Sneaking In a Vacation Workout
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French women may not get fat — at least, not as fat as their counterparts stateside — but American women who travel to Paris or Provence often come home a little rounder than when they left.
It’s not just the local delicacies that are to blame. In France, or just about anywhere short of a yoga retreat, vacationers tend to abandon their exercise regimens; and by the end of a trip, fitness goals can seem much further from reach. Several New York-based fitness instructors, as well as an author of a book about exercising on the road, shared with me their recommendations for summer travelers.
Do Your Homework
A little forethought can go a long way, the author of “Fitness for Travelers: The Ultimate Workout Guide for the Road” (Houghton Mifflin), Suzanne Schlosberg, said. A quick Web search or a few telephone calls can yield copious information about the range of exercise opportunities at your destination. A nearby resort may have beachside yoga, or a local gym could offer a group exercise class that’s not available in your hometown. If you’re traveling stateside, the Gym Finder at menshealth.com is a useful tool. Visitors to the site can search workout venues by location, group classes, amenities, and cost.
Ask the Concierge
A hotel concierge may be able to provide day passes to a neighborhood gym — whether or not the hotel has one of its own — or to an exercise studio that’s all the rage with the locals. The concierge is also bound to know the best (and safest) places to jog, Ms. Schlosberg, said. “It’s important to plan out your route with someone who knows the area,” she said.
Get Out the Map
For those vacationing in a European city, Pilates instructor Brooke Siler advises taking a multi-mile walk at a moderate pace, directly to a museum or a monument from the hotel. “If you’re just wandering from place to place, that’s not going to do it,” Ms. Siler, the founder of re:AB studio in Greenwich Village and author of “The Pilates Body” (Broadway) and two other books, said. “You don’t want to be in an all-out sweat — that doesn’t bode well for the rest of the day — but you do want to get your heart rate up.”
Make Every Moment Count
Ms. Siler also recommends doing small, discreet exercises (leg lifts, pliés, toe rises) while waiting in ticket lines or for a table at a restaurants. “It’s about remaining very conscious of your body, no matter where you are or what you’re doing,” she said.
Pack a Workout Video
If you’re planning to bring a computer, take along an exercise DVD, Ms. Siler urges. Since you’re not likely going to want to pack barbells, or a stability ball, workout videos that require minimal carry-along props — kickboxing, dance, or mat-based Pilates workouts, for example — may be preferable.
Pack a Jump Rope
Although a pair of 5-pound hand weights could weigh down your luggage, there are at least two pieces of exercise equipment that travel well: the jump rope and the rubber resistance band. These two lightweight props can provide a full-body workout, incorporating both cardiovascular and strength training, said Travis Miller of A-Nu-U, a company that provides personal training services in New York and New Jersey.
Use Your Environment
A sun-and-sand vacation lends itself to plenty of fitness opportunities that can’t be replicated in a gym setting, a master trainer at New York Sports Clubs, Ari Harris, said. He suggests beach volleyball, running drills through waist-deep seawater, and swimming kicks done while holding onto the side of a pool. But go two weeks without exercise, and you could lose up to 10% of your strength and some of your endurance, Mr. Harris said. “If you spend your vacation doing little but eating, drinking, and sleeping, your fatigue level is going to be a lot higher when you do return to the gym,” he said. gbirkner@nysun.com