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On the Road? Got 18 minutes? Try this Hotel Workout!

Most of us love traveling . . . for work and for pleasure (mostly for pleasure, I’m sure!). But being away from your home-base can be a challenge to stay on track when it comes to your fitness and “figure” goals . . . not to mention if you’re away on a conference or business trip then your schedule is jammed-pack from early morning to late at night.

I find most gals think when they are on vacation or on a business trip, they are doomed to gain weight because of the change of routine, lack of schedule (especially on vacation), and temptations of food and drink.

It’s time to change that way of thinking. Traveling is actually the perfect opportunity to reset your routine. In fact, staying active and making good food choices is critical to help avoid the negative effects of traveling. Your body is trying to make adjustments of travel, adapt to the physiological changes when you fly, and combat jet lag and varied sleep patterns—all of which affect your metabolism and ability to effectively burn fat and maintain your energy.

With my fair share of traveling for both work and pleasure, I’ve come up with three “go-to” rules to keep me on track even when I’m on the road.

#1 ROAD WARRIORETTE RULE: KEEP HYDRATED! When you fly you tend to retain water. It is absolutely critical to be hydrated before, during, and after your flight to keep your system in check. Dehydration will also trigger false “hunger-pangs” that we often mistake as hunger when it’s really our body telling us it just needs hydration.

I always buy a big water bottle after going through security to take with me on the plane (hopefully you get an aisle seat so you can get up a few times!). Aim to drink half of your bodyweight in ounces of pure, unadulterated water each day, and you want to be sure you’re hydrating at least two days before your trip. If you’re drinking alcohol, do the drink-water-swap so that you can keep your body from becoming further dehydrated from the alcohol.

#2 ROAD WARRIORETTE RULE: PACK YOUR BREAKFAST! We all know the most important meal of the day is a solid breakfast (whether traveling or not). If you start with a complete breakfast you set your metabolism up to burn more efficiently through the day, have more energy especially if you’re jet-lagged, and you’re less likely to get late-day cravings.

Here are a few of the easy snack and breakfast foods I always pack on my trips (for both vacation and business):
• Ziplock baggie of raw whole oats
• Packets of almond butters (or a small container), I’ve found Justin’s Nut Butters makes convenient travel packets of their natural nut butters (this is great to add to an apple if you can get your hands on one from the hotel or local store . . . yes, I’m the one that “helps myself” to a few extra pieces of fruit from the hotel fitness centers if they have it
• Ziplock baggie of Whey Protein Powder in my shaker bottle
• A few meal bars (I just found KIND bars, but keep in mind that they are mostly dried fruit and nuts, so they are high in natural sugar, be sure to eat these earlier in the day so you have time to burn it off)
• Ziplock of almonds or mixed nuts

Here’s a super-quick breakfast tip that will rev up your metabolism for the rest of the day: Boil 1 cup of hot water using the hotel room coffee maker. Put about ½ cup of raw oats in a mug and pour the boiling water over the oats and sit for a few minutes. I use about 2:1 parts water to oats, but you can adjust to how you like it. You can add a tablespoon of almond butter or a handful of almonds. Even if you have a breakfast meeting or continental breakfast, you can still grab some fruit and maybe a hard-boiled egg to complete your breakfast and hold you over through the morning.

#3 ROAD WARRIORETTE RULE: HIGH-INTENSITY WORKOUTS! When you’re on the road, the last thing you want to do is spend an hour in the hotel gym (if you even have access to one), and you never know what equipment will be available. I put together this hotel workout you can do with no equipment in your hotel room. This workout combines cardio intervals with bodyweight resistance (which is a perfect way to build lean, tone muscle).

Road Warriorette Hotel Workout

Complete each of the four exercises below for 30 seconds each.
• Rest 10-15 seconds in between each exercise.
• Rest 2 minutes after you complete the entire circuit.
• Repeat the circuit 3-4 times (depending on how much time you have and your fitness level).

Warm-up (2-3 minutes of jumping jacks, mountain climbers, jogging in place, etc.)

Jump squats
Pushups
Helicopters
Side hop lunges
Cool down/stretch

Get more out of your travels than just client meetings, conferences, good food and nice weather (hopefully!) and in no more than 30 minutes you can get your sweat on and your body will thank you!

Cheers to healthy, happy travels!

Lindsay Vastola, CFT is corporate manager-turned-fitness professional specializing in designing fitness programs for the success-driven career woman. Updated frequently, you can find information on Lindsay’s latest transformation programs, 18-minute workouts, and on-the-go eating tips on her blog at http://www.BeABoardroomBabe.com. She is also the founder of Body Project Fitness located in Central New Jersey. Her mission is to design effective fitness programs for the ambitious career woman to help get her to the top and look damn good while she’s at it!