
nothing but good news. Dozens of websites can search available
hotels and identify ones that offer fitness centers and swimming
pools. If you are able to choose your accommodations, go for
places that either have gyms on site or offer free passes to
nearby clubs. If you’re not a regular gym rat this can be a
great chance for you to try out some machines and decide if
joining a gym at home would be worth your time and money. Find
out if your hotel has a swimming pool as nearly all do. Be
sure to pack your bathing suit and try to swim at least ten
laps every day that you stay at the hotel. Swimming is fantastic
for building cardiovascular strength without placing a lot
of stress on the joints and it doesn’t produce a lot of sweat,
either. Being aware of your fitness options before you leave
on your trip can help you prepare and manage your fitness schedule
without getting thrown off balance.
Bring
your workout equipment with you
If
your trip will be crammed full of meetings and business,
preventing you from using hotel facilities, simply bring
your
own home gym with you! There are dozens of portable fitness
accessories that can be used to tone the body and build strength
– you may not be able to fit in a full cardio workout but you
can at least maintain your regular strength-training program.
Resistance bands are an excellent choice for portable fitness
gear. Bands come in a range of strengths so be sure to read
the package or try the band out before buying. Purchasing a
multi-pack will provide you with multiple options for workouts
and is usually fairly inexpensive. Many resistance bands come
with their own case but it’s easy enough to simply fold the
bands and store them in a plastic bag.
Resistance
tubing is another option you may want to consider. Tubing
can be anchored
around a sturdy object and then used for resistance training.
Some tubing comes with handles for easy use but if not, simply
twist the tubing around your hands or tie it around your
ankles to provide the right amount of resistance. Bringing
a yoga
mat is still another excellent choice. Mats offer you the
space for comfortable stretching and yoga practice, and if
you’re
none too sure about the cleanliness of the floor, having
a mat to lie on can go a long way toward easing your mind.
A
rolled-up mat doesn’t take up too much space in a suitcase
and adds very little weight. Don’t forget the classic jump
rope for a cardio and strength training workout in one! Get outside!
This is where the two previous strategies come together: use
the Internet to locate your hotel and determine if the surrounding
area is safe and pedestrian-friendly. Often a call to the hotel’s
front desk can accomplish this, too, but if you want to hear
the information from an impartial source, call the Chamber
of Commerce for the town or county and ask someone there. If
your hotel turns out to be located in a not-so-savory part
of town, simply pack your portable workout gear and get your
activity right in your room! For the lucky ones with hotels
in better areas, plan on taking a walk or run through the area
and doing some sightseeing while you exercise. This can be
a great chance simply to see new scenery and acquaint yourself
with new places. Seize the opportunity and get out of your
boring hotel room!
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2005
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