HOW TO TRAIN WHILE TRAVELING - 2/13/08
We are a nation of travelers. Whether it's business, family or just a getaway, we travel a lot. That can wreak havoc with your conditioning, especially if you stay in shape for a sport.
Jeff Harrison, a well known orthopedic surgeon in Ogden, Utah, says that physical atrophy and deterioration of the body can begin in as little as 48 hours, especially while sitting nearly motionless in a car or plane.
"Even if you're flying, you can be getting up and moving around," Dr. Harrison says.
Many winter athletes drive straight for six hours or more to a competition site, stopping as little as possible, for as short a time as possible. But sitting in a static position for such long hours can actually have an effect on competitiveness. Blood is not circulating at its normal rate. Waste products are not being removed at their normal rate. Tissues are losing flexibility. The effects are slight, but in sports measured by hundredths of a second, slight can turn out to be major.
The best thing would be to pull over and stop once every hour to walk around the car a few times, lift the legs to flex the knees and hips. "That's not a bad idea, but most people won't stop every hour. On a six hour drive, that's six stops for ten minutes; and you're an hour behind. But you should stop at least every two hours and move around, flex your joints," Harrison advises.
He also suggests bringing along a resistance cord if you are staying at a hotel without a gym. "If you've got resistance rubber bands or access to them, you can do a full workout. Tie a knot in a band or bungee cord, stick it through a door over the top hinge, do a squat holding the band or cord. Squatting down with resistance is the eccentric movement, the most valuable range of motion in any exercise."
Dr. Harrison also advises bringing running shoes wherever you go. "Get out and run or hiker. Walking up a mountain slope is great, you can get your heart rate up and sustain it as you're hiking. It's a lot harder to get your heart rate up on flat ground, even when running," he says.
It's important to keep working on your cardio fitness and agility constantly. "You lose your cardio in a hurry, especially the older you are, says Harrison.
But what if you are in a place with no gym, and you have no gear to use? How can you get the necessary workout to keep your body maintained, even if you can't build and increase your level of fitness?
Harrison has details. "I would do pushups, triceps off a bench (hands behind you on the bench, feet in front, lower and raise yourself using mostly your triceps.). Lunges are good too. When doing lunges, because you don't have a bar to add resistance, substitute speed instead. Do them quickly. You can also do wall sits, which actually build the quads."
Some exercises can be done in the office so quietly that no one will even notice you are working out. Use the arms of your office chair to lift your body and work your arms and shoulders. Lean against a wall and do pushups until you arms ad back are thoroughly worked.
Keep in mid always that you don't have to stay sedentary for weeks to lose conditioning, it can happen in just a few days. To rest is to rust, especially when on the road.