Traveling For Your Health

I received an email from a fellow blogger, Mike Manning, who asked me if he could submit a posting to my blog. Mike is a fitness and nutritional enthusiast who realizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle which includes a regular exercise regimen along with a healthy diet. Mike explains below ways to maintain your work out routine and diet throughout your travels, whether on business or pleasure.

Traveling for Your Health
by Mike Manning

Whatever reason you have for traveling, if you do it often, you know well that it can cause stress. Irregular travel schedules, sleeping accommodations, and more can take a toll on your mental and physical health. You work hard keeping to a healthy routine at home. With a little thought and planning, you can minimize the stress of traveling and arrive home feeling as healthy as when you left.

A good trip begins before you leave home. If you have the option of selecting your own accommodations, do a little research before you book a hotel. Make sure that the location you choose offers fitness amenities that suit your lifestyle. On a recent trip to San Francisco, I was able to book a hotel with a 24 hour fitness center and I was extremely glad I did the due diligence to find this hotel.

Before my trip I used a travel review site that gave me a list of the best hotels in San Francisco. From here I was able to find the right amenities and price for me. Runners might want to check for nearby running tracks or neighborhood trails. If you enjoy water fitness, select accommodations that include a public pool and bring along any water weights or other equipment that you use regularly. Yoga enthusiasts will easily find hotels that offer in-room yoga videos or classes in their fitness center.

The night before you leave for your trip, do your best to get plenty of rest, also, make sure you are properly hydrated both before and during your trip. Regardless of your means of travel, take healthy snacks with you to avoid the pitfalls of empty calorie snacks at the stations or airports.

During long drives or flights, spend a few moments stretching in your seat. A few simple exercises will help you arrive refreshed and experience less stiffness, soreness and swelling. Some exercises you can do include ankle rotations, neck and shoulder rolls, an upper body stretch and knee lifts.

Once you arrive, take the time to get familiar with your surroundings. Locate the pool and fitness center. In your room, spend a moment to organize and unpack. Before running to meetings or sightseeing adventures, pause to stretch or move through a few yoga positions.

Throughout your stay remain active but be realistic. You probably will not be able to complete your regular routine every day in the same way you do at home. Play around in the hotel pool for extra exercise or consider walking to destinations rather than driving or taking public transportation.

At mealtimes, make healthy choices and do your best to avoid high-calorie options, but allow yourself to indulge in a local delicacy once or twice.

Always remember: Moderation is an important key to healthy living.

*To visit Mike Manning's blog go to www.mikemanningmusings.blogspot.com

*To leave a comment hit the comment button below or write to me at: glennartinc@yahoo.com

The following are links are to the references used above:

The San Francisco hotel: http://www.gogobot.com/san-francisco--hotels/

Exercises mentioned: http://www.activefirness.org/acefititemid=290

http://www.workoutsforyou.com