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The Fitness and Health Report
Information for a Healthy Life
July 2001, Issue 24
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:
- Call the hotel before you leave to find out if it has an fitness center and
what its hours are.
- Get maps of the city you'll visit before you leave to find parks, recreation
areas, fitness trails, or even quiet neighborhoods close to where you'll
be staying. Seek the green places on the maps!
- Check newspapers or the Internet for the weather forecast where you're going
so you pack the right clothes.
- Plan sightseeing. Quick runs or walks can be the perfect adventure, and you
might discover something off-the-beaten path that you'll want to go back
and explore.
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.
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,
TotalFitnessNetwork.com
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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