travel and fitness Archives - Mom's Guide To Travel

Jul 19 2012

Fitness and Travel at Club Med Sandpiper Bay

I seriously need a vacation but not a sit-around do nothing vacation, an active fitness vacation. I have a triathlon coming up in August and I need to stay focused. I’ve written several times about the challenges of sticking to a diet and staying fit while on travel. It’s one of the hardest tasks for me and many others. I’ll be as dedicated as a monk while I’m home but once I get to a destination (especially if I’m cruising), it seems like all rhyme and reason and discipline go out the door.

I like that resorts such as Club Med Sandpiper Bay help you stay on course. You know the drill – most of us follow it. Days 1, 2, and 3 start off with a disciplined bang but by day 4, the good behavior begins to wane. You sleep a little later, indulge a little more, and then bam! You’re off course. However, even amidst the gourmet dining, the spa, the music, and dancing, there are serious opportunities at Club Med Sandpiper Bay to maintain and improve your fitness and training.

Whether you’re training for a tri, bike race, or marathon, the resort appears to have all the ingredients to keep you on course. It also has sports and fitness clinics including golf, tennis, cardio, and strength. It’s easy to take your exercising outdoors, making it an integrated part of your vacation, instead of some “inconveniently” scheduled time at the indoor gym.

I might have to talk the ladies on my Iron Girl team into doing a 3-day girls-only getaway to train at Club Med’s triathlon clinic for our next race. Why not, right? The biggest challenge I can foresee is trying to get comfortable with a new trainer in a short period of time. It usually takes a few sessions to get a rapport with each other. On a 3-day getaway, I guess we’d have to bypass “being comfortable” and just get to business. Besides that small detail, everything we need seems to be in one place: training, motivation, a spa, dancing, and sun.

And, if we decided to bring our kids, there’s plenty of activities to keep them occupied while we train…a balancing act we all struggle with at home. Club Med is hosting me for a couple of nights to check out the resort and its fitness amenities for myself. I’ll let you know what I think.

*Photos courtesy of Club Med.

Jan 19 2012

Fitting Exercise Into Your Schedule

Today was one of those days where it didn’t seem like I could get everything on my To Do List done. Until recently, I prioritized my exercise to be the very first thing that I did in my day. 5am wake-up calls and a glass of FRS energy drink were the best way for me to get it done – house was quiet, everyone was still asleep, no obligations to fulfill. Nowadays, with increasing obligations and appointments, it’s become a challenge. Late night work sessions and other To Dos prevent the early wake-ups and a good habit has gone down the drain.

So how do I fit exercise back into my schedule, whether at-home or on-travel? It takes only 2 tools to make it work: an alarm clock and will-power.

dumbbell-alarm — This alarm clock takes 30 pumps to shut off! That’ll work.

Setting my alarm clock (and placing it well across the room) obligates me to my regimen. A deal I used to make with myself is that I could not get on the internet or watch a t.v. show until I was done with my workout. That was my reward. That’s how I chose to veg out and I stayed consistent with this even while on travel. Starting my morning with a workout is a great start to the day and preps me for all the obstacles that will come my way.

I’m on the road back to these good habits. An impending triathlon and several scheduled trips demands it. The bad habits of late-night writing and midnight coffee indulgences end today. I have 4 large bottles of FRS and two very loud alarm clocks to help me along the way.

What about you? How do you do it? What are some of the measures you take while at home or on travel to ensure that you exercise for the day?

Jan 12 2012

Exercise Outdoors While on Vacation and See More

On this January day, I did something a little different. I left my iPod at home and went for a run. Now normally, I’d tell you that I can’t run without my music, but that’s not exactly the case. It’s that I choose not to run without my music because running doesn’t excite me. I just like the fringe benefits.

Not having my music changed my running experience completely. I wasn’t tied up in DJ Khalil’s “All I do is win” mantra or Kanye West’s blubbering. I was alone with my thoughts, my breathing, my rhythm, my surroundings. I brainstormed and reminisced.

I thought about the enjoyment I got from running in the Cayman Islands last summer. Determined not to miss a day of training before my upcoming triathlon, I ran through the neighborhood outside the resort. It gave me a totally different feel for the island. For one, I gratefully realized how flat it was.

Second, I noticed that there were no sidewalks to run on. The streets seemed never-ending, forcing me to play self-motivating mental games. “Just make it to the end of the road, just make it to the end of the road”, I gasped to myself through the Caymanian heat.

The free-roaming chickens and the bastardly-looking iguanas made for good distractions. I tracked them with my eyes as I passed them making sure they wouldn’t attack. They were un-phased by both me and the humidity, clucking and slithering on with their little lives.

Locals passed by, either walking or running, and at those moments I felt like one of them. I didn’t feel like a tourist, I didn’t feel like an outsider. We were all doing the same thing.

Exercising outdoors in another country can give you a different perspective of a place. You see more, you smell more, you hear more, you taste more. I had a chance to take in the architectural details of the homes and imagine myself living there. I didn’t notice any of those things when we were driving around in the rental, which, I might say, is akin to me running with the “noise” of my music when I’m at home – just trying to get from A to Z but missing all the beauty of the details in between.

Jun 04 2011

Vacation, Healthy-Eating, and Fitness: Can They Co-Exist?

Staying on plan with healthy eating and exercise never ceases to be a challenge when I travel. As relatively consistent as I am when I’m home, as soon as I hit the road or skies, a SHUT-OFF button magically appears. It’s like an auto-relax button that says vacation, exercise and healthy-eating don’t always belong in the same sentence.

Funny thing about departing from my everyday regimen is that when I get back from vacay, and I haven’t exercised or eaten properly, I’m everything but relaxed. I’m bloated, edgy, cranky, and just overall, grumpy, and not nice. However, I will say that even in my inconsistency, I’m not consistent about falling off the horse. I’m still trying to figure out why I fall on some trips andrace to the finish line on others. Is there a direct correlation between my attitude and my location – the more tropical, the greater my motivation and vice versa?

In April, I took a three-day cruise with my BFF. I worked out 2 of the 3 days we were on the ship but consumed way more alcohol and deserts than is my usual. I’ve come to a few conclusions:

1. I take vacations, especially girls-only ones, to relax and step away from the stresses of everyday demands. Exercise isn’t a stress for me, therefore, taking a vacation shouldn’t mean relaxing on my fitness regimen.

2. Exercise is fun and is more than just jumping jacks, push ups, and 5 mile runs. Being away from home in a new and exciting location is a great opportunity to explore new ways to be active. Nature hikes, snorkeling, open-water swimming, zip-lining, rock wall climbing, canoeing are great activities that not only elevate the heart rate but also show off the land.

3. Food is food, no matter where I eat it. Bad food at home is the same bad food on the road. Departing drastically from a healthy eating regimen just because I see a few umbrella drinks, a sandy beach and tropical waters is irresponsible of me. It takes twice as many days to recover and get back on track and generally, not worth it.

Vacation, fitness and healthy eating aren’t mutually exclusive concepts. If the latter two can be achieved at home then they certainly can be applied on the road. Do you get off track when you take a vacation or do you remain consistent? Is it a challenge for you or easy as pie? Pun intended.

Jun 03 2011

Wilson Capris – A Fitness Addict’s Review

As someone who works out 6-7 days a week, I’m pretty picky about my workout gear, specifically capris. As a traveling mom, who likes to workout even while on the road -besides form and function, I’m looking for style and packability in my fitness clothing. The Wilson tennis capris fit the bill for me in all respects. They not only make my lower half look good (totally narcissistic comment there) but they also provide great support, whether I’m riding 15 miles; doing interval training; or running a 5k. The black and teal are ultra cute and are for more than just tennis, which I had naively limited them to.

The design is clean and simple. The wicking action is extremely effective and the fabric is incredibly light and breathable. Out of the 5 brands that I use for capris, I honestly rank this pair as my favorite – hands down.

It’s great to see Wilson enter the market and offer functional fitness apparel that can be used across many sports disciplines. Maybe they always had and I never knew. When I think of the Wilson brand, my mind immediately goes to tennis – from balls and tennis skirts to sneaker and rackets. That’s what I’ve known and respected them for. And now they’ve got my respect for making awesome capris that don’t ride down; or cut off blood circulation at the calf; or harbor unflattering seams that would make any exercise enthusiast hang up her sports bra and call it a day. Because if you know like I know, most women want to look good, whether they’re fresh from the salon or sweaty from the exercise mat or bike trail or tennis court.

Wilson has done their math on these capris and I can honestly say that I am a new fan.

Disclosure: I did not receive monetary compensation for this review – Wilson did send me a pair of their ultra cute capris in order to write this review and I’ve chosen to keep them.

Official information about the Tennis Capris:

The Wilson La Davine Capri Pant is a compression fit Capri that is lightweight, breathable, and flattering. The premium technical fabric and design allow for maximum moisture wicking and comfort. The Capri has versatile functionality whether training in the gym, playing on the tennis court, or just out and about running errands.

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