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I’m on a never-ending quest of how to stay healthy while travelling. And I’m going to be 100% honest… it’s HARD to do. Between wanting to eat all those local treats, the jet lag, being cramped on a plane for far too many hours and feeling like I don’t always have a fitness plan, it’s a struggle. But 2019 will be my year to maintain a more healthy lifestyle on the road. And I got inspired to do so after a fun week being active in the mountains of Deer Valley in Park City Utah with the NordicTrack fitness team (if they don’t inspire fitness goals for you, no one will!). I chatted with NordicTrack and iFit‘s lead trainer, Becca Capell about how to stay fit, no matter where your travels take you. My biggest take away from her is that it doesn’t HAVE to be the same as how you workout at home, or really even follow a specific training schedule. The key is to just move. Read her tips below…
What are some things you see people forget to do/or stop doing while travelling?
“The hardest part of travelling, is the loss of routine, and we know people are much more consistent with exercise when it is part of a routine. Another thing that is commonly thrown off is diet. When you are no longer cooking at home, you opt for eating out, and travelling is often a time associated with indulgence.”
How can you keep to your fitness goals while travelling?
“The biggest piece of advice I can give clients is that not all fitness looks the same. When I am at home I have my routine of strength training and cardio, access to a full gym, and treadmills both in my home, and in my office. My travelling fitness looks less like heavy lifting in the gym, and more like bodyweight training in my hotel room, lots of walking, hopefully some good hiking, maybe a bike ride around the city, and maybe some workouts in my hotel gym.”
How can Nordictrack help you maintain your fitness goals on the road? What tools are there to keep you motivated and going?
“When you purchase most Nordictrack equipment, you get an iFit membership, and even if you leave your treadmill, bike, elliptical, or rower at home, you can always take iFit with you. We have a library of hundreds of bodyweight workouts that can be completed in your hotel room, running workouts you can complete as you cruise through an exotic city, and we make sure you can get it done in the time you have. We even have an entire offering of workouts 10 min or less! That way you can always squeeze in a little bit of fitness in all the travelling fun!”
What are some of the best ways to beat jet lag?
“In my experience, the most effective way to beat jet lag is to keep to a tight schedule on the new time zone. Even on the plane, I try to act as I would in that new zone. So, if it is 10pm in the destination, I try to fall asleep. If it is 7 am, I make sure to stay awake. Trying to start that acclimation early has been incredibly helpful. Once I am on the ground in my new location (whether that be getting there, or heading home), I always make sure to stay awake through the day. Naps are jet-lags worst enemy. If I land at 10am, I try to make sure I stay up until at least 8 pm, but then allow myself plenty of time to recuperate. Don’t try to stay up super late, or you will just continue with the deficit. And to help stay awake during the day? I stay as active as I can. Sitting in cabs makes you sleepy, but walking around and exploring a destination helps you stay stimulated, and being exposed to natural light will slow your production of melatonin.”
What are three key things to remember when it comes to keeping to your fitness goals?
- Fitness on the road doesn’t have to look like fitness at home. Try to use experiences (hiking, walking, biking) to get your activity in.
- Enjoy your location, but just because you aren’t home doesn’t mean that every meal needs to be an indulgence. Pick and choose to help you enjoy food experiences, but not get too far off track.
- Your workout doesn’t have to be perfect, and creativity can go a long way. Don’t get too hung up on not having the “right” equipment in the hotel gym. You just need to move.
What are 5 easy exercises you can do in your hotel room in a pinch?
- Wall sit
- Push-ups
- Jumping Jacks
- Lunges
- Dead bugs
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