Stay Fit While Traveling
Ben Greenfield
Ask the Get-Fit Guy: Stay Fit When Summer Gets Busy
Q. My summer is full of family reunions, parties, barbecues and vacations! I feel like I’m losing my fitness, and I I need good fitness tips to stay fit during summer events and travel. Do you have any ideas?
Answer. Great question! Since one of my jobs is to write out exercise routines and nutrition plans for folks who want to lose weight, one the most serious problems I frequently face is the inability of people to maintain their day-to-day fitness and diet routine when they’re traveling and when social life beckons.
So here are three quick and dirty tips for summer fitness:
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Get your workout out-of-the-way. When you’re traveling, at a family reunion, or anticipating a busy day, set your alarm clock 20-30 minutes early, get out of bed, and do a very quick metabolism boosting routine, such as a 5 repeat circuit of 25 jumping jacks, pushups, squats and planks.
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Stay on your feet as much as possible. The simple act of standing burns far more calories than sitting and lounging, and you’re more likely to stay active when you’re up. At the beach or at the barbecue, follow the ABS rule (Always Be Standing), and you’ll be less likely to simply sit and engage in a popular sitting activity: eating. But beware: someone might throw you a Frisbee or football!
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Be flexible. The all-too-common all-or-nothing approach makes many people think that if they can’t do their perfect exercise routine, they’re just not going to do anything at all. But even if you find yourself stuck at a bare-bones hotel gym, you can still get a great workout!
 For tips about using a hotel gym please check out my Quick Tip about getting a great hotel gym workout.
Woman Jogging image courtesy of Shutterstock
About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.