Is it really that hard to maintain your fitness while you're away on a business trip or on holiday? Anya Kussler has some simple tips to keep frequent flyers, drivers, beach bums and even boat cruisers on their toes during their travels.
KEY POINTS:
Plan ahead
To keep you fit without even knowing it, plan a vacation that includes - or even revolves around - fun outdoors activities, such as kayaking, horse riding, surfing or hiking. If you're going on a business trip, book a hotel that has a gym or swimming pool on-site (or nearby) where you can exercise. Also consider booking a hotel that is near where you will be conducting your business, so you can walk to your meeting or conference instead of taking public transport.
At the airport
We spend an awful lot of our travel time at the airport - checking in, waiting for the flight, getting strip-searched ... Make an effort not to spend all that time on your precious behind. Instead, get up and walk - browse the shops, walk briskly on the travelator, and take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. To give your upper body muscles a run for their money, ditch the trolley and carry your luggage. And, if you're feeling particularly energetic, why not climb some stairs for 15 to 20 minutes? That'll definitely get your heart rate up, tone your butt, thighs and calves, and wear you out for the flight.
In the air
Flexibility is an essential part of staying fit and functional, especially as you grow older. So your limbs don't go into rigor mortis while you're stuck on the plane, regularly get up and stroll down the aisle to loosen up your legs, and stretch your limbs while seated.
Stretches that are easy to do without you knocking your neighbour unconscious include toe and shoulder rolls, side-to-side neck stretches, as well as shoulder stretches. To perform the latter, grab the right arm of your seat with your left hand, and then move your head over your left shoulder, pulling gently until you feel a stretch in your left shoulder. Repeat the stretch on the other side.
Nowadays, most in-flight magazines have illustrated instructions for exercises you can do in mid-air. If you want to stretch a bit deeper, without attracting stares from fellow passengers, head to the bathroom.
On the road
Road travel, too, can leave you feeling stiff and tired. Stop at regular intervals to stretch your legs and allow time to go for a brisk 10 to 20-minute walk (plan your route so you stop somewhere nice, such as a lake or a park).
Also use these pit stops to stretch your hamstrings, quads, calves, arms and shoulders, using your car, tree stump or picnic bench as leverage. While you're on the road driving, take the opportunity to do some unobtrusive ab exercises. All you have to do is contract your tummy muscles for a few deep in breaths, and relax them as you breathe out. This will not only tone your muscles but also improve your posture and relax you - great if you suffer from road rage.
And here's an excellent way for making ends meet with tight, sore muscles on the road: Place a tennis ball on a sore point on your back or shoulder, between your body and the car seat. Gently put pressure against the ball then roll around against it to relieve the pain. One word of caution - don't wriggle around too much or you could put your and other road users' lives in danger.
Active sightseeing
Explore a new city or area by foot rather than by bus or other motorised means. You won't even notice how many miles you clock up - nor how many calories you burn as a result.
If you're feeling a bit energetic, plan a tour of your destination with a short, 20-minute jog when you arrive - or a longer run if time and weather permit. Depending on the terrain, you could also rent out a bike or rollerblades _ or a gondola if you happen to be in Venice.
Another active way to get to know a new culture is by dancing the night away at a local hot spot.
The hotel room workout
You don't need a fully equipped gym to tone your muscles while you're out of town. Here are some simple exercises you can do in the comfort of your own hotel room, using only your own body weight and a couple of hotel room props. Optional extras are a pair of sneakers and/or a skipping rope. Do two sets of each exercise.
Warm-up: Run, power walk on the spot or skip for a few minutes. Or do 30 burpees, that'll quickly warm you up.
Lower body: Do 20 sumo squats (legs out at a 45-degree angle), followed by wall squats (sitting against a wall at a 90-degree angle for up to one minute if you can) and 20 lunges on each leg.
Upper body: Do 20 press-ups (full if you can, otherwise on your knees), followed by 20 dips on a sturdy coffee table, stairs or bed.
Back: Lie on your tummy on the floor with your arms out to the sides. Lift your chest and arms up as high as you can without straining your neck. Do 10 reps.
Butt: Do 20 hip lifts (double legs if you are a novice and single legs if you're advanced).
Abs: Do 20 crunches, followed by a 60-second ab hover (make sure your back is straight and your tailbone and pelvis tucked under to activate your abs).
In the tropics
Exercising in a hot, humid environment, such as the Pacific Islands, can be challenging. Don't let this faze you: Crank up the air-con in your hotel room and do the holiday room workout (see tip 6).
Do it early in the morning - you're more likely to feel motivated to do a structured workout in the morning than after a day in the sun.
Get resourceful - a fresh watermelon makes a wonderful medicine ball replacement for adding an edge to those ab crunches. If working out in the tropics is the least of your priorities, utilise the beautiful sun rise (or sunset) to do a yoga or stretching routine on the beach - a few sun salutes will do your body and soul the world of good. There's really no shortage of fun, active things to do at the beach: swimming, fishing, kayaking, snorkelling, swimming and beach volley ball.
On the boat
Are you holidaying on a boat? Cruise ships usually have gyms and pools, offer aerobics classes and personal training services, and some even have running tracks, putting lawns, tennis courts and night clubs where you can release some of your energy. If you're on a yacht, spend as much time as possible overboard, snorkelling, swimming or scuba diving.
Stay hydrated
In order to stay fit, you have to stay hydrated. However, it's easy to get dehydrated while you're travelling - be it due to the heat, humidity, high altitudes, or lack of access to safe drinking water.
Prepare well and always keep a large supply of bottled water handy - it'll help keep you energised and prevent cramping on the plane, train or in the car. Flying is particularly dehydrating, so drink at least one glass of water each hour during the flight (and plenty of it in the 24 hours before departure). This can also help prevent jetlag.
On the flipside, limit your intake of diuretic stimulants such as coffee and alcohol - they will only dehydrate you even further and may even intensify jetlag.
Watch what you eat
Eating properly while travelling is a must if you want to have the energy and desire to be active. Stick to seven or eight small, nutritious meals that include fresh fruit, vegetables and lean meats a day, and don't overload on processed, sugary, oil and carbohydrate-rich foods such as white bread and cakes - these will only give you quick fixes followed by equally big energy slumps. Taking some healthy snacks with you on your travels will keep your motor running.
- Detours, HoS
