I know there are many of you out there who have been in the same position I find myself frequently. You have just had 3 great weeks of creating a routine in your workout program and are feeling and seeing results, and now you have to leave town for a week long conference. This leaves you feeling like you have interrupted your flow, and are a little frustrated with feeling like you will have lost a step when you return. What should you do? How can you keep the momentum going?
In my career I have had the opportunity to travel frequently for work, and have worked with many clients who spend much of their time on the road. Some clients are traveling as much as 12-15 days a month. We often have the conversation about the hurdles they face in trying to maintain consistency in their workout programs while traveling. Long days are spent in meetings or at trade shows, followed by dinner with colleagues or clients that fill your day until bedtime and then you start over again. Does any of this sound familiar?
So the most frequently asked questions are, “What can I do that is going to be effective?” and “How can my workout program be managed in my busy schedule while on the road?” Well, there are always solutions. One solution is to make you a priority and schedule your workouts into your travel itinerary. You may not have the hour that you’re used to at home, but if you can manage 20-30 minutes, you’ll find yourself feeling good about maintaining your consistency.
Try bringing some resistance tubing with you on your trip and workout in your room. It fits easily into a suitcase and can offer a lot of variety to your workout program. Instead of doing a series of sets with rest, try doing a circuit. This will allow you to manage your workout time and maintain your volume. You can try body weight exercises such as pushups, abdominal bridges, prisoner squats and lunges. With your tubing you can do a series of movements such as shoulder press, bicep curl, row and cable twist. Do 8-10 exercises and run through the series twice at about 30-60 seconds per exercise, moving from one directly into the next with little to no rest between your sets. Don’t forget to do a warm up and cool down with some flexibility exercises and stretches before and after as well. Alternate these resistance workouts with your cardio workout days and you should have a plan that will allow you to complete a quality workout in 30 minutes or less. I have found that even the busiest of traveling business men and women are able to manage a 30 minute workout program while away from home.
Just because you are going to be traveling, it doesn’t mean you have to lose your consistency. Make it a priority to schedule your workouts, and execute them. You might even find yourself more alert and effective in those afternoon meetings.