Cardio Training

If you will be traveling during the holidays or regularly for work, you are at risk for weight gain. You can exercise and eat right when you travel but you may have to be a little creative.

Avoid weight gain while you travel during the busy holidays by packing more than just your clothes. You have to get your eating and exercise under control or your weight will quickly get out of control during November and December.

Here are 10 tips that keep frequent holiday travelers lean and mean:


1. If you are a frequent flyer or driver, you know the food traps found in airport or roadside restaurants. The food choices are usually high-calorie, high-carb and high-fat. And, you know how much money you can waste at these food establishments. Plan and pack your foods.

Try to stay with your meal plan as much as possible while traveling during the holidays. Haphazard eating or grazing will skyrocket your calories and pack pounds on your body. Eat plenty of high-protein and high-fiber foods to keep your blood sugar levels more steady and to stay fuller for longer.

The simple solution is to plan and pack nutritious foods like lean meats, salad greens, nuts, fruit, yogurt, yogurt smoothies, vegetables, etc. If you drink coffee, skip the high-calorie designer coffees.

2. If you eat at a restaurant, eat as healthy as possible. Skip the appetizers and breadsticks before your meal. Request that your foods not be fried, dipped in butter, etc. to keep the calories down. Many restaurants have menus online that you can research.

3. Walk 30 minutes every day. I recommend you do this whether traveling or not. Walking is probably one of the least used exercise tools to stay active and burn calories. If the area is not safe, go walk at a mall.

4. Exercise at your hotel room or gym. Take my Free 10-Minute Fat Burning Workout with you.

5. Many hotels have some type of obstacle course. Take advantage and exercise if the area is safe.

6. If you are a member at a health club, exercise there in the city you're located. Also, every health club has free passes or a small daily fee that will allow you to workout. If you are the person who has to workout at a health club, do your research before you leave town.

7. Travelers who stay fit don't count sitting in a steam room or sauna as a workout. Remember that sweating has nothing to do with losing fat or weight. Sweating just cools down your body. A caloric deficit (burning more calories than you consume) will cause you to lose weight.

8. Swim. Every hotel has a swimming pool. Use it to swim laps or walk/jog in water.

9. If you drink alcohol, drink moderately after your meal. Alcohol increases your appetite. Researchers from Denmark found that a group of men ate more when they were served beer or wine and they ate less when served a soft drink. I recommend you drink water or an unsweetened drink.

10. Drink plenty of water. This will help you limit sugary drinks that pack on pounds and belly fat. Your body is about two-thirds water. It will help you eat less and help your body function better.

Drink about half your weight in water every day. So, if you weigh 140 pounds, drink 70 ounces of water each day.

Foods with high water content count toward your water intake. For instance watermelon is about 90% water and lettuce has about 95% water. Some meats contain as much as 70% water. Again, pack your food before you leave.

Water also helps your body flex muscles, remove wastes, cushion joints, carry nutrients and oxygen to your cells and helps convert food into energy (although water doesn't provide energy).

You may be experiencing dehydration if you have dry lips/mouth, dizziness, headache, nausea or muscle cramps. When you exercise, drink about a cup of water every 15 minutes.

Download your FREE 10-Minute Fat Burning Workouts now and take them on the road with you. There are strength and cardio workouts in the e-book.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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