Getting Back in to the Groove

After 2 weeks of traveling, 1 of which was at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico, I'm ready to get back into a healthy eating and fitness routine. Even though I was able to use a few of my tricks for working out while on vacation, such as taking advantage of the hotel gym and running along the beach, I still ate like food was going out of style. Dessert with every meal, why not? A few extra Pina Coladas, I'll take them? My philosophy in Mexico was that I may as well enjoy the trip and not worry about anything. One week of indulgence never hurt anyone, but now it's time to get back on track. Since I'm a planner, here is my game plan for the next week:

Workouts

- Bike commuting every day

- Run 2 times this week

- Weights 3 times this week

Eating

I don't like having rules when I eat but this week I'm going to use a few stand-bys:

- Eat 6 meals per day (3 main + 3 mini)

- Up my protein intake with each meal

- Lots and lots of fruits and veggies (I'm aiming for 5-6 per day)

- Drink lots of water (around 6 glasses per day - I need to make up for all of those Pina Coladas somehow)

The first few day back from vacation have been feeling sluggish, so hopefully this plan can get me back into the swing of things.

Keeping Active While Traveling

It seems like I've been traveling a lot lately. A month ago we were in Florida for vacation, then last week I was in Chicago for work, and soon we are off to Mexico. This is odd for me since I barely ever travel and am a bit of a home body. The toughest part for me is that it makes it hard to stick to my workout plan, and as a planner, I get super anxious when I can't stick to a plan.

I'm no expert on staying fit while on the move, but here are a few things I figured out so far:

- See if you hotel has a fitness center - these can sometimes be tiny and consist of only 1 treadmill and a few free weights, but it's better than nothing

- Go for a run to explore the city - I only do this if I feel safe in the city

- Find some no-weights-required workouts - my favorite source is Women's Health Magazine because they have a lot of great workouts that you can put right onto your iPod and do in your hotel room

- Pushups and sit-ups - sometimes you just don't want to workout while traveling. When I'm feeling less motivated, I try to do a few pushups and sit-ups before bed. I usually do 30 reps of each, then 20, then 10

- Walk as much as possible - This is a great way to discover a city. Rather than taking taxi's and transit everywhere, try walking around to different attractions

I hope these tips help.

Cross Training

My shins are sore. Ever since my half marathon where it snowed, I get a pain in my legs when I run. It's tough to accept but I have decided to tone down the running so I can prevent a long term injury. Since I can't sit still, I have started some cross training to keep me in shape. Here are a some exercises I've substituted for the running, on top of icing every day:

Biking

5 days a week. I started biking to work everyday, which is about 20min each way. I have to get to work somehow, so why not get a workout out of it.

Aerobic DVDs

2-3 times per week. I prefer DVDs that have a good blend of cardio and weight training. My favorite DVDs are from the Get Ripped series. They last around 1 hour and boy do you get a good burn from them.

Working Out When Sick

Last week I had a cold. It was not fun. My head felt like it was 200lbs, my nose was running like a tap, and I had that dry cough that leaves you with a man-voice. I was so attractive, I don't know how Bill could have resisted me. Anyway, when I get sick I have the mental debate of should I work out or not. I always want to workout but sometimes rest is just as important, or so I'm told. Well I decided to workout and then research to see if it was ok. Ignorance is bliss sometimes. The verdit: it's ok to workout when the cold is above the neck but only moderate intensity. Sweet! I like finding out that I'm right.

Here are some links on the topic, if you are interested and if you want a more trustworthy source:

Mayo Clinic

CNN Health

About.com