4 on-the-go summer travel fitness tips
1. BURN CALORIES JUST GETTING THERE
The surprising fact is that you start racking up calories burned even before you arrive to your destination. Yes, the hour it takes to pack (or unpack) your bags burns up about 118 calories. Then just the act of traveling (lugging your bags through a busy airport, negotiating the signs in a foreign train station) can burn an average of 117 calories per hour. You can even burn calories while waiting around at the airport! Here's how:
There is always some extra time spent doing nothing in your hotel room. Instead of nothing, do some exercises! No, you don't need to go to the gym or even put on appropriate attire. There are exercises you can do in your hotel room… even while watching TV!
The surprising fact is that you start racking up calories burned even before you arrive to your destination. Yes, the hour it takes to pack (or unpack) your bags burns up about 118 calories. Then just the act of traveling (lugging your bags through a busy airport, negotiating the signs in a foreign train station) can burn an average of 117 calories per hour. You can even burn calories while waiting around at the airport! Here's how:
- Carry-On Bag Curls. Do curls with your carry-on or purse to tone your biceps, shoulders, back, even your core. It can be a total upper-body toning session. Don't worry if you tire yourself out, you're about to be sedentary on an airplane seat for the next several hours. May as well make the most of your freedom of movement now!
- Terminal Lunges. You may look a bit nutty lunging around the terminal, but honestly, who cares? It's not like you are ever going to see these people again. With generally an hour to kill, why sit around and twiddle your thumbs when you could be getting a good leg and butt workout?
- Calf Raises. Feel the need to be a little more discrete? I get it. Calf raises are a great way to tone your legs without being too obvious. It's perfect for those long boarding lines. You don't have anything else to do, so why not work out?
- Wall Sit. No available seats? Great! Instead of sitting on the disgustingly dirty floor, pretend to take a seat with a wall sit. Push your back up against the wall, step your feet about 2-feet from the wall (the length of your quad muscles), then bend your knees so that your hamstrings are parallel to the ground (as if you're sitting on a chair). Hold this position for as long as you can- which will likely be only about 60 seconds.
There is always some extra time spent doing nothing in your hotel room. Instead of nothing, do some exercises! No, you don't need to go to the gym or even put on appropriate attire. There are exercises you can do in your hotel room… even while watching TV!