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Whether you travel for business or pleasure, you may know what it's like to fight the "travel tummy," often a result of serious veering from fitness and dietary routines while on the road.

A telltale sign you've got it is that the clothes you wore when you left feel a lot tighter on the return trip. Not enough time to exercise, you say? Too much dining out? Whatever the reason, there are ways you can stay fit and healthy no matter where you travel. Exercise has multiple benefits; it not only helps to burn calories, but it builds muscles and lowers blood pressure. Just remember, always check with your doctor before you start any exercise program. The goal of exercising while traveling is to maintain your current fitness level.

You don't need equipment
For starters, walk places instead of relying on taxis or buses. Who needs a stair stepper when you can walk up stairs in buildings?

Cities have a lot of good places for walking, running or even hiking. Ask the hotel concierge if there are parks or trails nearby. Or if you have headed for the mountains, ask for a map of local hiking trails. Also, find out how many destinations are reachable by foot. Walking will increase your fitness and decrease your taxi fares.

Before you leave, find out whether the hotel has a workout facility and a pool, so you can remember to pack a bathing suit, workout clothes and sneakers or running shoes. If your hotel doesn't offer fitness accommodations, a jump rope and an exercise band make light exercise equipment you can easily bring along with you.

Jumping rope is a good form of cardiovascular exercise and you can do it just about anywhere. Stretchy exercise bands can help you tone and stretch your muscles. Or travel super light and forget equipment. Body-weight exercises such as push-ups and crunches require no equipment at all.

Plan a specific time each day or every other day to work on your strengthening and cardiovascular routines. Also, if you are crunched for time, try several short workout sessions a day. Several short sessions, lasting about 15 minutes each, can be as beneficial as a longer workout session.

Nutrition on the go

• Always drink plenty of water, especially if you're flying.
• Conjure up a healthy meal in your mind before you enter a restaurant, and stick to your plan as closely as possible.
• Try to eat at least three times per day to keep you from feeling famished and then overindulging at any one time.
• Pick up portable, healthy snacks at a local market so you won't be caught hungry in front of the mini-bar.
• Go ahead and splurge on regional dishes or local cuisine, but balance your diet by choosing lower-calorie foods at other meals.

Source: American College of Sports Medicine. Current Comments. Report on exercising while traveling. Accessed May 28, 2008.

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