Travel Fitness

Today, I am going to talk to you about how to stay fit while you are on the road, whether for business or for pleasure. Not too long ago, for three years straight, I was on the road, week in and week out, traveling across the country. I had to develop some strategies to stay fit. Today, I am going to share those strategies with you.

When it comes to staying fit on the road, preparation is Number One. I rarely stay in expensive hotels, but, when I travel, besides the clothing that I need for speaking engagements, I bring all of my workout clothes. I also bring a resistance band and a jump rope, just in case I don’t make it to the gym or the fitness room in the hotel. I always bring my protein shaker and protein powder for between meals. When you are on the road, protein between meals is important. I also bring oatmeal. In case there’s a microwave, I can heat up some oatmeal (Bob’s Rolled Oats) with some protein, and it’s perfect. Last, but not least, I bring my vitamin supplements: omega 3, 6, and 9, multivitamins, extra vitamin C.

In terms of preparation, before you travel, call ahead. See whether your hotel has a fitness room and whether there is a health club nearby. If you have a certain routine that you would like to continue to follow, line it up.

Next, to get my routine in, I do it first thing in the morning because I know that, at the end of a typical, busy fourteen hour day, if I try to exercise, I’ll be too tired. Whether or not you are a morning person, do your exercising the first thing in the morning.

Sometimes, when you are on the road, and there is no fitness room in sight, you have to improvise. Use your resistance bands and your jump rope. Do stretches in your hotel room. Use any kind of objects that are readily available, such as a vase, for balance and resistance.

Nutrition is always important, no matter what. Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. The bottom line is, when I am on the road, I stop at the Waffle House. You don’t have to eat fattening foods. Here’s what you do: order egg whites and grilled chicken with steamed home fries made with pepper and tomato. Stay away from the typical Continental Breakfast of simple carbohydrates and sugar and fat. Don’t eat the pastries and bagels. All of that stuff is garbage. If your hotel has an omelet bar, eat there.

You can eat healthy. Maintaining fitness is based on making the right choices. Do you want the Nissan Maxima or the Honda Accord? Are you going to choose the egg whites and chicken or the pastries and the doughnuts?

You can stay healthy when you are on the road. Make it happen!

In-home Exercise of the Week
Lateral raises
Level: beginner
Equipment needed: resistance band or cable system
Primary muscles used: shoulders

If you want to build up your shoulders, this is a great exercise. Just put your feet together, and raise the band or cable from in front of you to the side, shoulder high, slowly. You should have a little arch in your back. Look straight ahead.

That is the most effective in-home exercise of the week.

Product Review of the Week
Resistance bands

I think that resistance bands are great. They are inexpensive and versatile. There are so many exercises that you can do with them. They are portable. When you travel, you can pack them in your workout bag or in your sneakers in your suitcase. They are great. I highly recommend them. I go with all Spri products (www.spriproducts.com). This company is the best fitness supply company in the market. Fitness Resources is where I buy them because they give me a great deal.

Factor Mail
International Robbie contacted me on You Tube to say, “Corey, I’m getting ready to go off to China to study, and I’m really concerned about my calorie intake. How do I make sure I’m eating healthy when I’m eating Chinese food? I’ve heard about the amount of oil it’s cooked in, and I’m worried about the calories. What do you recommend?”

Robbie, don’t eliminate the food. Just ask for the steamed version. You can get just about anything. Just get it steamed. Except for the sesame chicken.

Make it happen!

Corey Ritter

Remember, no matter where you travel, you can stay fit.

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