That's Fit

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.

When my body isn't moving so much, my mind goes to a bit of a blue place. I'm not quite there, but I feel myself getting close. Ironically, this week my body has traveled thousands of miles and I've seen my favorite blue place in the world -- the Pacific Ocean.

As most of us know, traveling usually means our health suffers a bit due to lack of exercise, increased stress and the subsequent effect on our mental state of both. I travel from my home in the mid-Atlantic to my native California at least twice a year. I am writing from my mother's home in the Los Angeles area right now. Before heading home a week from tomorrow, we will have traveled by air and navigated airports for more than 12 hours and spent almost 20 hours in cars in order to visit family and friends on opposite ends of the state. So much movement, so little exercise.

Thankfully, visiting the loved ones we live so far away from keeps my mind a bit happier during these sedentary vacation days. And I do try to adhere to some of the common tips for maintaining good health and fitness while traveling, such as making good food choices and drinking lots of water. I also follow certain prevention guidelines.

When I get home, I'll run through the neighborhood, hop on my bike or swim laps at the rec center in an effort to kick those endorphins back into high gear and then some. I'll certainly have to in order to heal the little bit of homesickness and heartsickness that's sure to crop up after leaving so many loved ones behind.

Vacation means getting away from it all, but you don't want to stray too far from your fitness goals.

Summer is the biggest "exercising yo yo" time of the year for me because the nice weather makes it more appealing to exercise outside on a regular basis, but vacations and fattening weekend getaways make for frequent interruptions. It's been a goal of mine recently to master the idea of keeping up some kind of fitness effort when I'm on the road, so naturally this article about easy ways to keep active while traveling caught my eye. And although the tips are all pretty basic, that's okay. The idea of staying active while traveling is also pretty basic. We just need to actually do this stuff! Pick out the ideas that work for you and then make a point to do them, and pull your family in to the effort too, so you're not in it by yourself.

A good percentage of today's career opportunities involve at least some traveling, and whether it's required or voluntary, fun or a drag, close to home or across the world, if it involves overnight stays and hotel rooms, it's most likely going to have an impact on your exercise schedule. And that impact, for most business travelers, is a bad one. How many of the hotels that you've stayed in have had nice workout facilities with enough equipment, and enough of the right equipment for you to keep your home routine going seamlessly? For me, just being in a different place with a different atmosphere is enough to make jumping on the treadmill for my usual routine hard.

I know a lot of people who say that they catch some kind of bug every time they fly. There's no doubt that sharing cabin air and sitting in close proximity to a passenger with a contagious illness ups your risk of getting sick yourself.

What's a person to do when they fall ill before a flight? The right thing to do is to stay put to protect your own health as well as the health of others, but getting out of your ticket can be especially tricky.

Travel columnist Elliot Christopher has four tips for travelers who find themselves suddenly and seriously ill before a flight, tips that might just help you skip your flight without losing hundreds of dollars in fees or non-refundable tickets. It's not always an easy battle to win, but it might not be as hard as you think.

At any given moment, there are 2 million passengers on board commercial flights high above the earth. That's what this article claims, but the amazing thing is that one company is responsible for taking calls from flight attendants if a passenger feels ill. While it gives me a little comfort to know medical events can be called in to professionals, the CNN articles reveals that you should think twice before going airborne if you aren't in tip-top shape to begin with.

The reason being is because flight attendants are not medically trained. If you get sick or ill, the pilot (not a doctor) must weight various factors before deciding if he can divert the plane off-course. This can leave a person feeling very icky thousands of feet in the air.

Consider this: if you just got a cast for a broken bone, there's a chance your arm could slightly swell due to altitude changes which could cause discomfort. The bottom line is simple. If you're not feeling well, don't fly. These are not airborne hospitals with trained professionals, and planes don't always divert for sick passengers. It's easy to understand why this is a hot-button issue, but experts agree that staying grounded is the best choice for unwell fliers.

An important part of being successful in your working life is to take advantage of vacation time benefits to refresh and revive your mind, body, and spirit. But obviously getting sick on vacation and spending the majority of the time not relaxing but recovering and suffering instead does nothing for you but waste your money and your time and send you back to work feeling more exhausted than when you left.

Taking some simple steps towards staying healthy can be the difference between coming back from vacation feeling relaxed and refreshed and ready to hit the ground running or coming back tired, drained, and barely able to get motivated. Whether you're going on a cruise through the Caribbean or on a drive across the country Forbes has compiled some tips to help you stay healthy and make the most of your time away from your desk, your career, and all the other stresses of your everyday life.

We may be over the hump, but the holidays aren't over yet! Are you headed somewhere to celebrate the New Year? I'm hopping on a plane, which means just when I want to look my cutest for the party I'll be smack in the middle of eating out all the time and having no time or place for my usual exercise routine. I may not be able to do exactly what I normally would at home, but many exercises travel just fine. Some that can be done almost anywhere with little or no equipment:

Here at That's Fit, we're constantly telling you what we think about things, but sometimes it's nice to know what you think. So from time to time, we'll ask you a question. Don't be afraid to speak up -- we love feedback.

The holidays are a time for families, but if you live in another city from your family, you might end up being one of the hundreds of thousands of people traveling this week. Not only is this the biggest week for travel, it's also the most expensive one.

If you're travelling this season, be sure to practice safe travel habits. Be sure to stretch your legs, and bring along some healthy snacks too. And as always, drink lots of water.

I usually stay in my hometown for Christmas but for the first time in over 15 years, I'm heading west to see some out-of-town relatives. What about you?

I'm a traveller -- always have been and probably always will be. But one of my biggest complaints about leaving my hometown is the disruption to my routines -- particularly my fitness routine. I am, after all, a creature of habit, and the pounds can add up fast when I'm taking a week or two off my exercise routine. I have to find a way to keep it up while I travel. True, there are gyms in other cities, but I hate paying to use a gym somewhere else. Plus I feel odd, not knowing where anything is. So what's the other option? Taking my workout with me.

If you have a fit traveller on your Christmas list, here are a few gift ideas for them:

• Resistance bands. These are inexpensive, light and very versatile.
  
• A pedometer. Walking is something you can do anywhere in the world. Monitor just how many steps you've taken with this handy tool.
• Aquabells. These are weights you fill with water, and collapse when you're travelling.
  
• A travel alarm clock. Travellers can set their alarm early so they can go for a run before starting their day.
  
• Travel trainers. Reebok makes a collapsible running shoe that you can easily stow away in your suitcase.

Traveling on your own is, in my opinion, one of the best experiences of a lifetime. You can go where you want, see what you want, gain confidence, make new friends and more. However, anytime you are visiting a place that is foreign to you, it's important to take a few safety precautions especially if you're traveling solo.

I've visited a few places without a companion and one of the biggest things I've learned is to always do your best to blend in and not look like a tourist. Nothing says, "I'm not from here, please come and relieve me of my wallet" better than a fanny pack and USA (or in my case, Canada) Rules T-shirt. This, and 9 other helpful safety hints are listed here.

Some of the other hints include keeping a phone and a small amount of cash on you at all times in case you need to make a quick escape from a shady situation, making copies of all important documents -- especially your passport --and keep them separate from the originals (it's not a bad idea to leave copies with someone you trust at home as well) as this will make it easier to replace items that are lost or stolen and always make sure that someone knows your basic itinerary in case you fail to show up somewhere -- at least they'll have an idea of where to look for you.

To see the rest of the tips, visit this page. Do any of you seasoned solo travelers out there have any more advice?

It seems like every season is a big traveling season -- in spring and summer it's the great weather and vacations, and in fall and winter it's the holidays and family get-togethers. But for now you're probably dealing with summer vacations, and maybe some holidays at the lake mixed in there too, so it's as good a time as ever to brush up on your healthy travel skills. I came across this post over at Gadling of the top 25 stay healthy traveling tips and it has some pretty good advice! With tips on everything from how to plan your trip, to bringing your workouts with you, and even getting home in as rested a state as possible, it's got it all covered!

If you enjoy being physically active chances are you've had at least a passing fantasy or two of doing something more exciting for exercise than whatever it is you normally do everyday, like the treadmill or the swimming pool. Ever pictured yourself hiking through the mountains or navigating a river in a kayak or canoe? How about horseback riding, backpacking, or even dog sledding? Whatever you dream of in regards to outdoor adventuring it may be closer to a reality than you think -- regular women like you and me are having fantastic outdoor adventures everyday through a place called Adventures in Good Company.

You can choose from pre-planned trips, or customize one of your own, and they'll feed you and house you and show you a good time. What are you waiting for?

Although summertime is friendlier for outdoor sports and physical activity for many people than winter is, it's also full of hot lazy days, fattening BBQ meals, and vacations. All too often people start off in the spring with big plans to lose weight and get in shape, only to let themselves get derailed by mid-summer holiday plans. The great thing about summer holidays, though, is that they lend themselves fairly easily to fitness if you're willing to make the effort. The "trailer trash workout" (named by the trainer who created it) was designed to be easy, quick, and nearly equipment-free -- all great qualities in a summer travel exercise routine.