Alright, you're on the road - traveling - staying at hotels (or in your van) and while you know you WANT to workout (because we always WANT to - right ;)) you are not quite sure what to do. Most likely the hotel you are staying at offers some version of a "gym". However,if you are looking challenge yourself with a killer cardio workout - the lonely treadmill in the hotel gym may not be what you're looking for. Next time consider taking your cardio to the track. Just like the local highschool back home, most cities or towns you visit will also have a highschool or two nearby. I guess that is beauty of needing to educate the youth of America - you can always find yourself a highschool or two ;)
Check out this basic high intensity interval workout below that will challenge you and truly make you feel like the road WARRIOR that you are! *Bonus: You can do this at your home track too!!!
"School is in Session"
Warm-up: Begin by walking or jogging around the track for 5 minutes (usually about one time around)
*Sprint to the stop of the bleachers; walk to the bottom
Repeat 5-10x (If you are not used to running on the bleachers, you may want to start with 5x and then slowly increase)
*Recover by briskly walking/jogging around the track one time(keep a pace that is a little bit faster than your warm-up)
-If you have a track that has bleachers on both sides of the stadium try challenging yourself by only recovering for half the time and doing a set of bleachers on each side.
Repeat the above set of bleachers/recovery for a minimum of 5x or about 30 minutes. You can add additional sets for a longer session.
Safety Notes:
-Do not run backwards down the bleachers - ALWAYS face forwards!
-If it is raining and the bleachers are metal...probably not such a great idea (common sense, but I'm just going to say it anyway)
-If you are going to run at night make sure the stadium has lights and that someone knows where you are (you never know who or what is hiding under those bleachers)
Most Importantly ... HAVE FUN!!!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Rockin' Road Recipes
One of the biggest challenges to staying healthy on the road is nutrition. I find that one of the most difficult meals to keep healthy and clean while on the road is breakfast. Next time you are hitting the road, prepare a batch of these muffins and take them on the road with you for a healthy and clean breakfast or snack. To make them easy to travel with, prepare them a day or two before, place in ziploc baggies and freeze. They will defrost naturally while you are on the road.
Fall Muffins
(Sweet potato or pumpkin)
Ingredients:
• 2 cups cooked carrots
• ½ cup cooked/mashed sweet potato (or canned pumpkin)
• 1 cup oat bran
*For individuals trying to lose weight, you can cut this to 1/4 cup the
consistency is a little bit different, but the taste is still great!)
• 4 egg whites
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda.
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 4 stevia packets (or to taste) *you can also use more honey and omit the stevia
• cinnamon (I really like cinnamon so I just kind of sprinkle in what looks good )
Directions: *Cook and mash the carrots – (a magic bullet works really well!)
*Cook and mash sweet potatoes
*mix all ingrediaents together in a large mixing bowl
* use a ¼ measuring cup to fill muffin tins (I found that tin-foil muffin cups sprayed w/pam work best)
*bake at 350 for about 20 minutes
Serving:
Makes 4 servings (16 muffins)
Serving size = 4 muffins
Alternatives: •Substitute canned pumpkin for the sweet potatoes (changes the consistency a bit , but very yummy!)
•To get your good fats in, add chopped almonds/walnuts to the batter before baking (I usually make some with nuts and some without – I will divide 1 oz. chopped nuts between 4 muffin tins and top w/ ¼ cup batter to make one serving)
•If you are looking to add more starch to your muffins I would suggest increasing the amount of oat bran (this will give you a more dense muffin).
•Instead of oat bran you may also blend raw oats to make “oat flour” and use that as a substitute.
Fall Muffins
(Sweet potato or pumpkin)
Ingredients:
• 2 cups cooked carrots
• ½ cup cooked/mashed sweet potato (or canned pumpkin)
• 1 cup oat bran
*For individuals trying to lose weight, you can cut this to 1/4 cup the
consistency is a little bit different, but the taste is still great!)
• 4 egg whites
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda.
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 4 stevia packets (or to taste) *you can also use more honey and omit the stevia
• cinnamon (I really like cinnamon so I just kind of sprinkle in what looks good )
Directions: *Cook and mash the carrots – (a magic bullet works really well!)
*Cook and mash sweet potatoes
*mix all ingrediaents together in a large mixing bowl
* use a ¼ measuring cup to fill muffin tins (I found that tin-foil muffin cups sprayed w/pam work best)
*bake at 350 for about 20 minutes
Serving:
Makes 4 servings (16 muffins)
Serving size = 4 muffins
Alternatives: •Substitute canned pumpkin for the sweet potatoes (changes the consistency a bit , but very yummy!)
•To get your good fats in, add chopped almonds/walnuts to the batter before baking (I usually make some with nuts and some without – I will divide 1 oz. chopped nuts between 4 muffin tins and top w/ ¼ cup batter to make one serving)
•If you are looking to add more starch to your muffins I would suggest increasing the amount of oat bran (this will give you a more dense muffin).
•Instead of oat bran you may also blend raw oats to make “oat flour” and use that as a substitute.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Travel Where you Live
Travel where you live - oxymoron? Maybe, maybe not. How many of you actually take the time (on a fairly regular basis) to enjoy all of the "travel destinations" in your immediate area? Often we get so wrapped up in work, family, life in general that we forget to enjoy all the great things about the city/town we live in! Next time you need a break from the everyday life - and you aren't able to jump on a plane to your favorite tropical destination - consider one of these healthy body, mind, and soul ideas:
*Go on a Walking Adventure ...
Think about some of your biggest touristy trips - how did you get around? If you
have every traveled to a big city, Europe, national monuments, or even taken the
kids to Disney Land - I would venture to say spent a great deal of time WALKING!
Next time you want to take a trip in your own city, do it by foot. By taking the weekend to explore your city (or forest)by foot you not only gain a new sense of a familiar area, you also give your body a little bit of active love!
*In addition to keeping your body healthy by walking, you can also explore local
restaurants that you may not have tried. Something great about finding local restaurants is that the food is almost always fresher(and I like to believe healthier) than the stale iceberg lettuce of your local chain. Of course, you can still get caught with an unhealthy meal at a local restaurant if you aren't careful. Remember, you
are embarking on a healthy mind, body, and soul adventure - choose fresh grilled/steamed meats and veggies, yummy salads with fresh fruit, and lots of water to stay hydrated!
Along with enriching your body with healthy adventures, Check out some of these ideas to feed your mind and soul ...
*Local museums - You don't have to live in DC or New York to enjoy the art, history,and culture museums have to offer. A lot of universities and colleges have traveling exhibits. Not only are they interesting, but they are often free or very inexpensive. Visit the university/college websites in your area to see what's happening.
*Performing Arts: plays, musicals, concerts - Again, you don't have to live in a major metropolitan to enjoy these things. You can find off Broadway shows in many cities; local or traveling ballets, symphonies, or operas. Colleges and universities are also another great option for performing arts. Make a night out of it and visit a local restaurant before the show!
*Outdoor Adventures: Nothing feeds my soul like being outdoors! Feed your soul by spending the day outside and exploring nature. You can do something as simple as finding a new hiking or biking trail or go big and rent a sailboat for the day (with a qualified captain of course). Outdoor adventures can be especially rewarding for those of us constantly bombarded with city life (just today I saw an add for "Urban wilderness adventures" - Google it!). Pack a healthy lunch - lots of water (again, stay hydrated!) and venture forth!
Whatever you decide to do - HAVE FUN! Remember, traveling (even within the narrow circumference of your neighboring city or forest)and staying healthy should always bring you joy.
The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land;
it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land.
-Gilbert K. Chesterton
*Go on a Walking Adventure ...
Think about some of your biggest touristy trips - how did you get around? If you
have every traveled to a big city, Europe, national monuments, or even taken the
kids to Disney Land - I would venture to say spent a great deal of time WALKING!
Next time you want to take a trip in your own city, do it by foot. By taking the weekend to explore your city (or forest)by foot you not only gain a new sense of a familiar area, you also give your body a little bit of active love!
*In addition to keeping your body healthy by walking, you can also explore local
restaurants that you may not have tried. Something great about finding local restaurants is that the food is almost always fresher(and I like to believe healthier) than the stale iceberg lettuce of your local chain. Of course, you can still get caught with an unhealthy meal at a local restaurant if you aren't careful. Remember, you
are embarking on a healthy mind, body, and soul adventure - choose fresh grilled/steamed meats and veggies, yummy salads with fresh fruit, and lots of water to stay hydrated!
Along with enriching your body with healthy adventures, Check out some of these ideas to feed your mind and soul ...
*Local museums - You don't have to live in DC or New York to enjoy the art, history,and culture museums have to offer. A lot of universities and colleges have traveling exhibits. Not only are they interesting, but they are often free or very inexpensive. Visit the university/college websites in your area to see what's happening.
*Performing Arts: plays, musicals, concerts - Again, you don't have to live in a major metropolitan to enjoy these things. You can find off Broadway shows in many cities; local or traveling ballets, symphonies, or operas. Colleges and universities are also another great option for performing arts. Make a night out of it and visit a local restaurant before the show!
*Outdoor Adventures: Nothing feeds my soul like being outdoors! Feed your soul by spending the day outside and exploring nature. You can do something as simple as finding a new hiking or biking trail or go big and rent a sailboat for the day (with a qualified captain of course). Outdoor adventures can be especially rewarding for those of us constantly bombarded with city life (just today I saw an add for "Urban wilderness adventures" - Google it!). Pack a healthy lunch - lots of water (again, stay hydrated!) and venture forth!
Whatever you decide to do - HAVE FUN! Remember, traveling (even within the narrow circumference of your neighboring city or forest)and staying healthy should always bring you joy.
The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land;
it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land.
-Gilbert K. Chesterton
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Balance of Health & Travel
"You go out of town and you drop everything". Well, the older gentlemen sitting next to me in the Barnes & Noble Cafe pretty much nailed it. I'm sure he was using this phrase to ream the person on the other end of the cell for dropping the ball on a particular work project, but I took this statement with my own understanding (as a student and teacher of literature one learns to apply individual meaning to almost anything. Grateful that I wasn't getting reamed by this man, I began to think about how perfect his statement was in regards to travel and fitness.
Two of my life's passions are travel and fitness and I like to believe that our passions in life are meant to compliment each other - as well as the individual. It has taken me sometime to learn to balance these two passions though. Just as the gentleman at Barnes & Noble said,"you go out of town and you drop everything". For many years this was just what I did - I would go on vacation and take on that mentality that "I was on vacation" which in my mind meant freedom to relax, eat, and forgo my workouts. At the end of my travels - and sometimes during my travel - I felt like I had to play "catch up" to get my fitness regime back on track though. At times this left me with a negative reflection of my trip and plaqued me with unnecessary stress for future trips. How was I supposed to travel, relax, and enjoy my trips while still being true to a healthy lifestyle?
Lifestyle - this is the keyword. Fitness - keeping your body, mind and soul healthy and balanced is a lifestyle. It is something we should strive to incorporate into all of our daily activities - travel is no exception. Once I recognized this and began to adopt this mindset, something interesting happened. I found that I actually enjoy traveling more now, than when I was just lazily sitting on the beach or enjoying multiple gelatos on the sunny streets of Rome. When I remain a healthy state of mind I no longer have the looming stress or "guilt" of not working out or eating too much. Instead, I now find ways to incorporate my healthy lifestyle into my travel. I use the local terrain to challenge myself with new workouts; I embrace the healthy and local food; I enrich my mind and soul with the unique cultural aspects of my trip.
Keeping balance in our lives while traveling is not as easy as "dropping everything", but as I try to remind myself - if it's easy it's probably not worth it. For me, and I suspect many others, staying healthy and balanced while traveling is worth much more than the inevitable feelings of playing "catch up" after a glutton filled and lazy vacation. Once you start to travel with balance I truly believe you will find it enriching your travel experiences rather than taking away from them. I welcome you to follow me on my travel adventures filled with fitness for the body, mind & soul ... and allow me to share experiences on how to stay balanced as you travel the world!
Two of my life's passions are travel and fitness and I like to believe that our passions in life are meant to compliment each other - as well as the individual. It has taken me sometime to learn to balance these two passions though. Just as the gentleman at Barnes & Noble said,"you go out of town and you drop everything". For many years this was just what I did - I would go on vacation and take on that mentality that "I was on vacation" which in my mind meant freedom to relax, eat, and forgo my workouts. At the end of my travels - and sometimes during my travel - I felt like I had to play "catch up" to get my fitness regime back on track though. At times this left me with a negative reflection of my trip and plaqued me with unnecessary stress for future trips. How was I supposed to travel, relax, and enjoy my trips while still being true to a healthy lifestyle?
Lifestyle - this is the keyword. Fitness - keeping your body, mind and soul healthy and balanced is a lifestyle. It is something we should strive to incorporate into all of our daily activities - travel is no exception. Once I recognized this and began to adopt this mindset, something interesting happened. I found that I actually enjoy traveling more now, than when I was just lazily sitting on the beach or enjoying multiple gelatos on the sunny streets of Rome. When I remain a healthy state of mind I no longer have the looming stress or "guilt" of not working out or eating too much. Instead, I now find ways to incorporate my healthy lifestyle into my travel. I use the local terrain to challenge myself with new workouts; I embrace the healthy and local food; I enrich my mind and soul with the unique cultural aspects of my trip.
Keeping balance in our lives while traveling is not as easy as "dropping everything", but as I try to remind myself - if it's easy it's probably not worth it. For me, and I suspect many others, staying healthy and balanced while traveling is worth much more than the inevitable feelings of playing "catch up" after a glutton filled and lazy vacation. Once you start to travel with balance I truly believe you will find it enriching your travel experiences rather than taking away from them. I welcome you to follow me on my travel adventures filled with fitness for the body, mind & soul ... and allow me to share experiences on how to stay balanced as you travel the world!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)