Guest blog - small fitness feats for frequent flyers

I was delighted when fellow blogger Mike got in touch with me.  Do you spend time away from home - business trips, long haul flights?  Here's his informative guest post which will help us healthy living types with some useful tips:

Even if you travel frequently, you know there are many things to do in preparation for any trip. Don’t forget to plan for fitness before you leave so you can successfully navigate through your journey without losing the momentum you built toward physical fitness at home. Being mindful of fitness, and taking a few steps toward maintaining a workout routine while traveling will help you minimize many of the health hazards experienced by frequent travelers. 

Every successful trip begins before you leave home. Take the time to prepare before you leave so you can take advantage of fitness and health options during your trip. On a recent trip to Maui I was able to book a hotel with a great gym all because I found a site that listed all the Maui hotels and I could scroll through and see which ones had the best gyms.

• If you book your own accommodations, find a hotel that offers fitness amenities to suit your lifestyle and preferences.
• Book travel and flights during daytime hours to help you maintain healthy sleeping rhythms.
• Pack comfortable workout clothes and athletic shoes.
• If you belong to a health club, find out if you can gain access to a local gym at your destination.
• Bring along a refillable water bottle no matter where you go.

In transit to your destination, be sure to get what exercise you can while in the plane, car or train. Doing simple leg lifts, ankle rolls, shoulder shrugs and other exercises will help eliminate cramping and other discomfort experienced by many travelers. Drinking plenty of water and avoiding sugary or caffeinated beverages will also help as you travel to your destination.

When you arrive at your hotel, take time to become oriented to your surroundings. Locate fitness facilities and other amenities. Before rushing to meetings or other activities, spend some time in your room doing a little basic yoga or simply stretching to remove travel kinks.

During your stay, be aware that you probably won’t be able to participate as fully in personal fitness as you do at home. Instead, take the opportunities that arise, and make the most of each one. Rise early, if possible, to take a morning run or swim. Take advantage of in-room fitness videos, if your hotel provides them, to do a quick workout during downtime. If your schedule is chock full, step aside during a brief afternoon break to do some crunches, pushups, lunges and jumping jacks in the restroom or other secluded spot. These little things will help you reap great benefits for your overall health and fitness.

Why not take a look at Mike's blog http://mikemanningmusings.blogspot.co.uk