travel-related stories
Getting Fit for Adventure Travel
Photo: mckaysavage, Flickr
Got an adventure trip on the calendar? Maybe you're kayaking the Sea of Cortez, hiking Machu Picchu or climbing Mount Rainier. Granted, you might already be in shape, but taking an adventure trip is akin to doing a marathon: You've got to fine tune your body for the demands of that particular excursion. But how?
You've got a few options. You could wing it, of course, and keep up your regular fitness program (you do have one, right?). You could hire a personal trainer. Or you could a customized fitness plan from Fit for Trips.
Fit for Trips was created by an adventure traveler and personal trainer, Marcus Shapiro, to help people get fit for adventure travels. Shapiro and his team of expert trainers (and they do have great qualifications, by the way) partner with adventure tour operators to create fitness programs for specific itineraries. They also design customized fitness programs for individuals and offer support via e-mail or phone.
To Exercise on Vacation, or Not?
That's the question everyone is a-Twitter about these days. Here's what these Twits had to say:




Read any good Tweets? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!
Bike Riding on Vacation Just Got Easier
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| Take in the sights on your bike! Photo: madnzany on Flickr |
However, if you're going to one of 157 cities in the U.S. or Canada, there's a simple solution -- RentaBikeNow.com. You simply go online, select your destination, reserve the bike of your choice (mountain, cruiser or road bike, height, etc.), pick it up on the proper day, and ride!
Prices and availability vary depending on location. For example, in Tampa, Florida, you can rent a bike for an hour ($10), four hours ($30-$40), a full day ($60-$65) or for a whole week ($150-$230). In San Francisco the prices are a bit lower, but there are fewer bikes available, and your only choices are to pay by the hour or by the day.
The next time you travel, maybe you should worry less about what kind of gym your hotel has, and focus more on finding the nearest bike rental shop!
Ward Off Vacation Weight Gain
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| Photo: cmpalmer/Flickr |
- Pass on the drinks. Frozen drinks taste great when you're lounging by a hotel pool, but those alcoholic treats can really add up. Just check the calories in a margarita. Rather than pile on liquid calories, opt for ice water -- it's refreshing and calorie-free. Ask for a twist of lemon or lime to add some flavor.
- Pack fitness in your bag. Bring a yoga mat, jump rope, resistance bands or water-fillable weights with you when traveling. Also, if you're staying in a hotel, call ahead to see if there's a gym for guest use. Don't pass up the hotel pool either -- if you find a time when the pool isn't filled with families, you can get some laps in.
- Eat in. While most restaurants have healthy choices available, you'll save dollars and calories if you eat some of your meals in. Think ahead and bring foods that can be prepared with what you'll have available. There are even plenty of options for healthy camping recipes.
- Order wisely. When eating out, scour the menu for lighter options. And don't forget to ask for healthy substitutes.
- Plan active activities. There's something simply lovely about relaxing and reading a book while lounging on the beach. But, make sure you plan activities that get you moving as well.
Summer vacations are an escape from your day-to-day life. And there's no reason you can't enjoy some special treats while traveling. But, with a little forethought, you can avoid adding unwanted pounds while you're away.
Hamburger History Tour
Want to go a whirlwind tour with stops in eight countries and three continents? You'll see plenty of history on this trip, but it might not be the kind you'd imagine. Dreamed up by Burger King, this trip will explore the history of the hamburger.
That's right. A whole trip centered around the burger. With stops in varied locations like Spain, Russia and Germany, the locations are certainly a traveler's dream. But the beloved hamburger certainly isn't a dream for your hips and thighs.
Ground-meat patties trace back to the days of Ghengis Khan, but there's some debate about when the patty met the bun. Many claim to be the inventors of the burger, and rather than debate who's hamburger hopped to first, let's cast a nutritional eye on the burgers we know:
Travel Active - Staying Fit While On the Go
Spring break, Memorial Day weekend and summer vacation season are all fast approaching. Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, it's important to keep active when you're on the road. Staying active while traveling not only wards off unwanted road-warrior weight gain, it can help manage the stress you might feel from the change in your routine, it will keep you energized so you can see all the sights (or attend all the business meetings ... blech), it will help you get a good night's sleep and it may even help keep your digestive tract regular while it's managing all those away-from-home meals.
Luckily, staying fit while on the go isn't as difficult as it might seem. Some tips:
- Choose your hotel wisely. Call around and pick a hotel that has adequate fitness facilities. A pool and a well-equipped fitness room will make your workouts convenient and easy.
- Walk it out. Pack some comfortable clothes and a pair of walking shoes. If the area outside the door of your hotel isn't ideal for walking, just ask the front desk staff for suggestions. They may have great ideas for interesting neighborhoods, parks or rail trails just waiting for you to explore. You can also use "Prevention's" walking tools to map out a route ahead of time.
- Pack some portable fitness. There are lots of fitness tools you can pack that don't take up too much room in your suitcase. Try a jump rope, resistance bands, yoga pose flash cards, AquaBells® or sliding discs.
- Be a day tripper. If your hotel doesn't have a fitness center, call around to area gyms and see if they have a day pass. And many national chain gyms (such as Gold's Gym and Bally's) let members work out at any of their fitness facilities.
- Choose active outings. Look for active attractions while you're on the road. Fitz has some great ideas for fit vacations.
What are your tips for staying fit while traveling?
Sick of Winter? Plan a Fit Vacation Now!
Fit Kicks Videos, Diet & Weight Loss
In case this video compels you to book a fit vacation, I thought I'd include these links for my favorite healthy vacation spots!
Terminal Tips - The Healthiest Airports in America
Traveling this holiday season? You'll probably be spending some time in the airport, battling long lines, grumpy fellow passengers, unhealthy food options and -- worst of all -- icky airport bathrooms. Shudder. Health.com recently rated the airports in America and came up with a list of the healthiest airports in the nation, based on things like healthy food options, cleanliness and convenient services that help take the stress out of travel. Here are the top five picks:
- Phoenix Sky Harbour International
- Baltimore/Washington International
- Chicago O'Hare International
- Detroit Metropolitan
- Denver International
Check out the rest of the list here -- how does your city's airport stack up?

Fly healthfully with these 6 exercises
If you frequently travel by plane, you're putting your body at greater risk of a silent killer. Those long periods of inactivity -- legs scrunched up behind the seat in front of you and your arms held tightly to your body because the person next to you is stubbornly refusing to give up even a quarter inch of the arm rest -- aren't exactly healthful for your body. Frequent fliers run the risk of a condition called Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). In fact, the condition has two travel-related nicknames: Traveler's Thrombosis and Economy-Class Syndrome. DVT is a condition where a blood pools and forms a clot in the calf, thigh, or less commonly in the arm. If you travel a lot or are planning a long flight, keep these DVT prevention tips in mind:
- Get up and move. Don't need a bathroom break? Visit the loo anyway and march in place for a few minutes. Even a quick stroll up and down the aisle will do.
- Ankle circles. Rotate your feet at the ankle both clockwise and counter-clockwise.
Too skinny for gastric bypass? Get it abroad
Diet & Weight Loss, Celebs & Entertainment
Let's be honest: Most of us are unhappy about our weight, and Gastric Bypass surgery seems like the perfect quick-but-painful fix for all our weight woes. But such an extreme medical procedure is usually reserved for those who are clinically obese and/or suffering health problems because of their weight -- not for people who simply want to rock their skinny jeans again.
That's why many people are traveling to other countries to have the surgery, an article out of the UK reports. These so-called 'Gastric Bandits' want to get the surgery but are told by their doctor they're not fat enough for it, so they shell out for surgery in another country.
Obviously, this kind of procedure is not without its share of controversy -- would you defy your doctor and head to another country for major weight loss surgery? Myself, I'm firm believer that good old diet and exercise is the way to go but hey -- that's just me.
Slide into fitness, celebrity style
I once traveled a lot for work, and it isn't easy to stay fit while on the road. Some may think it's as simple as hitting the hotel's fitness center. But when you're traveling to small towns like I did (including one with a welcome sign that read: "Population: Just Plain Good Folks"), you're lucky to have a hotel equipped with an ice machine, much less a fitness center. If you travel frequently, portable exercise gear can be a real fitness saver. Resistance bands work great and jump ropes are also handy (though the person in the room below yours might not agree). A more unique product you might want to try is the Valslide, compact slide boards designed by trainer Valerie Waters.
The boards slide easily on carpet and help you do moves like lunges, mountain climbers, and push-up flies. All of the movements utilize two or more muscle groups, so it's an efficient sculpting tool -- just ask these six celebrities.
Fit Beauty Giveaway: AloSun Travel & Trial Collection

I am so excited to tell you about something new for Fit Beauty -- every other week or so, Fit Beauty will be hosting a giveaway. I have beauty, hair, and skincare products for you, gym totes, and other assorted goodies to help you look and feel your best!
I'm starting things off with a bang -- this week, our giveaway will have five lucky winners! We have five AloSun Travel and Trial Collections, each with five different products. Each pack is different, including five of the following products:
- Skin Buff Face & Body Polish
- Moisture-Lock Organic Body Oil
- Body Bare Penetrating Emollient
- Clarifying Hair & Body Shampoo
- Hydrating Hair Mask
- Lemon Lights
- Sea Salt Tress Texturizer
- Swimsuit Saver Shampoo
- After Sun Restorative Creme-Gel
I know, a lot of these products are geared more toward summer, but these are the perfect size to take traveling (all under 3 oz.), and you know you're going to want to take a trip somewhere sunny in just a couple of months, right? Or, save them for the first days of summer to give yourself a real treat!
- To enter, leave a confirmed comment below saying why you deserve to be pampered.
- The comment must be left before 5pm ET on Wednesday, October 1, 2008
- You may enter only once.
- One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
- One winner will receive one AloSun Travel & Trial Collection (valued at $15).
- Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia who are 18 or older.
Winners are notified by email, so make sure to check next week to find out if you're the winner!
Stress Less: Weigh your luggage
If you travel by airplane at all for a trip that lasts more than a carry-on's worth of clothes, you know the worry. Will my suitcase weigh more than 50 pounds and I'll have to pay extra? Airline luggage allowances are a pittance these days. The airlines giveth -- blankets, pillows, peanuts, room for luggage -- and the airlines taketh away. Unless you pay, of course.First, let me say that I realize that, to the inexperienced, 50 pounds may sound like a ridiculous weight for a suitcase. How could anyone pack that much stuff for a trip? Let me tell you, it adds up quick. And now that more of us have to add those heavy toiletry bags to the check-in mix to avoid the potential of having our shampoo tossed out at the security checkpoint, it's worse. And, if you've got a kid to pack stuff for in your luggage, well, it's a challenge to keep that weight under control.
There's really no way to take all the stress out of air travel, but we've found an easier way to determine if we've put on too many travel pounds without struggling to see the scale over the suitcase we're holding.We've been using this handy suitcase scale for our past several trips to via Southwest Airlines to California to see our families. So worth the $10 I spent. There's also a digital version of the same thing. Or, if you're in the market for a new suitcase, some have built-in scales. Pretty cool.
Flying is a headache
Have you flown the friendly skies recently? For many people, flying is a headache... quite literally. An Israeli study of 906 people found that 6% report getting headaches when they travel by airplane. Based on that statistic and a few flight numbers/occupancy assumptions, researchers estimate that this translates into more than 100 million flight-induced headaches per year.
There are several things that could trigger a headache during air travel -- stress, pressure changes, poor air quality, and engine noise. (Not to mention noisy passengers!) To help manage air travel-related headaches, be sure to drink plenty of water (as dehydration can contribute to headaches), get up and walk around during long flights, bring books or music or anything else that will help you reduce stress, pack ear plugs if noise bothers you, and bring some over-the-counter pain relievers.
Stress Less: Traveling with kids
Until the car seat is in its rightful place, lugging it around can be an awfully annoying chore. A handy carrying case with wheels has been our salvation during the past three years of nearly thrice yearly trips back and forth from the East to West coast to maintain family relationships outside of Facebook. There are many variations on the concept.
But of course there's something better now. Just like getting a new cell phone right before the newest, coolest one comes out, baby gear seems to get better just a little too late to be able to take advantage. Parents can now use one piece of equipment that does double duty as a stroller and a car seat. It tows car seat size kids around just like a suitcase on wheels in this very cool contraption. Just when I was feeling a little bit good about how much easier our airport lives had become, turns out we're way behind the times. I'm going to drown my sorrows in the pool now.




























