By Rick Parcell. Partner and Program Creator www.thebodycamp.com
WITH SUMMER coming up it’s easy to think of your vacation as an opportunity to slacken off on your fitness goals and indulge more than you should. But it doesn’t have to be that way! By following these simple rules you may discover that your summer holidays are the best chance you’ll have all year to improve your health and fitness.
- Set a goal to come home in better shape than when you left.
This is the key to it all: The next time you travel, a time when most people surrender to stress, fast food and busy schedules – set a goal to come back in better shape than when you left…
Naturally, you’re not going to make huge shifts in body composition over a short trip that lasts just days, but you might burn a pound or two of fat. You might look visibly better in the mirror when you get back. You might get stronger. You might break a personal record in the gym. Maybe you simply have a string of better-than-usual workouts, so you know you made progress.
- Have a plan and schedule your time tightly.
Biggest mistake ever: “I’ll just wing it when I get there.” No matter where you are, you must have a meal (food) plan and a training plan – in writing (not just in your head) – and schedule it into your calendar. You schedule every other meeting or appointment in your date book – and you have to make a travel itinerary anyway – so why not include appointments with the gym and the kitchen?
When you travel, or any time your usual environment or routine changes, make sure you create a new plan or modify your usual plan to accommodate for the changes:
- Book a hotel with a kitchen and go food shopping.
For me, this is the king of nutrition strategies on all extended trips: Book a hotel with a kitchen. I continue to be stunned at how many people complain about how hard it is to eat when traveling. But if you have a kitchen and go food shopping the day you check in, your meal planning and prep is NO DIFFERENT than it is when you’re home. If you’re on a particularly strict nutrition plan, such as a competition diet, I recommend picking up a portable food cooler and some Tupperware and then, provided that you have a kitchen, you can cook and pack anything and keep it fresh during the day. This is what most top bodybuilders and physique athletes do.
- Use snacks, portable foods and mini-meals and pack them with you on busy days.
If you’re traveling on business or with a very tight schedule, you’ll need to think ahead and plan for where you’re going to be and what you’re going to eat and when you’re going to eat it. Sometimes, a formal sit down meal is not possible or convenient, but you do have options.
Learn how to make a variety of portable meals, including several different types of “oatmeal pancakes,” tuna burgers and healthy sandwiches. Any one of those I can eat in a car, on a plane or even while sitting in a seminar room. Fruit and nuts are available almost everywhere, even in airports and if you pack protein shakes or meal replacements, eating on the go is EASY!
(Important note: don’t forget to cook before you leave for the airport and pack a meal and snacks in your carry-on bag. I’ve NEVER eaten airline food before – I always have my own.)
- Look out for local gyms and hotel fitness facilities in advance
You don’t have to skip a beat in your training when traveling – all it takes is some planning.
Where are you going to exercise when you arrive at your destination? Naturally, this depends on your personality and training style. I know quite a few people who are willing and able to workout anywhere – even in their hotel room – even with no equipment at all.
- Make every problem a non-recurring event
Even well laid plans can have a wrench thrown in the works due to unexpected events, ranging from flight delays to seminars or meetings running late. Don’t beat yourself up – it’s not your fault if that happens… once. If it happens twice… then you can look in the mirror at who is to blame for the recurring problem.
