Almost 4,000 women and men set off at 6:30am on Saturday morning to walk 39 miles throughout NYC in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

Our path took us through many areas of Manhattan: Harlem, the Upper West Side, Columbus Circle, Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, Flatiron and Meatpacking Districts, Soho, Chinatown, Alphabet City, Stuyvesant Town and so many more. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge into Brooklyn and came back across the Manhattan Bridge where the walk continued up to Randall’s Island. The path was 26.2 miles long on day 1; 13.1 miles on day 2 for a total of 39.3 miles.

The path was not blocked off for us walkers, so we joined the thousands of New Yorkers out on the streets on a beautiful fall weekend. We passed carts of every food type on city corners; saw hundreds of dogs running through city parks and leashed on the sidewalks; and crossed countless streets dodging many yellow taxi cabs. We saw markets and stores from dirty little holes in the wall to the ultra-luxury; bums sleeping on park benches to the uber-rich in their expensive cars. From sunrise to sunset we walked and walked and walked.

What a wonderful (though exhausting!) way to see a city. How many locals of NYC can say that they’ve seen all of these neighborhoods on foot?

This is my third such on-foot experience in a major city. I’ve walked through Washington DC, San Francisco and now New York City. Once you’ve walked this many miles through a city, you feel a very special kinship with it.

The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is held in 9 cities each year. If you’d like to experience a city in a way that few people do, join me next year and be a part of the Smart Women Travelers team! It’s a life-changing experience!

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com. Watch for my new book, Business Travel Success – How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and Travel with Confidence, being published by Morgan James in 2011.

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

Many of us travel on a regular basis, but don’t consider what actions we might take towards a healthier return home. There are many other ideas out there, but these tips make it easy, and sometimes even fun, to stay healthy on your next trip:

1. Change your Mindset

By creating a mindset of making healthy choices, you will begin to feel like a winner. You will not only feel better about yourself but you will want to continue making healthy choices. While traveling, choose to eat at least one healthy meal each day, and when eating your other meals, do not let yourself feel guilty about your choices. Instead, enjoy every morsel. Sarah allowed her self to enjoy what she was eating during her conference, but knew that she would also need to be active during her trip. Her plan made her feel like she was in control and winning. As a result, Sarah felt great while she was traveling and actually enjoyed the healthy choices, realizing how delicious healthy food tastes!

2. Be Prepared

When you feel hungry, being prepared will give you the option to decide what you really want, instead of going straight to the junk food because you don’t have a choice. Be sure to always have some healthy snacks with you while traveling and in meetings. Sarah had plenty of almonds, an apple and protein bars in her bag so that she could always have a healthy snack within her reach. It is easy to be prepared if you consciously decide to do so before you leave town.

3. Drink Plenty of Water

It is true that at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water a day are necessary for a healthy body to function; in fact, it is best to have one half ounce of water for each pound you weigh. For example, a person who weighs 150 pounds actually needs 75 ounces of water each day. Sometimes meetings provide bottled water, but if that is not your situation, buy a small case of water or bring along a container to fill as you walk out the door each day. This way you are staying hydrated and not drinking sodas.

4. Sleep

Try not to over schedule your days. If your business trip takes you into a different time zone, try to plan your flight so that you have a little extra time to adjust. Retire early some nights so that you can refresh your body. Sleeping in a hotel may be challenging for some people, so take a break from the TV; you will sleep better and feel more rested if the TV stays off. There are several great ways to induce sleep if noise or different surroundings prevent you from a good night’s rest: stop all caffeine by late afternoon, limit alcohol consumption, use earplugs or create quiet noise in your hotel room with mobile phone apps or a portable sound machine.

5. Make Good Restaurant Choices

There are many simple, healthy choices you can make while eating in restaurants anywhere in the world. Grilled or baked foods are always healthier than fried. Choosing to eat a green salad each day will help you feel better. Request sauces on the side, so you can decide if it tastes good and how much you want. Making healthy choices can be fun: by choosing a glass of wine instead of a margarita you are making a healthier choice. It can be challenging to make healthy choices while traveling, so intend to make some good choices each day, and intend to splurge as well. Never feel guilty about any of your choices. If it is not as good as you hoped or expected, choose not to finish it. If your meal is better than you expected, enjoy it!

Business trips can be challenging. With a little planning for healthier choices, you can support your health and return home feeling great instead of sluggish or exhausted. You will be grateful for your healthier decisions and feel radiantly healthy from the inside out.

About the Author

Adele Good is a speaker, author, wellness coach and founder of The Skinny on The Skinny, a company specializing in personal health improvements and empowerment. With over 20 years of training and speaking experience, Adele helps groups and individuals maximize their inner strengths and potential. She has personally and naturally released over 130 pounds, without surgery, drugs or dieting using the concept of being Radiantly Healthy from the inside out. Adele has maintained this significant weight loss for over 3 years, in spite of traveling over 100 days each year. When you feel Radiantly Healthy, you actually feel a healthy glow; knowing every part of you, can be healthy, if you believe it. Writing from this knowledge, Adele is the author of The Skinny Diary – Your Guide to Radiant Health. To find out more about her speaking and coaching, please visit www.TheSkinnyOnTheSkinny.com, email her at Adele@TheSkinnyOnTheSkinny.com or call 214-526-7770.

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

Eating healthy and Travel – Do they go together?  They sure can! Take a look at these easy to pack foods that give you healthy options for snacking in-flight, morning breakfast and hunger attacks.

And if you think a ultra-heavy suitcase is needed to pack all of this, think again!  Take a peek into my actual packed luggage here.

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

• Not feeling safe using the hotel’s fitness center, especially late in the evening after a very long business day or late flight arrival;
• Not being comfortable with the machines or weights. Every treadmill, elliptical and weight machine is a bit different and knowing how to each machine can be daunting.
• Not feeling ‘fit’ enough – which seems crazy since that’s the reason TO use the fitness center. But women who feel overweight or out of shape aren’t always eager to be working out in a hotel fitness center.
• Lack of access to the machines you want. Prime working out times (6am to 8am, 6pm t 8pm) can keep you from getting a treadmill or other equipment that you’d like to use.
• Didn’t pack work-out clothes. Sometimes there just isn’t room for the sneakers or fitness clothes in your luggage (a very handy-dandy excuse on why you can’t work out!).
• Bad hair morning. There are just some times we don’t want to be seen in public after rolling out of bed with hair spiking in every direction.
• You just don’t want to be with people! After being in meetings all day, you just want a quiet workout away from the crowds.

Business traveler Joanne Dennison says “it is so frustrating to not be able to use the fitness centers for lots of different reasons!”

So what’s the solution to feel safe, be comfortable and be able to work out no matter what (even on a bad hair day)? In-room fitness options, of course!

Hotels are taking away our excuses on why we don’t work out. Lots of options exist now to get a workout in right in the comfort and safety of our own hotel room.

According to American Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2010 Lodging Survey of over 8,500 properties, 21% of luxury hotels have in-room exercise equipment, as do 17% of upscale hotels, 15% of midprice, 7% of economy and 4% of budget properties.

• Omni Hotels Resorts offer Get Fit Kits and Get Fit Rooms. At each of its properties, Omni guests can request a complimentary Get Fit Kit that contains two 2-pound dumb-bells, a floor mat, stretch cords, a mini AM/FM headset and a bottle of water. The Get Fit Room, which guests can request for a nominal fee, features a treadmill and a Get Fit Kit.
• Kimpton Hotels offer complimentary tote bags filled with mats, blocks, straps, and exercise bands to use for in-room yoga and Pilates practice. Kimpton was the first hotel company to offer a 24-hour yoga channel and use of yoga props to its guests back in 2003. Since then, they’ve expanded the On Demand fitness programming to include Pilates, core strength training, and most recently, a “Travel Healthy” in-room workout video featuring health and nutrition expert Joy Bauer.

  

  (Photo by Karna Kurata)

  Kimpton, with its 50 hotels attracting approximately 47% female travelers, knows that most women need more than a treadmill to stay grounded and motivated when on the road.

  SHAPE UP YOUR STAY (available at Kimpton’s 70 park avenue hotel in NYC). Just in time for bikini season, Kimpton’s 70 park avenue hotel is offering a health-inspired “Jump Start Your Day” package, which includes:

  * 20% off the Best Available Rate
  * Complimentary in-room yoga basket
  * Jump rope hung on door
  * Healthy Power Bar and bottled water
  * Personalized running route mapped by the concierge

• Hilton Garden Inn’s Stay Fit Kit is available at no cost to every guest. The Stay Fit Kit includes:
  Pilates Band
  Yoga Mat, strap and bricks
  8 lb. ab ball
  3 lb. hand weights
  Resistance rope
  In addition, in-room fitness programming is available on guest room televisions, which exercise programs providing a bit of encouragement and instruction to working out. The kit also comes with instruction cards detailing exercises for each piece of equipment to get you started. (I recently used the Stay Fit Kit at the Hilton Garden Inn in Aberdeen, Scotland and I really liked the variety – though I didn’t think to check the television for fitness programming.)
• The Westin New York at Times Square offers a total of 15 WestinWORKOUT rooms for guests. These rooms feature all that is needed to keep up fitness routines while on the road. There is a choice of either a Reebok Tomahawk XL Indoor Cycle or a Life Fitness Treadmill. The rooms also include a fitness shelf that holds Reebok Pilates/Yoga and Spinning DVDs, dumbbells, resistance tubing, a stability ball, yoga mat and additional Reebok workout equipment.

  The Westin New York at Times Square is going a step further and offering guests a $100 NEW BALANCE gift card. After test-driving shoes and apparel via the gear lending program, travelers can apply the credit towards a purchase of their own at a later date.
  
  (I recently toured a WestinWORKOUT room in Dublin, Ireland. I loved the room . . . just found it very difficult to find which properties offer these great rooms. Shhh, It’s a Secret! WestinFitness Rooms)

• Affinia Hotels, boutique hotels with seven locations in New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C., helps travelers stay in shape with complimentary Experience Kits including:Walking Tour Kit: iPod Shuffle or Nano loaded with Affinia Walking Tour and workout playlists, City Walks deck of cards, city guidebook featuring popular walking tours, StreetWise city map, pedometer; and towelStay Fit Kit: Yoga mat, stretching blocks, yoga, pilates, and boot camp DVDs, workout bands, wrist/ankle weights, and StreetWise city map
• Dana Hotel in downtown Chicago offers a kinesis machine in select suites, which is newer technology that is only available in select hotels throughout the country.
• Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort provides detailed maps of running and walking trails, as well as GPS watches, if guests prefer to work out in the magnificent outdoor setting of Southwest Florida.
• The Hotel at The Los Angeles Athletic Club in Los Angeles offers an elliptical stair machine in select rooms as well as in room fitness programs.
• Island Resort & Casino in Harris, Michigan (in the state’s Upper Peninsula) offers an in-room treadmill in its Presidential Suite.

And very unexpectedly, though fitting for this article, the JW Marriott in Houston upgraded me to a room with a treadmill this week. I can see it out of the corner of my eye while I’m writing this. The JW has an amazing fitness center, which I use in the morning. Though after sitting for a few hours at my hotel desk writing, it’s time I get on the treadmill to reach my goal of 10,000 steps for each day. And I can do that without caring what my hair looks like or that my makeup is washed off for the night . . . then fall into bed within seconds!

I love in-room fitness equipment. And I know other travelers do too.

So if you’d like to work out in your hotel room, let us know in the comments below. And if you’re a hotel not listed above and offer such amenities, let us know also.

And I’m now jumping on my in-room treadmill!

Do you ever come back from your travels with a few extra pounds? While some of the extra weight might be due to excess calories and insufficient movement, chances are more than half is due to fluid retention. Curbing your sodium intake can help, but it’s often difficult to do so during travel since most meals contain more sodium than one should be taking in for the entire day.

Let’s start with the facts – we consume way more than we need. The estimated average intake for all Americans ages two years and older is about 3400mg a day. Yet, the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that we consume no more than 2300mg in order to reduce our risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Americans older than 51, African Americans, and those with diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease should drop their sodium intake to under 1500mg. The World Health Organization recommendation is similar – no more than five grams of salt (or under 2000mg sodium).

How much sodium is the recommended 2300mg? It’s about as much sodium as is in a level teaspoon of table salt. Don’t think you could possibly eat that much? Think again. Most of the sodium we consume doesn’t come from our use of the salt shaker. At least 75% is found in processed and prepared food. And, most restaurants add more sodium to their dishes than you would add at home.

Consider these Sodium Shockers:

• Olive Garden Garden Fresh salad – just one serving = 1930mg
• Arby’s medium Homestyle Fries = 1360mg
• Wendy’s Sweet & Spicy Asian Boneless Wings = 2490mg
• Quizno’s Baja Chicken Signature Sub, regular size = 2090mg
• Steak ‘N Shake Chili Deluxe, bowl = 2560mg
• KFC – 1 biscuit = 530mg
• Subway 6″ Turkey Sub w/American cheese and light mayo = 1220mg
• Applebee’s Sizzling Skillet Fajitas (chicken, steak, or shrimp) = 6040-6800mg
• Burger King BK Veggie Burger = 1030mg
• Chili’s Brownie Sundae = 930mg
• Chipotle fully loaded Burrito with Carnitas = 2410mg
• McDonald’s Premium Southwest Salad w/grilled chicken and 1 pkg Newman’s Own Low Fat salad dressing = 1690mg
• Red Lobster Grilled Lobster, Shrimp & Scallops = 3220mg
• Panera’s bowl Low-Fat Vegetarian Black Bean soup = 1590mg
• Taco Bell Grilled Chicken Stuft Burrito = 1980mg

Here are some tips on how to reduce your sodium intake during your travels:

1. Don’t trust your taste buds. Foods that have the salt mixed in don’t taste nearly as salty as when salt is sprinkled on top.
2. Look up the nutritional information. Most large chain restaurants now offer information at their websites. Keep in mind that sodium is listed “per serving” and you just might be eating more than one serving!
3. Stop shaking. Break the automatic habit of salting your food before you taste it – or better yet, stop salting the food completely. Just about every meal in every restaurant has more sodium than you need for the entire day.
4. Ask for your food to be prepared without salt. Since much of restaurant food is delivered to the restaurant pre-prepared, you may not be able to cut the salt as much as you could at home, but it’s a start.
5. Carry a low sodium blend with you. Look in the spice aisle of your grocery store. Dash and McCormick offers good tasting low-sodium blends. Many are garlic and/or pepper based.
6. Eat more simply. Butters, sauces, dressings, and dips often are very high in both calories – and sodium! Just two level tablespoons of ketchup contains over 340mg sodium. And, avoid the breading added to proteins – plain grilled chicken is lower in sodium than chicken nuggets.
7. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. As soon as you get to your destination, hit a grocery store to stock up on fresh apples, bananas, mini carrots and other low sodium (and low calorie) options.
8. Eat less. Since sodium is often a variable of calories, the less you eat, the less sodium you’ll probably take in. Maybe now’s the time to lose those extra few pounds.

Joanne Lichten, PhD, RD (a.k.a. Dr. Jo) is a PhD nutritionist and professional speaker. She’s the author of several books including “How to Stay Healthy & Fit on the Road” and the upcoming “Eat Out Healthy.” For more information, go to www.DrJo.com.

I’m the last one to talk, as I’m writing this at 11pm on a Wednesday night from my hotel room desk. So maybe this article is more for me than for you!

Many women I talk with are workaholics when it comes to out of town trips. They start off on the right track by getting back to their hotel rooms at a normal time, but then it all goes downhill. Dinner with colleagues that goes on forever, room service brought in while a must-attend conference call takes place, a quick dinner in the restaurant then back to your room to finish up tomorrow’s presentation.

Follow these typical events up with a couple of hours online catching up with emails and a quick call home, and you find the clock approaching midnight.

Finally fall into bed, right after setting the alarm for a 6am wake-up call (if you’re lucky to sleep in that late) and start all over again.

You justify it. “Well, if I do the work while I’m away, I can enjoy my time at home” or “I’ll just do a little work while listening to tv.” Trouble is, the work never seems to end! And one tv show goes to another and you never noticed!

Here are some ideas to help balance out the work with time for you:

• Ask the hotel for a shut-down call. They’ll think you’re crazy, but ask them to call you at the time you want to stop working, say 8pm. This is just the opposite of a wake-up call.
• If you do have a conference call where it’s more listen-only, throw on some comfortable clothes and do yoga while listening to the call. At least you’ll be relaxing and getting a workout in while you double-duty with your call.
• Get on Skype video and have a long talk with a family member or friend, maybe someone you haven’t talked with in a while.
• Learn to set firmer boundaries around your time. Say no to an evening interview. Say no to dinner with colleagues that occur every evening. Say no to email. (I love the email tips in The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss.)
• Set a calendar appointment for relaxation time. We adhere to everything else on our calendar, so commit this time to you! Bring along scented bath beads and enjoy a long soak in the tub. Play your favorite music and totally unwind.

It’s truly amazing how a couple of hours (hopefully more!) of true downtime can get you recharged for the next day.

I find that when I don’t shut down, the workdays just run together and I’m exhausted by the time I get home. Whereas when I have some ‘me’ time at night I feel grounded, balanced and much happier.

So I’m off to heed my own advice. A soothing facial is coming up!

p.s. Here are my tips on creating your own facial in your hotel room (and more!), see Healthy Facial and Body Care Away From Home.

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

Many women are reluctant to travel once they become pregnant, uncertain about the risks it imposes on their growing fetus.  Most physicians and midwives agree that moderate travel during a healthy pregnancy is acceptable, however, it is important for pregnant women to understand safe travel techniques to maintain the highest level of health and comfort while away from home.

Elizabeth Stein, a leading women’s health expert and Certified Nurse Midwife, heads up the NYC practice Ask Your Midwife, PC.  Here she lends advice on this important subject of travel tips for pregnant women. After delivering thousands of babies over a twenty-five year career, her wisdom is often called upon in public talks as well as private consultations with her clients.

TOP TIPS FOR TRAVEL DURING PREGNANCY:

1. Keep your insurance card and important phone numbers with you at all times. If you go into labor or your water breaks while out of town, call your midwife or physician immediately so that they can direct you to the appropriate hospital. Your medical records can be faxed, but a midwife or physician unfamiliar to you will be responsible for your care.

2. If you are considering plane travel, discuss your plans with your midwife or physician ahead of time to determine if it is a safe choice. Check with your airline to see if they require a letter of medical or obstetrical clearance if you are close to your due date.  Once inside the plane walk up and down the aisle every 45 minutes to an hour. Eat, drink and use the restroom continuously. Most airlines, as well as midwives and physicians, strongly discourage flying after 35 weeks of pregnancy, when the mother is full term.

3. When traveling by car, keep your seat belt on at all times. The proper way to wear a seat belt during pregnancy is lap belt under the abdomen; the shoulder strap should be worn coming down between the breasts, securely fastened on the side. Stop the car every hour or so to walk and get the blood flowing in your legs, as well eat, drink and use the restroom.

4. Wear support stockings (also known as compression stockings) especially during travel. Sitting for a long period of time can put pregnant women at risk of blood clot formation. Support stockings can greatly reduce this risk.

5. It is ideal to be near your midwife or physician, and the hospital you plan to deliver at throughout your entire pregnancy. If a woman goes into preterm labor (between 24-34 weeks), the baby’s health will depend on the available technology and a qualified neonatal staff.  After 35 weeks, which is clinically full term, you are better off staying home–eating, drinking, resting and keeping track of your baby’s movements–rather than traveling.

About Elizabeth Stein

Elizabeth Stein, CNM, MSN, MPH, is a well known midwife. Through her practice, Ask Your Midwife, PC, Elizabeth works closely with her patients to educate, encourage, and empower them to make choices that enhance their overall health, pregnancy experience and strengthens their family. She combines current medical knowledge and modern technology with the caring inherent in midwifery.

Elizabeth Stein practices obstetrics and gynecology in New York City. She offers full scope care which includes prenatal care, labor and delivery, postpartum care, breastfeeding support, annual GYN exam, breast exam, Pap smear, HPV testing, HPV vaccination (Gardasil), family planning, STD screening and treatment, infertility treatment, perimenopausal and postmenopausal care.

Stein completed her midwifery education at Columbia University in New York City and holds Master’s Degrees in Nursing and Public Health. Elizabeth Stein has been certified by the American College of Nurse Midwives since 1985 and is licensed in New York State. She has extensive experience with high-risk pregnancies as well as normal obstetrics and gynecology.

As a leading expert and practitioner of modern midwifery, Elizabeth Stein regularly comments on topics including women’s health, pregnancy, family planning, as well as public policy issues impacting the midwifery community.

To learn more about Elizabeth Stein and Ask Your Midwife, please visit AskYourMidwife.com.

Whether it’s New Year’s Resolution time or not, working out is one of the top challenges of frequent travelers – how to find time (and energy) for fitness when you’re so busy traveling. You may have a great fitness regime when you’re at home, and lose momentum when traveling. Or you may be so exhausted with all the travel and long hours that all the exercise you get is running through airport terminals.

I’ve been challenged with the plight of long hours, low energy and a plethora of excuses myself. So to help you, as well as help myself, here are a dozen ways to get exercise in while on the road:

• Call ahead and ask if your hotel has a good gym (not just one rickety treadmill and stationery bicycle in a tiny room next to the front desk). Hotel gyms really are improving and some are downright spectacular. But if your hotel is lacking in this area, ask them about nearby fitness clubs that offer single passes to out of town visitors. I did this when in a hotel for several visits in Bismarck, North Dakota and had the extra benefit of meeting a few of the locals.
• Research online or ask your hotel for places that offer you classes that you like. In Houston, I found a Pilates studio and signed up for classes for the duration of my stay.
  
• Research local running or walking routes. A great resource for this is www.mapmyrun.com. Check with your hotel to ensure that the selected running route is in a safe area. Walking and running are great ways to explore the city and there may be local running clubs that offer ideas for different routes.
  
• Take advantage of your home gym membership when you’re away. Many gym chains participate in what’s called a passport program that allows you to work out at hundreds of clubs at no cost or for a nominal fee. Before leaving home, go to www.healthclubs.com to find fitness clubs within a short distance of your destination. Then request a passport from your home gym.
  
• If you have a long layover in an airport, go to www.airportgyms.com to see if there’s an in-house spa or fitness center in the terminal or just a short taxi ride away. This would definitely help relieve the stress of a delayed flight!
• Ask your hotel if they have exercise equipment that can be brought to your room. I’ve gotten yoga mats and several types of exercise equipment. As I write this article, I’m at the JW Marriott in Houston and was lucky to be given a room that has a treadmill in it! All I need to do is roll out of bed in the morning, walk a few steps and I’m moving! Oh, to have this room every week!



• Bring exercise equipment with you. My resistance bands travel everywhere with me. There are virtually endless ways to use them to give you a full body workout. The bands come in a variety of colors which indicate their level of resistance. They’re really great when the hotel’s workout room is non-existent, or you arrive late at night and need a few good stretches before bed. And I love that they add very little weight or bulk to a suitcase.
• Find an exercise buddy and hold each other to your commitments. My girlfriend Tamara and I were staying in the same hotel for several visits so we signed up for a personal trainer at a fitness club – at 5am! Commitments to a buddy, to a trainer or anyone else who’s counting on you will help you accomplish your exercise goals, and have fun doing so.
• Search on YouTube for exercises you can do in your hotel room. ExerciseTV has quite a few.
• Ask your hotel to recommend a personal trainer who will come to your hotel room.
• Download podcasts or exercise shows to your mobile phone. They’re a bit harder to watch just due to the size, but it’s just one more way to add variety into your workout.
• Try TOWELmoves. Obviously your hotel room has towels, so put them to use in helping you get fit. I met Cheryl Westerman, the creator of TOWELmoves on a plane flying out of Orlando after she had just spoken at an event and had workout sessions with TOWELmoves. She travels all over the place so she knows the struggles of keeping fit on the road. It’s amazing, and so simple, to implement all the moves she’s created with a towel!

This list contains lots of ideas and lots of variety. Keep changing up the exercises to keep it fun. Download new upbeat tunes to your computer, mobile phone or mp3 player. I listen to podcasts when I’m working out, but only with speakers with strong motivating voices. Listening to Tony Robbins gets me really moving and I work out with much more vigor than a boring blah blah blah voice.

As you’re planning for your trip, include your exercise schedule in your plan. By incorporating time into your itinerary you’ll be much likely to actually do it when you arrive.

Change your feelings towards exercise from “I know I need to do this, but I really don’t want to” to seeing your workout as “me” time that revives you. Instead of dreading exercise, focus on how good you’ll feel after you’re done! And keep thoughts of work far, far away. Use this time as a wonderful break from the go-go-go that we’re so used to.

Have fun with these exercise ideas. Please share your favorite travel workout tips in the comments below.

I’m now going to enjoy the treadmill in my hotel room …

There are many things I’ll do while I am out of town rather than wait for my return home: see a doctor if I am feeling ill, get my nails done or book time with a fitness coach. But there is one thing I never do while on that road, and that’s to let someone other than Elaine cut my hair!

Elaine and I meet about every five or six weeks, depending on my travel schedule. She’s very accommodating with the precious few days I have at home each month. When I’m desperate and must, must, must have my hair cut before getting on a plane again, she’ll meet me early on a Saturday morning, late on a Sunday afternoon or at any other time that fits my schedule. For this alone, she has my loyalty! She even works around my Bluetooth headset when I need to be on a conference call while I’m sitting in her chair.

There are other traveling women, however, who enjoy the fun of having a new hair designer in a new city. It can be fun to try a hip new salon, especially in a big city like New York or L.A.

Many consultants who travel to the same city week after week actually have a stylist in their temporary town. They set up repeat appointments for as long as their assignment lasts. This saves them the time of getting their hair done when they’re only at home a few days a week. That can actually be very smart to save time when at home.

There are stylist search sites online. I wrote about Wahanda in Bad Hair Day and You’re Out of Town? Another site is SearchHairStylist.com. You can also engage the help of a hotel concierge to request a hair stylist near your hotel or business.

If you do use the services of an out of town stylist, you may not want to let them know you’re from out of town until after they’re done with your hair! There may be some less than professional stylists out there who will skimp on the quality if they know they’ll never see you again. If you do mention you’re not local, at least say that you’ll be in town multiple times over the next several months and will be in need of a great stylist.

And if you’re ever in need of a great hair style when in Orlando, let me know and I’ll connect you with Elaine!