Staying Trim While Traveling
If your on the Go a lot, Chelsea Cruz has some tips to help keep you slim and trim
Staying Trim While Traveling
Sometimes it seems almost impossible to make healthy choices and maintain a fit physique while you are on the road. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, there are so many ways to get tripped up and out of your normal workout routine and nutrition plan. These 5 tips will give you the advantage over all of those traveling temptations that can push you away from your goals.
1. Pack your own snacks: If you are making a long drive to your destination, and hunger sets in, pretty soon the over-processed, nutritionally void gas station packaged food that you normally would never even look at, start to look very appealing. Eating those "foods" which are high in trans fats, calories, sodium etc. cannot only sabotage your waistline, but end up making you eat more later since they are so lacking in the nurtition your body really needs. Pack healthy foods like, nuts, fruits, seeds, and veggies in a baggy or tuperware and snack on those during your drive. You will be so happy and feel so much better for your entire trip.
2. No excuses: There's always room for a little indulgence in every diet, in moderation of course. However, using the excuse, "Well I'm on vacation" to sneak in a few extra sweet treats or drinks, does not change the amount of calories your body processes. No matter how much you tell your body, "Im on vacation" your body will not listen. It will store that extra slice of pizza, those few extra beers, and definitely the extra scoop of icecream right on our belly, butt, and arteries the same way it would even if you were not on vacation. Enjoy your time away and relax, but remember that your calorie processing center never takes a day off!
3. Do your research: So many hotels list beautiful, state of the art gyms and workout facilities on their websites, yet fall painfully short when you actually visit. Thier so called "gyms" usually resemble something closer to a storage closet for stone age equipment or maybe a few weights that usually only go up to 20lbs. Find hotels that have a real fitness center that will give you extra motivation to squeeze in a workout. If you can't stay at a hotel with a nice fitness center, be sure to check out the surrounding area for parks or trails for hiking, jogging, sprints and walking.
4. No excuses: A lousy fitness center or sketchy surroundings should still not be an excuse to skip a workout. Here is a workout you can do in the comfort of your hotel room, using nothing but your own body!
*Do each exercise for 1 min straight, as hard and as fast as you can, with only 30 seconds rest between each.
A. Jumping jacks
B. Squat jumps
C. Push ups, wide grip
D. Left leg lunges
E. Right leg lunges
F. V-ups or leg lifts
G. Plank
H. High Knees
I. Push ups, narrow or diamond grip
J. Stretch
5. Catch some ZZZs: Not getting enough sleep is one of the best ways to turn your abs into "flabs." During those precious hours of sleep, your body is busy recovering and balancing you for the next day. With out sleep, you tend to eat more, and even crave sugary, high carb foods for the energy you are missing. Lack of sleep can also throw off your hormone balance which can push your metabolism into a fat-storing mode, rather than fat burning. No matter how busy you are when you travel, make sleep, or even power naps, a priority!
Follow these tips, and when you return back home, you will be even leaner and meaner than when you left!
Happy Travels!
Chelsea Cruz
Team SciFit
