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Staying fit on the road

By Joyce Garcia, Travel Watch reporter

Personal trainer Chris Vogel noticed a problem with some of his clients who travel on business.

"They'd come across consistent for a few weeks" in their fitness routines before their trips, he said. But then they'd fall out of the routine on the road and try to catch up -- not always successfully -- upon their return to the gym.

So Vogel, who trains at Union Station Multiplex in Chicago, decided to find ways to help travelers keep fit. He's leading his gym's first seminar on travel fitness this month, and hopes to get fellow trainers well-versed on the topic. His aim: Find ways for travelers to keep fit that are "easy but effective and efficient."

Keeping in shape on the road can be as easy and effective as simply taking a walk -- whether it's stretching your legs up and down the aisle of a plane's passenger cabin or a long jaunt across town.

Get to know the city you're in, Vogel said, noting that he still discovers something new whenever he walks around Chicago, his hometown of 33 years. It's enjoyable -- and, he said, "it helps release some of the stress" of traveling.

"I can't say enough about the long walk thing," he said.

Neither can Brie Turner-McGrievy, a dietitian and personal trainer with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a medical advocacy group in Washington, D.C.

"If I'm in a big city, I try not to take cabs and walk to more places," Turner-McGrievy said.

Check into hotel fitness options

Increasingly, hotels offer workout facilities for guests. Bill Tulin, co-author of "Travel Fitness" (Human Kinetics), urges travelers to call ahead and take advantage of whatever the hotel has to offer.

"Every hotel worth its salt nowadays is gonna have some sort of exercise facility," he says. "Now that may just be a converted hotel room with some rusting Universal equipment, but you can call and ask."

Some travelers, however, prefer to be private about their workouts.

"A lot of people prefer to work out in the hotel room -- especially women travelers, I find," Tulin says, "because it's a security thing, they don't want to be going out in public, they don't want to have to worry about what they look like down at the gym, whatever."

For those who wish to take the privacy route on the road, Vogel suggests rubber exercise bands and surgical-style tubing that provide resistance training. Several brands are available, but Vogel recommends Spri Xertube bands, which vary in degree of resistance and come with instructions for simple exercises that work both the upper and lower body. They're available at sporting goods and fitness stores for about $10 to $20 each.

Vogel held up a set of three bands, rolled up tightly, after demonstrating some exercises. "These could fit in your shoe when you're packing," he noted.

(Also, at least one hotel chain recognizes the in-room fitness preference of some of its guests: Omni Hotels make available a free "Get Fit Kit" consisting of a gym bag with a set of dumbbells, stretch cords and a floor mat.)

Whatever you do, water yourself

Regardless of how you choose to move, experts urged travelers to stay hydrated, especially when flying. Airplane cabins are notoriously dry; Vogel recommends at least one 8-ounce glass of water per hour flown. That's in addition to about 10 to 12 glasses a day, which can also be consumed through milk, juices and fruits, he said.

"It's going to send you to the lavatory in the plane more often," Tulin noted, "but then again, getting out of your seat more often is gonna be good for your stiff muscles anyhow."

(Tulin also recommends walking the length of the plane every hour or two "to keep your back happy ... and your blood circulating.")

Even when on the ground, experts say travelers should stay away from coffee and soda pop. The caffeine found in coffee and some soda will act as a diuretic and dehydrate you, while Vogel noted that carbonation will leave you bloated. If you must have either, Turner-McGrievy suggested drinking one glass of water for every 8 ounces of coffee or soda.

Other suggestions:

• Take the stairs in your hotel. "It'll work the glutes, calves and thighs," Vogel said.
• Find a gym. If your hotel doesn't have one, see if there's one nearby. A business traveler can check to see whether the company he or she is visiting has an on-site gym.
• Turner-McGrievy finds that simple breathing exercises can help alleviate stress while dealing with flight delays and other inconveniences. "Try to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths," she suggests.
• If you've already developed a certain level of fitness, Tulin suggests maintaining at least a third of your aerobic routine at your usual intensity and completing your strength-training program once a week with the same amount of resistance. "If you've been running a 10-minute mile, continue running a 10-minute mile," he said. "But if you've been running six miles, try just running two." This routine will maintain your fitness level for two weeks, he said, before it begins to decline.

All in all, aiming for fitness on the road is far simpler and far less daunting than it might seem.

"Just shake off the rust," Vogel said, "and get moving."

20-minute hotel room routine

Squats

• Target: hamstrings, gluteus, quadriceps and inner thighs
• Keep feet hip distance apart, put your weight in your heels and act as if you were sitting in a chair.
• 3 sets of 15-25 repetitions

Glute Raises

• Target: gluteus, inner thighs and hamstrings
• Lie down on your back with two pillows between your knees and feet flat on floor -- about 8 inches away from the buttocks. Curve your pelvis toward the ceiling, so it raises your buttocks a quarter inch off the floor.
• Squeeze your glutes toward the center of your body.
• Pulse for 45-90 seconds and then squeeze and contract for 45-90 seconds.

Push-ups

• Target: biceps, triceps, shoulders, abdominals, chest and lower back.
• Beginner: Go on knees instead of toes. Intermediate: Go on toes, keep feet wide. Advanced:Go on toes, keep feet together and place hands underneath shoulders.
• 3 sets of 15 repetitions

Reverse Dips

• Target: triceps, shoulders (secondary)
• Sit on hands with elbows pointed toward back of the chair. Slide hips off the chair so they're a half-inch in front of it.
• With feet under the knees, let yourself go halfway down and press all the way up.
• 3 sets of 15 repetitions

Crunches

• Target: abdominals
• Lie on back with knees bent.
• Center crunch: Bring your chest to your knees. 2 minutes
• Side crunch: Put the outside of your left ankle on right knee. Bring your right shoulder to the left knee. 1 minute
• Side crunch: Put the outside of your right ankle on left knee. Bring your left shoulder to the right knee. 1 minute
• Accordion crunch: Bring torso and knees together, keeping your lower back on the floor. 2 minutes

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