Boomers are the fastest growing travel segment in the industry. And, just because you are traveling doesn’t mean that you have to break your exercise habits and get out of shape. Staying fit while traveling for pleasure or business can make your trip more enjoyable and not only helps your mental attitude but also helps maintain your energy level.

Move As Much As Possible

The main thing to remember when you are traveling is to move as much as possible. When waiting for your flight, walk around the terminal. When driving long distances, make stops every few hours and walk around rest areas. At hotels, walk the stairs instead of taking the elevators (even if you only walk one or two flights of stairs). Ask the concierge for safe walking routes.  Get to know a new city by walking instead of driving or taking a taxi. Instead of just sitting by the pool, swim a few laps or walk the beach. It always amazes me when people on cruise ships wait for an elevator to go up or down one floor!

When Flying

When on an airplane, bring one knee up and down. Not only will it work your lower body but also target your abs. Grab one knee with your hands and bring it towards your chest and rotate your ankle one way and then the other. This is a great exercise to get that circulation going. To release stress, roll your shoulders forward four times and then roll them back. Try it right now and see how good it feels!

At Your Destination

Nowadays, most hotels have a workout facility. If not, find out where the nearest one is. Take advantage of being somewhere new; they might have equipment or classes that will work your body in a different way (Cheerleading Classes for Boomers, anyone?).

If there is no gym near you and you can’t go out, then turn on some music and dance your butt off! Who cares if you look silly. No one will see you anyway!

I never travel without my exercise shoes and clothes. I always pack my exercise tube and resistance band, which works my entire body without leaving the room. Both come with exercise charts that show you how to use them correctly. They are inexpensive and don’t take up room in your suitcase.

You can also get a great workout by using your own body weight: for the lower body do squats (stand in front of a chair and go up and down without letting your butt touch the chair). For the upper body, do push-ups using different hand positions (on the floor or off the wall for beginners). There are many ab workouts that you can do in a hotel room or lodging. For those of you who have a hard time getting on and off the floor, remember that anytime you bring your knee up and down, in a sitting position or standing position, you are recruiting the muscles in your abs.

Finally, Pilates and Yoga are perfect for working the whole body and you don’t need a lot of room to execute the exercises.  If you are a beginner, get a book with illustrations so that you can get into all the positions correctly.

Be safe, keep up the good work, and stay fit while traveling.