Keeping Up the Routine

For people who have the exercise habit, a workout is like a mini vacation. Taking 30 to 60 minutes out of your busy day to walk, swim, cycle or do any activity you enjoy provides a pleasurable respite from the daily grind. It's a chance to flex your muscles, move through space, feel the wind on your face and, best of all, play.

So when it's time for a few weeks of real vacation, exercise enthusiasts are often reluctant to give up their daily exercise kick. But with some advance planning and ingenuity, you can stay in shape on vacation--either by adapting your usual workout to your new surroundings or by trying some new exercise options afforded by your holiday environment and companions.

ADAPTING YOUR WORKOUT

Today's travel industry has become increasingly fitness-minded, making it easier than ever to workout on the road. Most hotels now have fitness centers, although the equipment varies widely in quality. Top accommodations typically will make some equipment (such as stationary bikes or exercise videos) available in your room, and may even be able to set you up with a local or in-house trainer. The following are tips to help you keep up the routine while on vacation or traveling for business.

published: June 2000

CAROL KRUCOFF is an award-winning health columnist and founding editor of the Health Section of The Washington Post, where her nationally-syndicated column "Bodyworks" appears. She is author, with her husband Mitchell Krucoff, M.D., of HEALING MOVES: HOW TO CURE, RELIEVE AND PREVENT COMMON AILMENTS WITH EXERCISE (Harmony Books, 2000).