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Fitness
Made Simple
Staying
Fit While Traveling
Many
times this season I've found my butt on an airplane, something I
look forward to with the same enthusiasm as a dental appointment,
traveling to and from various personal appearances. Since I'm sometimes
a spokesmodel for supplement companies they fly me around to fitness,
bodybuilding, and nutrition expositions to sign photos, answer workout/meal
plan questions, and basically represent them to industry members
and the general public. Usually these conventions are spaced apart
throughout the year so they're a nice break in my routine. This
year, however, they came in a schedule-shattering, cross country
cluster from Atlanta to Los Angeles. My first concern…and
the inspiration for this article…How was I going to stay in
shape during the hectic travel schedule? I'm sure this thought has
entered the minds of more than a few of you frequent flyers out
there. It might also have passed right through them once you realized
solving the dilemma requires a little bit of thought and planning.
Fortunately, I can now share my personal experiences in the form
of a few tips to help you stay fit while on the go.
TIP #1 - Prepare a "carry-on" meal for your travel day
If you're looking for lots of sodium, sugar, and saturated fat,
airline food might be the way to go. I think the buttery sauce on
the "sautéed chicken nasty" they almost served
me could actually have equaled my daily allotment of fat grams.
Add to that the salted peanuts coupled with the high glycemic piece
of cake and I'd be nicely bloated by landing time. Thanks to a little
pre-planning, however, I brought a plastic container with a grilled
chicken breast and mixed vegetables to keep me from resorting to
airline cuisine. I even heard an envious passenger a couple of rows
behind me breathe a sigh of regret as he said to his seatmate "That
looks a heck of a lot better than what we got." If you're not
into cooking, as I'm usually not, you can also simply pick up a
healthy meal, like a chicken/turkey breast salad or pita, to go
from the drive thru window of many popular fast food restaurants.
You'll notice just about all the major franchises are now catering
to fitness folk with special high protein, low fat food options.
Bringing my own food on the plane has two benefits. First, it helps
me stick to my nutrition plan. Second, it helps me mentally stay
in control of the situation and keeps me focused right from the
start that this trip doesn't have to interfere with my fitness program.
TIP #2 - Make sure your hotel has a gym
This one is very important. The first thing I do when I get my itinerary
from the supplement company is to call the hotel they've booked
me in to make sure it has some sort of workout facility. It doesn't
have to be fancy. Just a lifecycle or treadmill for my morning cardio
and a multi-station universal gym for some basic weight training
suits me fine for short trips. I get to stay in the exercise mode
while getting a break from my normal routine. Surprisingly, I sometimes
return home in better shape, tighter and more defined, than when
I left. Since I have a tendency to over train a bit I guess this
abbreviated travel routine gives my body a needed rest and my muscles
a chance to fill out.
If your hotel doesn't have a gym, like the one I stayed at didn't,
you still have a couple of other training options. Number one -
check out local gyms in the area, some of which usually have deals
open to fitness-oriented hotel guests. Ask someone at the front
desk for details. Number two - use your room. Remember, exercises
using your own bodyweight, like push-ups and stomach crunches, can
help you stay pumped and get blood flowing to those working muscles.
Of course for cardiovascular activity there's always walking and
jogging. These are also great ways to see the area where you're
staying…a feat that's otherwise difficult for me considering
I'm stuck inside convention halls most of the day.
I'd also like to recommend that whatever exercise you're planning
make it a priority. Try to do a good portion of it first thing in
the morning to make sure you get it in. Too many times the days
tend to get away from us when we're traveling and if we put off
working out until the later hours it often gets left out completely.
TIP #3 - Eating healthy while traveling is no more difficult
than eating poorly
Listen - If even the fast food places offer low fat, low calorie
food options there's no excuse for straying from your nutrition
plan while you're away. As I always say, eating well takes no more
time than eating badly. It just requires that you take a moment
to think about what you're putting in your mouth.
If you're dining in restaurants don't just accept food as is. Remember
you're paying not only for the meal but the service as well. Don't
be timid about asking for special requests like "sauce on the
side," "steamed" instead of "fried," or
"cooked without oil." For example, when I'm going out
to breakfast I commonly request egg white omelets cooked with "calorie-free
no stick spray" (like Pam Cooking Spray) and no cheese. If
I watch out for the hidden sources of fat and calories that I don't
even enjoy I'm then able to incorporate some very palatable "cheat"
foods, such as a piece of dark chocolate cake or a brownie, into
my meal plan every once in a while without noticing any negative
effects on my muscle definition or body fat level. In phone consultations
I often tell people who've ordered my Fitness Made Simple video
that "it's not the piece of cake that makes you fat - it's
all your other daily sources of excess carbs and fat combined with
the cake that makes you fat.
Two other important points about eating out…#1. Watch the
bread and chips prior to your meal. Most people don't mentally count
these as part of the meal. They may be cost-free but they're sure
not calorie-free. #2. Don't worry about being considered "a
pain" or "picky" by your friends or the restaurant
staff when you're making a special order. Once again remember you're
paying for this service and, as for your friends, after they see
the results of your efforts they'll probably start following your
lead.
TIP #4 - Don't forget your supplements
We've already established that traveling doesn't have to translate
into a vacation or deviation from our fitness lifestyles. So if
you're currently using any supplements there's no reason not to
bring them with you.
Following as much of your usual daily schedule as possible will
help keep you in the fitness mode while traveling so that by the
time you return home you might just be in even better shape than
when you left.
John
Basedow is an internationally recognized fitness personality and
host of the best-selling videos Fitness Made Simple, Awesome Hour
Upper Body Home Workout, Six Pack Abs, AM/PM Workouts, 45Min Fat
Burning Workout, & Better Body Basics. These programs
offer time conserving workouts and fat burning nutritional meal
plans which thousands of people are using to build lean, healthy,
and muscular physiques. To order call 1-800-283-4230 or visit www.FitnessMadeSimple.com.
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