Exercising
on the Road
by Therese
Iknoian
Whether
you're a frequent business traveler or heading out on the family
vacation, don't think that travel has to be a devastating departure
from your fitness routine.
The key to taking
workouts on the road successfully is not letting the travel control
you and learning to be flexible. A little planning before you pack
your briefcase or picnic basket goes a long way toward avoiding
frustration and setbacks in your hard-earned fitness. And it can
be a fun way to sightsee or have fun with the family, too.
To return a happy
camper, remember three keys: cut back, plan ahead, and pack right.
Cut Back
Don't panic if
you can't get to the gym, hop onto your treadmill, or to a workout
as often as you do at home. Research shows you can reduce the frequency
and length of your workouts by one- to two-thirds if you maintain
the intensity. Repeat after me: Something is better than nothing.
That means every third day if you normally do every other, or 20
minutes if you normally do 30 minutes. But keep the intensity up
as high as you do at home.
Plan Ahead
Now that you're
breathing easier about how much you need to do, it's time to plan
how and when you're going to do it. You'll need not only a few minutes
with a calendar and your schedule for your trip, but also time for
a few telephone calls or Internet searches. Here are several sampler
tips:
Pack Right
Never assume
you won't be able to get in a workout. If the opportunity arises,
you'll kick yourself (that doesn't count as exercise) if you don't
have the right shoes or clothes with you.
Make sure you've
packed gear that'll do for indoors or outdoors, as well as the weather
you'll face.
Remember what
we said? This is your travel mantra: Something is always better
than nothing.
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For a more detailed
three-part article about staying fit on the road with more tips
and tricks, go to Therese Iknoian's web site, Total Fitness Network.com.
http://www.totalfitnessnetwork.com/Fitness/FittravI.html
Therese is a
well-traveled and, yes, still fit, internationally sought fitness
and health journalist and instructor whose most recent book is Mind-Body
Fitness For Dummies.
Tips
for Consistent Treadmill Use
This topic
has been covered in the past but we have expanded it and updated
it somewhat for this newsletter. We can rate and talk about treadmills
until we have exhausted the topic but the best treadmill is the
one that you will use.
With that in
mind, we have the Top 10 list for becoming consistent on your treadmill.
10) Buy
a good pair of walking or running shoes and only use them with your
treadmill, no gardening in them! The reason we recommend this is
twofold, a) if you have a good pair of shoes it will make your exercise
more comfortable and b) you will greatly reduce the amount of dust
and dirt that you introduce to the treadmill system helping the
treadmill last longer. One of our owners noticed this one-day when
he was using his treadmill several years ago. He used the shoes
he ran outside in and found that the bottoms of the shoes after
the run on the treadmill were spotless. After a close look around
the treadmill, all the junk on the bottom of the shoes was right
beside the tread belt ready to be caught underneath it, which would
eventually ruin the belt and deck. An extra pair of shoes will help
your treadmill a great deal.
9) Make
sure you put your treadmill in a comfortable place. If both of your
arms are hitting the walls and your head is wearing a pattern in
the ceiling, you will have a tough time feeling comfortable. You
need plenty of room in an area that is comfortable with lighting
and the proper temperature year round.
8) For
many people, it is important to have something else going on while
exercising. It should not be a distraction, but in many instances,
music or TV will provide enough entertainment to prevent boredom.
We always suggest that people new to the treadmill world try out
having at least music in one of their first workouts. It will hook
you and help keep you going. A tip here is to save Lawrence Welk
for another time.
7) Some
people use the scare tactic. We had one customer who put pictures
of fat, diseased people near their treadmill. Personally, I wouldn't
like looking at those pictures every day but it worked for them.
We have also had others put an exercise chart on the fridge or reminders
in places that they would find to help them remember their exercise
routine. Find what works for you.
6) Many
people find that if they exercise at the same time every day that
it becomes a habit and they are able to exercise consistently. A
number of personal trainers have told us that this is one of the
top keys to make sure that you exercise regularly so it might work
for you!
5) Choose
a treadmill with good features that you want to use. We just bought
a test model for a long-term test with the speed and incline adjustments
on the handlebars and it is one of the coolest features we have
seen in years. We saw it at trade shows before and it seemed like
a gimmick but after using it for a few days it is the best thing
since sliced bread. You may want to consider different programs,
displays, capabilities, etc. before setting upon a model.
4) Closely
akin to the last tip is the ability to have programmability. Not
just the programs that the treadmill companies put into the machines
but the ability for you to customize your own program. Most quality
machines now have this feature and it helps if you have a specific
program you like doing on a regular basis. If you have a personal
trainer you can also input a program they write on the treadmill's
memory to do as instructed. Also, many web sites now exist for the
purpose of providing you personal training assistance. Give them
a try if you are considering this route.
3) Take
it easy when you start. We have known a number of people who buy
a great treadmill, put it in the perfect location, have something
to do while on the treadmill, and then exercise like a demon the
first time. The soreness is so bad by the next morning they have
to crawl to the shower and permanently swear off treadmills. Start
gradually and build-up. Include your physician with the exercise
program and they will tell you the same. There is not a need for
pain in your training unless you are planning on competing in the
next Olympics.
2) Location.location.location!
If you don't see it, you will be less likely to use it. It is amazing
but with the thousands of service calls we have made, we find that
very few of the machines that have to be worked on are out of the
way in a corner of the house. Is the moral that treadmills last
longer out of the way? Absolutely not! The truth is that we don't
have to work on treadmills that are not used and if you put yours
in a visible place, you will feel guilty for not using it while
you are eating that extra piece of cake!
1) The
most important factor we have found in our own experience is the
feel of the treadmill. If the treadmill feels like a cheap piece
of junk, you will be less likely to use it. On the other hand, we
have found that the more solid and fluid a treadmill feels, the
more likely we have been to use it. One of our owners has been testing
a cheap treadmill long-term in his house recently and he has chosen
to go to his club instead to exercise on the better treadmills.
If it feels good, do it certainly applies to treadmill use!
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