Take Your Workout With You!

"...if you're on the road, staying fit while travelling allows you to return home without extra baggage on your waistline and keeps your commitment to healthy living on track."

Whether You're Traveling or Putting in Greater Hours on the Job, You Can Stay on Track with This Simple Home or Hotel Workout Plan

By Peter Twist and Janice Hutton

Planning a vacation… heading on a business trip… or just so busy on the job or with family, you don't know how you can possibly make it to the gym today?

Unfortunately, that's an increasing complaint. It seems everyone we talk to is struggling to squeeze everything in. And that includes their workouts.

While travelling to new places can be exciting, it can also be very stressful. And exhausting. Travelers take a beating from hours spent sitting on planes and in waiting areas, hotel transfers, long meetings, big meals, and restless nights. A vacation can do wonders to decompress from work, but the long flights, jet lag, multiple modes of transportation, and eating meals out take their toll on the mind and body of even the most committed fitness enthusiast.

But no matter what your schedule looks like, you shouldn't let your exercise program slide. After all, there's no better way to stay energize and relieve stress. Plus, if you're on the road, staying fit while travelling allows you to return home without extra baggage on your waistline and keeps your commitment to healthy living on track.

To guarantee you get the workout you need, stay focused on your goals, and maintain your routine, a travel plan is essential.

And even if you're stuck at your own desk, finalizing a major project or just keeping up with the daily duties, instead of enjoying a spring fling or running to catch another plane for business, having a plan is no less essential.

Here are some helpful tips to keep you on track both home and away:

Plan Ahead

• Check your itinerary and your schedule—and find time to exercise en route to your destination in the airport terminal or between travel, between meetings, before or after work, or during lunch.
• Beat Jet Lag and Super Stress—re-energize your mind and your body with a workout. If you're traveling, working out upon arrival resets your body, creating a cycle of healthy choices to help you overcome the urge to nap or snack.
• No gym? No problem! Simply take along a pre-designed workout with equipment that is versatile to get maximum impact.
• Make good choices—stay hydrated and energized by having water and healthy snacks on hand to re-charge regularly throughout the day.

Pack Your Gear

• Workout wear—choose quick dry clothes and layers for multiple days and diverse weather.
• Footwear—bring shoes that can be used for both indoor and outdoor exercise pursuits.
• Portable Equipment—make room in your luggage or "gym bag" for compact resistance training equipment such as the Smart Gym™ to stay strong and burn more calories.
• Music—the best motivator is your own tunes to get you going and keep you pumped!

Keep Training!

Here's a quick and dirty super workout to manage your fatigue and enhance your feeling of well-being next time you're on the road or just fighting with your schedule at home.

Guidelines

Begin your routine with light resistance, slow movement speed, and a full range of motion. Perform one to two sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise with a full minute or so of rest between each set.

To enjoy fitness and strength improvements, add new challenges to the body by:

• Beginning with isolation exercises and then adding whole body exercises to activate more muscles and increase the exercise difficulty.
• Decreasing the rest between sets to sustain a higher heart rate that improves fitness levels and burns more calories.
• Gradually increasing resistance to keep the muscle under tension and stimulate more muscle growth.

Once you become proficient at executing whole-body, multi-joint exercises, challenge your mind to command multiple muscles to work sequentially to produce more force as a team. This workout strategy produces smart muscles and develops a body that is ready to meet the demands of everyday life along with any exciting adventures and opportunities.

Whole Body Maximum Impact Workout

Resisted Squat

Each of these exercises is shown with the Smart Gym, but you can also perform these exercises (or variations of) with just your bodyweight, dumbbells, or even a barbell. Don't let equipment excuses derail your exercise for the day!

Resisted Squat

Start: Begin with feet hip width apart, Smart Toner under your feet, Smart Stick on your shoulders.

Execution: Keeping your abs and lower back tight and strong, bend your knees, hips, and ankles to lower yourself into a deep squat position. Then, extend your hips, knees, and ankles as you stand up.

Progression: If this exercise becomes too easy, you can add an overhead press linked with the squat to also work your upper body. (Start with the squat and then press your arms overhead.)

Alternatives: You can also do jump squats, Hindu squats, tap squats, or any other variety of bodyweight squats.

Kneeling Split Squat Pull Down

Kneeling Split Squat Pull Down

Start: Attach the Smart Toner to the top of a doorway. Ensure that the door is closed tightly and will not accidently open!

Take a wide grip on the Smart Stick and kneel down with one knee down on the ground and one bent with your foot flat on the floor (in a kneeling split stance).

Execution: Again holding your abs tight, with your shoulders down and back, draw back your elbows to pull the stick toward your chest, contracting through the shoulder blades.

Progression: To increase the intensity, add a stationary or dynamic lunge to each row to activate the whole body. (Start with a lunge and then row.)

Chest Press

Start: Attach the Smart Toner at the midpoint of a doorway. Face away from the door, and place your hands with a wide grip on the Smart Stick. Your legs should be about hip-width apart.

Chest Press

Execution: Tighten your abs and push the Smart Stick away from your chest, extending through your shoulders, elbows, and wrists.

Progression: To add intensity, you can add either a squat or lunge to the press to create a multi-joint movement. (Starting with the squat/lunge and then press.)

Alternatives: If you don't have the Smart Toner equipment, try doing pushups.

Core Isolation

Start: With the Smart Toner at the midpoint of the doorway, position your body at a 90-degree angle to the door with your lower body in a low athletic stance.

Execution: Pull the Smart Toner with arms lengthened until both hands are in front of the middle of the upper body and hold (20 to 30 seconds) with the core braced and strong. Then repeat on the other side.

Progression: Add a rotary motion after the isolation hold using a back foot to front weight shift and a low to high movement pattern. (Isolate and then rotate.)

Alternative: You can start with crunches on the floor and proceed to side crunches. Remember to keep your abs tight throughout the exercise and pull your belly button toward your spine.

Do at least three sets of each exercise every other day when you can't hit the gym. On the other days, make sure you get out from for fun cardio. Even just 20 to 30 minutes of moving your body can keep you on track and energized!

Core Isolation

In Summary

By developing a fit and healthy lifestyle and staying on track even when you're away from home or so busy you can't make it to the gym, you'll have lots of energy to enjoy more exciting adventures. Travel takes time and money, so getting more work done while on business trips or seeing more sites on holiday is best accomplished with a fresh body and alert mind. And you'll also accomplish more even when you're sticking to home base.

Don't let stress, travel, or an overstuffed schedule disrupt your regular exercise routine. Take your workout with you wherever you go, so you can continue on your fitness journey while experiencing the best life has to offer!

About the Authors

Janice Hutton, MA BPE ACE TSCC-Gold is Director of Specialty Markets-Education with Twist Conditioning Inc.

Peter Twist, MSc BPE CSCS TSCC-Gold is President of Twist Conditioning's 3 divisions: franchised Sport Conditioning Centers, Smart Muscle™ product wholesale, and home study coach education. To learn more about the Twist Smart Muscle™ training methodologies, education, and equipment available, go to www.twistconditioning.com

• Tap Into Motivation
• Back to Issue 78 Table of Contents

Fill out the no-obligation form below to TAKE your free issue of the printed version of Real SOLUTIONS Magazine now! Still not sure? Click here to listen to a special audio welcome from our editor, Stephen Adele.