BOXING FITNESS NEWSLETTER

Keeping Fit While Traveling

It's easy to lose momentum, and your hard-earned fitness when traveling. Just as exercise begets exercise, one day off often leads to another (and then another). Travel - and particularly business travel - can be tough on the body, and even harder on your fitness regiment. Cramped flights, late nights, non-stop schedules and restaurant meals combine to push exercise out of sight and out of mind.

How to stay fit when traveling for business or for pleasure?

Here are some tips.

Don't worry about trying to replicate the regime you follow at home.

Instead, the goal should be to stem the tide and limit the damage. Pack a pair of runners (or cross trainers) and some light workout clothes every time you leave home - that's all you need. On the day of departure, if you can manage 20 minutes of exercise before heading to the airport, you've off to a great start. Drink plenty of water on all flights. (Anything else will spike your blood sugar.) If you are organized, and your travel is domestic, bring along a snack of baby carrots and apple slices.

Try to find at least half an hour to exercise

Half an hour is not a lot to ask, and should be easy to squeeze in. It's not hard to pack a great workout into 30 minutes using only body weight exercises.

The most important ingredient is creativity.

It is tempting, while on the road, to find a stationary bike or treadmill, park the brain and spin mindlessly. Don't do it. You'll end up bored and will start skipping sessions.

If weather conditions are favorable, lace up your runners and walk straight past the exercise room and out the front door of the hotel. An "urban interval session" with short but intense bursts of activity, with easy jogging in between is your goal.

Sample workout:

Start with a light jog.

You don't have to be a runner, because this isn't a run. We are just getting the body moving and warm. After a few minutes, look for grass or a quiet corner. Do 20 body weight squats quickly. Jog for a few more minutes, until you spot a place to do push-ups. If you can't do full push-ups try modified push-ups (from your knees). Now run a bit more. Try doing some jumping jacks (30-40) Next run backward for 50 strides. Then jog sideways, in both directions, overlapping your feet.

Walk for a few minutes, and do some more push-ups.

Other exercises to consider include walking lunges. Bring along a jump rope, find some smooth ground and skip for 5-10 minutes. By this point you've probably been gone 15-20 minutes. Turn around, and do every exercise again on the way back. Cool down and stretch in the last block, and you're done. Remember to try to make every workout different.

If weather conditions are poor, you can work out right in your hotel room.

Sample Routine:

20 body weight squats; 10 dips (hands on edge of desk, feet on floor); 10 burpees; and finally the "alphabet" (lie on your back and write the entire alphabet, legs held together, using both feet). Go fast. Repeat the sequence three times. It will take less than 20 minutes.

The benefits of short but intense training sessions

Intervals and plyometrics are amazing. By constantly changing the location, duration and format of your exercise, these workouts help avoid plateaus and fight boredom.

Check out Balazs on FaceBook!

Balazs has a great FaceBook Page featuring fitness & workout tips, product demos, exclusive interviews, videos and more. If you're serious about fitness, please click on the 'like' button on our FaceBook page.