Healthy On The Road :: Toned In Transit

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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.

Oh, the places you’ll go; oh, the places you’ll move!

Movement: “the act or process of changing place or position or posture.” {via Merriam-Webster}

Change of place is a no-brainer when traveling from A to B. Unfortunately, a lot of that change is accomplished while you sit or stand still in a car, cab, plane, train or tuk tuk. Consider how many hours it takes to get from home to hotel on a short-haul from Vancouver to LA---let alone a long-haul from North America to Asia! Not all time meandering needs to be mindless. Use transit time to tone!

Maybe you already seize these opportunities to do some squats on the spot or wind sprints in concourse A without a care in the world what your fellow travelers think of you {if this is you, I salute you}. However, if you prefer flying below the radar {pun intended}, I've found a great app that will help you sneak in some moves enroute.

Isometrics {for iThings; free} is dedicated to low-impact exercises that can be done anywhere. Tell the app what area you want to work on or where you are and it'll send some moves your way. Every exercise comes with a description, how-to photo---more real-world than something you'd see in Shape Mag---and a timer to track reps. Described as “an entire gym, fitness plan and personal trainer in the palm of your hand”, I'd say it packs a 2013 punch. *Android-ers, check out: Office Exercise

More Healthy On The Road Every Day Is A New Day Eat In Technicolor The 15 Minute 54321 Workout {you can do anywhere!} Keeping Fit In Hotel Hallways 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 :: Every Day Is A New Day

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Word of the day: Moderation

Whether it's the holiday season {aka now} or you're on holiday, the temptation to indulge for a week, 10 days or a month of cookies, chocolates, cheese and cocktails is ever-present. Calorie overload!

If I haven't been diligent in my plan to eat everything in moderation for the first two days of party season or a getaway, sometimes I seem to give up and INTO these naughty Cs. I feel so deep into a caloric catastrophe it's like there's no point in "flying back to the land of wellness." So I stay and wallow in candy highs and lows. Calories win, I lose.

Yet, we always have a choice to leave the sugar shack. A-l-w-a-y-s. Just because you gave into temptation for a few days, doesn't mean there's no way out. Think of it as a blip on life's screen.

Every day is a new day. Don't wait until New Year's to get back on the healthy horse. SO WHAT if your diet consisted of candy cane ice cream, Cracker Jacks and Champagne cocktails for three days straight!

The holidays don't have to be a nutritional bust. Focus on healthy eating 85% of the week, and let yourself have a few treats in the remaining 15%, and while at parties get up close and personal with veggie plates, soda with lime and mandarin oranges.

{Leah normally pens HOTR---published the first Wednesday of every month---but this week I subbed in to write this health-focused holiday helper.}

More Healthy On The Road Eat In Technicolor The 15 Minute 54321 Workout {you can do anywhere!} Keeping Fit In Hotel Hallways The 20-min Exercise Itinerary Healthy DIY Plane Snacks Hotel Room Exercises {You can do in your underwear}

[photo by @tripstyler, shot in Vancouver and Arizona]

Healthy On The Road :: Eat Color!

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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.

“Eat your fruits and vegetables” is something we heard a lot as kids, and for good reason, it's a tried and true recommendation for a healthy diet. In fact, there are many who believe it is THE most important ingredient of a healthy lifestyle. Albert Einstein once said "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."

Since childhood, I’m pretty confident most of us have evolved to actually enjoy a variety of fruit and veggies, but the reality still remains, most of us don’t eat enough---especially when on the road! When we travel we tend to gravitate towards the more convenient and “safe” options: granola bars, bread, cheese, bread, cookies and bread. I really like bread.

So, how much color is enough? Most people should aim for at least nine servings (4½ cups) of vegetables and fruits a day. If you're not reaching this amount, boost your intake: strive to “color” every meal and snack. My personal rule is to try and cover at least ½ of my plate with veggies and/or fruit.

Trip Styler editor Trish’s rule for ensuring she stays healthy on the road is to make sure she avoids beige and eats a kaleidoscope of color! This is a great rule to keep in mind all the time (both for food and fashion!), whether you’re traveling or not. She also shared with me another super practical strategy she uses when she feels a beige meal/splurge is unavoidable (or welcomed!): focus on coloring two of your daily meals (e.g. a breakfast full of fruit, or a lunch full of veggies) leaving the third meal 'free.'

If I can impart one HORT takeaway this month, it's to think in rainbow hues at meal time. And remember: a colorful diet will give you the energy boost and nutritional basics you need to have an extra-fabulous trip!

More Healthy On The Road Go Pedometer :: Track Your Travel Steps The 15 Minute 54321 Workout {you can do anywhere!} Keeping Fit In Hotel Hallways Exercises For The Rhythms Of Life 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, shot at Granville Market in Vancouver]

Healthy On The Road :: Go Pedometer

[trip style = any] 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.

At Healthy on the Road we often hail the benefits of walking---easily the most ancient and travel-friendly form of exercise you will ever find.

To the doubters who believe walking shouldn't be considered a valid form of exercise for anyone under the age of 65,  I challenge you to consider the words of my favourite talk show host, Ellen Degeneres: “Let your haters be your motivators" and prove the doubters wrong.

The Walking Secret If the benefits of a daily fitness walk could be packaged in a pill, it would be one of the most popular prescriptions in the world. In order to reap the rewards associated with aerobic exercise, we must walker farther, or faster, or both! Ideally, you should aim to get at least 30 minutes of continuous brisk “late for a flight-speed" walking in per day, aiming to accumulate 10,000 steps.

How To Clock 10,000 Steps In addition to your brisk fitness walk which can take place ANYWHERE, seize any opportunity where there's an option to walk instead of drive {aka avoid the airport's moving sidewalk}.

iPhone Saves The Day I used to pedal high praise for the pedometer, a nifty, pager-style gadget often clipped to a pant pocket or waistband. I now accept that I lost many of you at “pager-style gadget!” Not only does this device look a little more out of place than it would have in the '90s, but for many of us, it’s just one MORE thing to remember as we head out the door. iPhones saves the day; to the developer pedometer app, I thank you.

The Go Pedometer This nifty 99 cent app allows you to track your steps even while the phone is in your pocket, as well as tell you the number of calories you’re burning per hour, plus your average speed, current speed and distance traveled. Simply press the start button, put your iPhone in your pocket and off you go!

More Healthy On The Road The 15 Minute 54321 Workout {you can do anywhere!} Keeping Fit In Hotel Hallways Exercises For The Rhythms Of Life 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}

Healthy On The Road :: 54321

[trip style = any]

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.

At HOTR, we often rave about the beauty of a travel-friendly circuit routine. The sky's the limit in terms of what this can involve, but since nobody wants to travel with 10 pound weights in their suitcase, most travelers seem to prefer heart-pumping, equipment-free varieties. After all, your body weight is an extremely effective strength training tool.

The internet is full of travel workout ideas, but let’s be honest, the options can be overwhelming, akin to shopping in a mega mall {no thanks}. Thanks to the wonders of Pinterest {follow tripstyler here}, we've come across a short and sweet, high-impact routine lasting ONLY 15 minutes {above}, which be done in your hotel gym, or the privacy of your room.

We give the 5-4-3-2-1 Workout a muscle-toning Healthy On The Road thumbs-up! Find the printable version via fitfabcities website here.

More Healthy On The Road Keeping Fit In Hotel Hallways Exercises For The Rhythms Of Life 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 fitfabcities.com]