Amanda Salazar, owner of Edge Fitness and local health and fitness expert, recognizes that this is a popular time of year for her clients to begin traveling more frequently for work and for personal vacations and enjoyment. Amanda says, “For most people, it tends to be a very challenging task to maintain a fitness program when traveling frequently, but it is possible.  It just takes a little preparation, dedication, and mindfulness to make it happen!” Here are some of her on-the-road fitness and nutrition secrets:

 

1. Do a little research. If you are staying at any hotels during your travel, call ahead and find out if they have a fitness room. Find out what type of fitness tools or workout machines are provided. What hours is the room available for use daily?

 

2. Don’t feel guilty for opting out. Try not to over cram your entire day. Build a little bit of downtime into your schedule. Your stress levels will stay lower and you’ll return home feeling refreshed instead of needing a long vacation.

 

3. Bring easy-to-pack affordable fitness tools. A jump rope, resistance bands, and pedometer are light-weight items that are easy to pack and can be used anywhere no matter how much space you have available. Not sure what to do with these fitness items? A personal trainer like me can easily put together an “on-the-road” fitness program for you in just one or two private sessions.

 

4. Maintain muscle tone by doing exercises that require your own body weight or resistance bands. Squats, lunges, hip bridges, push-ups, chair dips, planks, and abdominal crunches can be done with your own body weight. With a band, shoulder exercises like upright rows, overhead presses, and lateral raises can be done; chest presses for your chest and seated rows for your back. With these exercises, a total-body workout can be done!

 

5. Better at following instructions instead of putting together a routine on your own? Pick up a few at-home cardio, strength training, and/or yoga workout DVD’s and use them in your hotel room.

 

6. Keep cravings low. Instead of high sugar soda or juice, order a low or no-calorie beverage with your meal. This will help fill you up with fewer additional calories.

 

7. Consume alcohol wisely. Alcoholic beverages are considered a carbohydrate. If you drink one, substitute the carbohydrate in your meal with low-glycemic veggies such as broccoli, bell peppers, green beans, zucchini, or cauliflower.

 

8. Keep it simple. Order simple foods from the menu like baked, grilled, boiled, roasted, poached, and steam entrees. Chose sauces that are light or ask for no sauce. Avoid additional extras or keep them on the side so you can control how much you use.

 

9. Sharing is caring. In the spirit of better health choices, when eating out share a meal with someone you are traveling with. You will take in half the calories. With such oversized portions served these days anyway, chances are you will be full or content with consuming just your half of the meal. Another great idea is to request a takeout box to be delivered to your table at the same time your meal is delivered. Before you take a bite, put half of everything in your takeout box and put it off to the side. You’ll take more time to enjoy the food that is in front of you, you’ll save on the extra calories, and you will save money. You can eat the leftovers for another meal or two later so you don’t have to eat out again! Also, be sure to remove any visible fat from your meal when you eat out as there are a lot of hidden fats in restaurant foods. Cut away visible fat from steak, remove skin from chicken, dip your fork in salad dressings instead of having them poured over your food, scrape extra butter/cheese off the top of other food items.)

 

10. Portion distortion. With so much social media it is hard to know what a ‘healthy portion’ is. It can all be so overwhelming and more than likely you won’t be traveling with measuring cups and a scale to check your portions. So, follow my portion suggestions as a guide: Half of your fist is a carbohydrate portion. The palm of your hand is a lean protein portion. Your thumb is a portion of fat or cheese. Fill up with raw or steamed veggies because good for you and they don’t need to be measured.

 

Keep my “on-the-road” fitness and nutrition secrets handy. Trust me, it feels great to be able to travel and enjoy the local food and environment without gaining weight that you dread having to work off when you get back into your hometown!

 

If you are not sure where to start and need a “one-the-road” health and fitness program customized for you, contact Amanda Salazar, owner of Edge Fitness at: [email protected] or call (360) 790-6767. She can design an affordable full-proof program for you!