Staying fit is hard enough. Staying fit on the road, where routines are
dashed, temptation lurks on every restaurant menu, evenings run long and work
starts early the next morning--well, that's another story.
I used to come back from nearly every business trip a few pounds heavier,
bloated by turndown-service truffles, five-course, three-hour meals at trendy
restaurants and pain au chocolat at conference coffee breaks. But I'm sure I
puffed up not just because I ate so much rich food, but because I wasn't making
the time to work out. Now, I've figured out a way to eat out at every meal and
still stay stable.
Only count calories at one meal a day. For me, that's breakfast.
Unless your typical breakfast consists of bacon and eggs with a Krispy Kreme
chaser, eat what you eat at home. Even on early-morning flights and at most
hotels I can find cereal and skim milk, a container of nonfat yogurt, coffee and
a piece of fruit. If I start off the morning right, that discipline often lasts
longer than if I have a massive breakfast, which for some reason makes me hungry
all day.
Don't go to a fabulous restaurant when you’re famished. Lunch and
dinner are trickier to manage than breakfast, especially if the meals are at
great restaurants. One tried-and-true trick: I eat a piece of fruit or a handful
of sunflower seeds before my meal or have a Virgin Mary for a cocktail to curb
my appetite. Then I order whatever I want.
Don’t finish everything on the plate. This is where the pre-meal
healthy snack will help out. I’ll butter my bread, but will only take a few
bites. I'll order a steak and only eat one-third of it.
Always find time to work off at least 300 calories a day. No matter
how tired I am, no matter how seductive the siren songs of the
destination--theater, museum, shopping--I always plan time for at least one
workout per day. An hour or 90 minutes is ideal, but I'll settle for a half hour
if my schedule is really pinched.
My workouts vary, depending on the weather, whether my hotel has a health
club, the time of day, my schedule and my mood. Sometimes I work out in my room.
Sometimes I scout out a gym outside the hotel. Sometimes I find a volleyball
game or arrange a round of golf. If I'm really stressed, I'll swim laps or take
a yoga class.
Whenever I have a choice of where to stay, I pick a hotel with a workout
room. My idea of the utmost in luxury is a hotel that deposits your favorite
piece of workout equipment in your room. If you belong to a health club at home,
check to see if it has reciprocal privileges at gyms in other cities. When all
else fails, there's always the YMCA.
What do I do if there's no gym, or if I can't spare an hour there plus the
time it takes to cool off, shower and dress?
- Take a power walk. Ask the concierge for route suggestions, and always
carry a map and cab fare in case you get lost or too tired to get back.
- If the weather's crummy, or if I have a real time crunch, I work out in
my room before my morning shower. If I'm reduced to doing calisthenics, I
use hotel-room props: crunches, elevating my legs on the bed; wall pushups;
chair dips; and even jumping jacks, though I detest them. You can even make
your own improvised free weights by using two one-liter water bottles--one
weighs roughly 2 pounds when full--and using them as dumbbells.
Besides making me feel better, these out-of-town workouts also help me break
out of my fitness routine at home. I usually toil on the recumbent bicycle and
an elliptical trainer called Body Trek--both of which are rare at hotel gyms--so
I take on-the-road workouts as an opportunity to cross train.
Besides the joy of being able to fit in my clothes and eat out without having
to order everything broiled dry, sticking to the exercise plan has other
important benefits. It makes me feel better, it helps me sleep more soundly in
unfamiliar settings and it also keeps me sharp.