A virtual wellness program offered by the National Institute for Fitness and Sport and provided to you through your employer.

Travel Fitness on the GO!

Do you find it difficult to exercise while traveling?  Just because you are away from home does not mean you have to put your exercise program on hold.  There are many creative ways to maintain your exercise program while traveling.  Below are a few tips to help you stay on track while you travel:

Travel Tips:

• Schedule a workout into your itinerary.

• Call ahead to book a hotel that has a fitness center or pool.

• If the hotel does not have a fitness center, ask if it has a relationship with a local fitness facility.

• Take a walk through the airport if you have a flight delay or layover.

• Pack an exercise video and/or jump rope.

• Explore the area you are visiting on foot.

• Utilize fitness activities for business entertainment.

• Find an exercise buddy.

• Keep track of your fitness regimen while traveling.

• If you are driving, stop every two hours to stretch and take a short walk.

• Cross train: bike, ski, canoe, or hike.

• Bring along rubber tubing designed for resistance exercises.

• Rent a bike for site-seeing and local travel.

Exercise in Your Hotel Room

If the hotel does not have an exercise facility, you can exercise within the confines of your room!  Listed below are several exercises that can be performed in your hotel room.

Body Lunge - Take a large lunging step forward with your right foot so that your right knee is directly over your ankle.  Your right thigh should be parallel to the floor.  Hold the lunge position for two seconds, then drive yourself back to standing position using your right leg.  Repeat with your left foot.  Make sure your upper body remains upright.

Side Leg Raises - Position your body on all fours.  While maintaining a 90-degree bend at the hip, raise the right leg to the side until you feel mild tension.  Hold the position for 3-5 seconds, and then slowly lower right leg back to the starting position.  Maintain a flat back.  Perform the exercises on one leg at a time.

Tricep Dips - Position your body on the edge of a sturdy chair or bench and grasp the seat with your hands close to your body.  Fully extend both legs with feet still on the floor.  Slowly lower your body toward the ground until you achieve a 90-degree bend in the elbows.  If this is difficult, try bending your knees.  Using your arm strength, push your body up until your arms return to near full extension.

Donkeys - Position your body on all fours.  Tuck your right knee up toward your chest and slowly extend the bent leg straight back until you feel mild tension.  Do not arch your back as you extend your leg.  Slowly lower right leg back to the starting position.  Perform the exercise on one leg at a time.

Leg Lifts - Lie on the right side of your body.  Support your upper body by leaning on your right elbow.  Extend legs and cross the left leg over the front of the right thigh with left foot flat on the ground.  Lift the right leg no higher than 90 degrees until you feel mild tension in your inner thigh.  Slowly lower the right leg to the starting position.  Perform the exercise on one leg at a time.

Calf Raises - While holding on to a rail or other device for balance, stand on the balls of your feet on the edge of a stair/step or other sturdy surface and keep feet about shoulder width apart.  Using both feet, lower your heels until you feel mild tension in your calves.  By contracting your calves, lift your body in an upward motion as high as you can.

Training Tips

• Do all exercise 8-15 times.

• Include push-ups and crunches in your workout.

• Maintain good posture throughout the movement.

• Exhale on the exertion of the lifting phase of the motion.  Inhale during the return phase.

• Complete all exercises in a slow, controlled manner.

• Intensity should be moderate, but challenging.

• Check out www.hotelfitnessclub.com to see if your hotel has an exercise facility!

If you would like your very own exercise routine, for home, gym, or away, contact Health YOUniversity to have a program developed for YOU!

View Animated Exercise Pictures using many different pieces of equipment!