A Sky-vival Kit

[trip style = any]

Flying two or three hours is no biggie. Between the water/pop service, one bathroom break and a magazine, you're almost there. Anything over six hours requires a sky-vival plan at 35,000ft. From head to toe, here's how to assemble to ultimate kit:

{See our full story Fodor's Travel including details on how each essential was selected and where to buy it.}

1. Dry Shampoo 2. Eye Drops 3. Sunglasses 4. Smudge-Free Eye Mask 5. Moisturizing Mist 6. Noise-Canceling Headphones {bonus: they double as ear plugs} 7. Collapsible Water Bottle 8. Portable Toothbrush 9. Scarf/Wrap/Blanket 10. Hand Cream 11. Sanitizer 12. Moisturizing Sox

Other Musts {not pictured above} - Pen for customs forms - Tide 'anti-stain' Pen for spot-cleaning that coffee spill - Gravol in case you encounter some bumps

[graphic by @tripstyler]

Healthy On The Road :: Hotel Hallway Exercises

[trip style = any]

{Editor's Note: This month I was talking with Leah, Trip Styler's Healthy On The Road'er about the many ways to stay fit while traveling, and inspired by bootcamp-style workouts using any space for exercise, we both agreed that beyond using the gym, pool or running outdoors, the hotel hallway is a great venue for a routine.}

Your hotel hallway: one more way to stay healthy on the road, one more reason to leave your excuses at home! At HOTR we've suggested how to stay fit without leaving your hotel room, now we challenge you to expand your territory---into the hallway! Crazy? Not really, read on...

How

• Circuit training can be challenging in a hotel room. In the hallway, you can more easily incorporate exercises such as lunges, squat pliés, moving jumping jacks, crab walks/bear crawls, leap frogs and of course the trusty band {just be sure to secure it on YOUR door handle!}
• Pick at least three exercises and perform each for 30 secs to 1 min {repeat 3 to 5 times}
• Brave this new frontier with a partner, and take turns leading a new exercise
• Incorporate the stairways into your circuit {e.g. power walk every level of your hotel and the flights of stairs in between (more challenge: go up the stairs by 2)---no elevator allowed!}

Reasons To Try The Hallway

• More space to move faster {the higher your heart rate…the better/more efficient your workout}
• Rarely filled with people
• Great for circuit training
• Opportunity to perform continuous reps

Beware of

• Making your neighbours feel lazy
• Raising unnecessary alarm when spotted lunging down the hallway
• Crab walking into the cleaning cart

So, if you can muster up the courage to take the step over the threshold, you may just discover a few more ways to stay HOTR.

{When she’s not training clients or being trained by her dog Zuzu, Leah writesHealthy on the Road, published the first Wednesday of every month.}

More Healthy On The Road Exercises For The Rhythms Of Life 5 Reasons To Go Summer Hiking Back At It Give The Pool A Chance – A Workout In The Water The 20-min Exercise Itinerary Healthy DIY Plane Snacks Hotel Room Exercises {You can do in your underwear}

[photo by @tripstyler]

Healthy On The Road :: Exercise For The Rhythms Of Life

[trip style = any]

{Editor’s Note: Enter for a chance to win Vancouver Art Gallery FUSE event tickets---think dance, DJs and world-class art… Matisse, people! Comment on any TripStyler.com post—and like us on Facebook if you’re not already a fan—FOR A CHANCE TO WIN two FUSE tickets for Friday, July 6th (8pm – 1am), a $50 value. Contest closes Wednesday, July 4th at noon. Winner must be from Canada or the US, be over 19 and respond to the email with winner details by Thursday, July 5th at noon.}

First things First: Happy Independence day to our American readers!!!

Exercise can serve many purposes: sustaining long-term health, meeting short-term energy needs or simply providing a great opportunity to socialize with friends. One of its greatest functions in my life is to help me find my bearings and hit the proverbial “reset button” on life. For this purpose, it is an uninterrupted and rhythmic, run, swim or cycle.

While the escape from routine is one of the best things about traveling, it can also disrupt the regular rhythms of the mind, body and spirit. It's in these rhythmical and repetitive activities where I often gain clarity of mind, find inspiration to try something new or solve a problem. It can be a time to plan, brainstorm or take a mental break from thinking! More importantly, exercise can anchor your body into the rhythms of your non-traveling life and help you get back into an exercise routine as soon as you return from a trip.

In 2009, my husband and I traveled to Thailand to adopt our son. Obviously, this was a trip like no other. As brand new parents operating outside our home turf, we experienced some serious sensory overload---needless to say, my workout escapes became essential!

Depending on where we were staying, I would escape to the gym, the pool or outside for a run---even just for 30 minutes a day---and return to my family with my battery recharged and my mind renewed. Lost baggage? Challenging flight with kids? Early morning wake-up call? ....BRING.IT.ON! When we’re operating on a full strength battery, we are that much better equipped to embrace the joys and challenges of travel {and life}!

{When she’s not training clients or being trained by her dog Zuzu, Leah writes Healthy on the Road, published the first Wednesday of every month.}

More Healthy On The Road 5 Reasons To Go Summer Hiking Back At It Give The Pool A Chance – A Workout In The Water The 20-min Exercise Itinerary Healthy DIY Plane Snacks Hotel Room Exercises {You can do in your underwear}

[photo by @tripstyler]

Healthy On The Road :: 5 Reasons To Go Summer Hiking

[trip style = active & adventure]

{Editor's Note: In case you didn't catch Monday's in-flight announcement, we're changing our flight schedule to Monday, Wednesday and Friday departures. Otherwise, feel free to peruse our newly-minted Tumblr Editor's Ledger.}

“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” - John Burroughs {The renowned American Naturalist}

Hiking is definitely one of my favorite summer workouts. Away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, you can breathe deeply and clear your mind, while burning some serious calories! And as an added bonus: paying attention to the changing terrain and natural beauty makes your workout fly by. Here are just some of the benefits of this incredible mind-body-soul activity:

1/ Hiking exercises almost every part of your body From head to toe, most muscles are getting a move-on, putting you into full-body workout mode. For additional upper body benefits, try using Nordic walking poles. I recommend the 3-section Adventure Series pole from Urban Poling. The unique handle design engages your core with every push-off. When collapsed, they fit easily into luggage.

2/ Joint-friendly Your hips, back and knees will thank you for doing this lower-impact activity. If you’re a runner, try incorporating a hike at least once a week for cross-training.

3/ Weight loss More muscles used means more calories burned. Cha-ching!

4/ Social Hike with pals, and refrain from pulling a Survivor Man going at it alone. I love hiking with my girlfriends, there's something about the great outdoors that gets great conversations going!

5/ Sightseeing Hiking is an excellent way to get up close and personal with your destination's true colors. Research ahead to match the best trails to your ability, or talk to your hotel's concierge or visitor center when you arrive.

Hiking safety tips

• Hike with a friend or let someone know where you are going {if you are away traveling, tell the hotel concierge}.
• Always head out prepared for changes in weather {if I’m not wearing layers, I make sure I have a long sleeve shirt in my pack}.
• Carry a day pack with water. Personally, I love my Gregory Daypack from Mountain Equipment Co-op. I always have it with me when I hit the trails, and its fold-flat size makes it easy to throw into my luggage.
• Bring some nourishment like a banana or a granola bar, as well as a small first aid kit and cell phone.

{When she’s not training clients or being trained by her dog Zuzu, Leah writes Healthy on the Road, published the first Wednesday of every month.}

More Healthy On the Road Back At It The AM Workout Four Travel Immune Boosters Give The Pool A Chance – A Workout In The Water The 20-min Exercise Itinerary Healthy DIY Plane Snacks Hotel Room Exercises {You can do in your underwear}

[photos taken while hiking in Scottsdale]

Healthy On The Road :: Back At It

[trip style = any]

{Editor’s Note: Enter to win a two-night Mother’s Day getaway in Whistler, BC!}

Have you ever returned home from vacation and just felt “off.” Whether traveling on a multi-week itinerary or extended trip style = weekend, lots of people tell me that it takes them a couple weeks to feel normal again. This can be a pretty unsettling feeling, after all, wasn’t restoration and refreshment the whole point of getting away? It’s almost like our chilled-out vacation self is having a stand-off with our 9-to-5 self.

Don’t despair! These two sides of you can work it out, by…working out!

Jump Into It All cheesiness aside, I really believe this is the ABSOLUTE solution: jump back into your workout routine {or get started on one} as soon as you possibly can when you return. Trip Styler’s editor-in-chief, Trish, is no stranger to challenging the post-trip fog; she feels that it’s mission critical to get back into her workout routine within one- to two- days of arriving home.

ASAP On that first workout back, go easy on yourself. Movement should be the goal, not your most intense workout of the year. And try to do something outside, there’s nothing like fresh air and natural light to bring your senses back in order. If you’re a runner, head out for a 20-minute jog. If you’re a walker, pick the most scenic route possible, listen to some great tunes, and maybe even pick up a not-too-sweet latte on the way!

Coaxing yourself back to your healthiest reality tout de suite will kick you out of the post-trip slump and motivate you to ramp it up in the days ahead.

{When she’s not training clients or being trained by her dog Zuzu, Leah writes Healthy on the Road, published the first Thursday of every month.}

More Healthy On the Road… The AM Workout Four Travel Immune Boosters Give The Pool A Chance – A Workout In The Water Make Any Trip Style Healthy The 20-min Exercise Itinerary Healthy DIY Plane Snacks Hotel Room Exercises {You can do in your underwear}

[photo by @tripstyler, taken on a post-trip morning run]