Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Travel or holidays coming up soon? Keep on being active and moving throughout the summer months.

Dragonfly fitness is happy to welcome guest blogger Mike.  He shares tips on how to stay active and adhere to a fitness routine while travelling.  Have a safe and active summer. 

Keep on Moving While Your Travels Take You Away from Home

You might be glued to your fitness routine whether you hit the gym, go to the pool, take a daily bike ride or go to an exercise class. But when it is time to go on a trip, many of us throw our exercise program out the window. However, you don't need to be one of those people if you plan ahead and be diligent about including fitness into your travel itinerary. When organizing your trip, just imagine that you are a travel agent, planning a fitness-focused vacation or business trip for your client. You are important. Make your health a priority and stay active.

The Right Place: Choosing a Hotel that Cares about Fitness

First of all, you need to think about your accommodations. Don't be too casual about finding a hotel as you can easily find one that has a quality fitness room and a pool. You might even find a resort that provides you with exercise classes. On my last trip to San Francisco, I was able to book accommodations that had superb facilities and classes when I wanted to use them by checking through a travel reviews site/app called Gogobot. Gogobot gave me a list of San Francisco hotels and from there I was able to discern which ones had the best facilities for the price I wanted without giving up the other parts that make a hotel room great. If you can’t find a hotel with fitness facilities, your room can turn into your fitness room as well. You have your body for plank exercises, push-ups and sit-ups. Bring some resistance bands for more strength training and your laptop can provide you with access to an exercise instructor in your room. And don't forget to bring sneakers and workout clothes as you can't leave any room for excuses. See this great resource for ways to incorporate exercise into your hotel stay. Once you get to your hotel, be sure to schedule a time every day in your itinerary when you will exercise. If you want some variety, do something different each day -  head to the pool one day, the fitness room the next, a walk the following day and work out in your room on another day.

Don't Forget About Staying Active While on the Road or In the Air

When you head to the airport, park far away and make your walk in a workout. Once you get inside, don't stay in one place, walk from one end of the airport to the other. Some international airports are catering to patrons and even providing them with exercise rooms and walking courses while they wait for their flight. Use them! Don't waste any time just taking up space! If you are driving, be sure to stop every few hours, get out and take a walk. Not only will you be less fatigued but you will have more energy and your body will thank you.

Make Exercise Part of the Plan

Depending where you are, you could play tourist and rent a bicycle or take a hike. Visit museums or take guided tours – both usually encourage lots of walking. Take a cue from Men's Health for suggestions. Keep healthy food choices in your room. When you go out to eat, choose from the lighter side, combining your eating habits with your exercise efforts and when you return home from your trip, you’ll be satisfied with the knowledge that you took good care of yourself while you were away on business or pleasure.

Mike Manning
mikemanningmusings.blogspot.com