You might be taking a break from it all, but ask yourself if your fitness program can afford to take a break when you on the road. Richard Thurmann from Fitcorp Asia has some advice for the business and leisure traveler in 2010.

So you have just set out on a one-week journey for business, three-day weekend getaway with the family, or a two-week beach holiday and the last thing you’re thinking about is exercise. You have two choices, one of which is to let all those gains you’ve achieved over the previous months go to waste. The other choice is to take steps to maintain your fitness, but the question is how? Well here are a few steps you can take the next time you go on vacation.

The first requirement for the Fit Traveler is that you maintain some level of activity. At Fitcorp Asia we usually prescribe a morning metabolic booster. This is a series of exercises designed to activate muscles throughout the body in just 15 to 20 minutes. Using a combination of exercises in series such as squats, pushups and jumping jacks a 20 minute fat burning workout can be achieved. In just a one hour session with one of our trainers at Fitcorp Asia you can learn how to maximize your 15 or 20 minutes in order to achieve maximum results. It’s quite convenient for the person who is short on time and just needs to get moving.

For the weekend getaway traveler, simply get active. If you’re at the beach go for a swim, go for a walk, and take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator. Go for a walk after meals. Be sure to give your stomach a little time to digest before you head out however. During our weekend beach boot camps we do various simple exercises that you can do on your own like walking lunges in the sand, which provide a different challenge to stabilizer muscles than the very same exercise done on solid ground. If lunges are a little tough try squats or squat jumps. A good old game of tag or Frisbee will do just fine if you’re hanging out with the family.

If you’re traveling for a couple of weeks, make sure you combine a few of the strategies previously mentioned. I personally like to take my TRX with me wherever I go. A TRX is a great tool, a bodyweight trainer that is no heavier than a yoga strap. It can be wedged in a doorway and provide you with numerous different exercises to help get you toned and increase core strength. Next time you’re on holiday or a business trip you should have one of these handy tools. Just a one-hour session with a trainer and a TRX is all it takes to give you a year supply of exercises to do when on the road.

Your nutrition is also going to be an essential component of remaining a Fit Traveler. Many people go on vacation and binge on foods that they wouldn’t normally consume. Many times it’s tough to find a place that serves quality, low fat meals. For the business traveler this can be a nightmare. Often you may find yourself sitting in meeting after meeting without food and if there is food, it’s usually some pastry or high fat food that is presented. So what do you do? Pack! That’s right, pack a healthy lunch or snack to hold you over. Bring raw, unsalted nuts, vegetables and or dried fruits to keep your tummy happy and your metabolism on fire. Think of it as brain fuel that will enhance your mind as well as your physical fitness.

For the weekend or vacation traveler, I often recommend that you find a grocer near the location in which you will reside. This way you can buy healthy items and store them. This not only helps you to eat right, maintain or even lose weight, but you will save loads of cash by not paying for overpriced, unhealthy dishes. There is no reason why traveling should equal eating out all the time. Indulge in the local cuisine, but remember your fitness goals and don’t let these take a vacation too. Trust me, you wont feel the better for it afterwards no matter how brief or long the lapse in fitness is, and you probably don’t deserve the ensuing guilt trip either. Flip it around and you will feel so much better for having kept to your goals and returning home feeling fit as well as relaxed.

So it all comes down to making small adjustments in our lifestyles that can give us major gains and help us maintain our goals and strive to be our best. For more information on healthy eating, diet and exercise, TRX trainers or general inquiries for fitness at home or away, contact Fitcorp Asia at info@fitcorpasia.com

By Richard Thurman, B.Sc, MA, CSCS, CPT

Rich is the Fitness Development Manager and a Fitness Coach at Fitcorp Asia. Thailand’s leading personal training, sports performance and corporate wellness organization. With a Bachelors degree in Physiological Science from UCLA a Masters in Sports Management from The University of San Francisco, Rich has over 10 years of experience in Fitness, Sports Performance, Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation.

Whether it’s fat loss or toning, personal training or group exercise Fitcorp Asia, Thailand’s leading sports experts has something for everyone. If you are in Bangkok or traveling through, drop in for a training session or try our morning or evening bootcamp training in the park at these times:

MWF 6am
T Th 530pm