Traveling Fit
Photo via Bodybuilding.com
Summer is right around the corner and that means road trips and long plane flights. Whether you are traveling to see your Nana, float the Frio or see the sights in the Big Apple, I have few strategies that will help you stay fit and ready to look beautiful on your wedding day.
Preparation – Without a plan, you are planning to fail. If you have not created a plan for how you are going to eat clean and get in your workouts while you are on the road, your months of hard work month could be negatively impacted by a slothful week off. Pack your workout clothes first. Make sure you have everything you need so there are no excuses.
Snacks – Pack snacks that have protein and will not melt. Almonds and other nuts travel well. Most nuts are full of protein and good fats that will fill you up. Beef or turkey jerky is another easy snack that will fill you up and does not usually have many processed carbs in its ingredients. GORP (Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts) Clean Energy Bars are healthy bars full of real food that you can go anywhere with. They will fill you up with Omega-3’s, protein and fiber. Having healthy snacks will help you with your cravings that can derail your goal to look great on your wedding day.
Water – Next to oxygen water is what the body needs most to function and stay healthy and fit. Water isn’t always convenient to drink on a road trip but is important to help metabolize fat and eliminate waste. Plan your stops ahead of time so you can continue to drink water while on the road. If you are flying try to drink water continuously during the flight. It does not matter the length of the flight, because of the altitude your body will dehydrate.
Posture – Sitting for long periods of time can wreak havoc on your posture. To avoid long term postural imbalances from sitting I highly recommend this next exercise after sitting in a plane or in a car. Once you get the opportunity to stand up, squeeze your glutes as tightly as you can. When you do this two things will happen. First you will activate (turn on) one of the largest muscle groups in your body, your hips (glutes). Your hips support your body and keep your body aligned. Secondly, you stretch your hip flexors. Hip flexors are located on the top front of your thighs. After prolonged sitting hip flexors get shorten and tight. Tight hip flexors will tilt your pelvis forward which puts pressure on your lower back and can make you look like you have a protruding stomach when you really just have poor posture.
Resistance Bands – A Resistance band is a great piece of equipment to have when traveling. Bands can fit in the bottom of any bag and/or suitcase. They are extremely light and very versatile. My man Dave Schmitz aka “The Band Man” has a whole website dedicated to giving you free exercises and workouts with bands. Go to www.resistancetraining.com/library. At my training center we use resistance bands every day for our workouts. When I started our outdoor training program resistance bands were the only thing I had and needed.
Sample Workout – Not having equipment should never be an excuse to missing a workout. Below is a great travel workout I made for several of my clients that I think you will get a lot out of. This will stoke your metabolism and help you burn a ton of calories in a short period of time. Consult your physician before starting an exercise routine.
Warm Up
Sumo Squats
Backward Lunge 10 ea R/L
Lateral Squat/Lunge 10 ea R/L
Hip Hinge
Push up to Calf Stretch/Downward Dog
The Travelers Workout: Perform 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat that same sequence for the first exercise for 8 rounds before moving to the next exercise. Once you finish your 8 rounds of an exercise take a one minute break.
1. Squats or Squat Jumps
2. Push Up Holds, Push Ups, or Single Leg Push Ups (Alternate Legs each round).
3. Drop Lunge (Like a curtsy where you drop your leg behind you and your back knee touches the ground and then you stand back up). Switch legs each round.
4. Lying Superman/Superwoman while making a W, Y, or I shape with your arms.
5. Side planks. Switch each round.
Optional Finisher: Perform 20 seconds of work 10 seconds of rest. Repeat this sequence for 8 rounds.
1. Burpees with a jump
I hope these suggestions will help you stay fit while traveling this summer. If you need more personal fitness coaching contact me at [email protected].
By Adam Farrell
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-The One Bride Guide Team