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By Jill Ross, healthAtoZ health editor

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, and you can come home feeling more energized then when you left. Exercise has multiple benefits; it not only helps to burn calories, but it builds muscles and lowers blood pressure.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has a list of suggestions for how you can work in exercise while traveling. Just remember, always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. For starters, the ACE recommends that you walk places instead of relying on taxies or buses. Who needs a stair master, when you can walk up stairs in buildings?

You don't need equipment

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.

Prior to departure, 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.

"The point is to find a workout routine that suits your needs and follow it," the ACE advises.

Plan a specific time each day or every other day to work on your strengthening and cardiovascular routines. The ACE recommends alternating days between the two. Also, if you are crunched for time, try several short workout sessions a day. Studies have shown that several short sessions, lasting about 15 minutes each, can be as beneficial as a longer workout session.

Nutrition on the go

The ACE also provides these nutrition tips for the road:

• Always drink plenty of water, particularly if you're flying.
• Conjure up a healthy meal in your mind prior to entering 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.

This article was published on 2001-07-07
This article was reviewed on 2003-02-03