I’ll be on a trail for a week in August without access to a grocery store, just the Colorado mountains. Many people take dehydrated food that you can buy at the camping store and I have to admit, it’s quite delicious. However, it doesn’t have the highest-quality ingredients, and my wife cannot do dairy or wheat.

Any trip that involves being outdoors with limited access to quality food can be difficult. Packing your own food works great if you can fit it and it doesn’t drag you down. Below are ways to bring food on the go and survive without access to a Whole Foods.

Pack Smart, Pack Light

Dehydrated fruit and vegetables make excellent backpacking food. Pair them with a simple protein and you’re set. Making your own isn’t complicated, and dehydrators range in price. I use this one. To cook dehydrated food, I use a small boiling device such as a Jet Boil. It’s light, compact, and can fit easily into a pack.

If you aren’t ready to dehydrate your own, most stores carry dried options like green beans and bananas. Just watch out for excess sugar or salt. A more expensive, yet convenient route is to find a commercial brand of dehydrated food that has a more homemade ingredient list. Paleo Meals to Go is a quality option.

Options for protein include:

• Beef or turkey jerky
• Tuna and salmon pouches
• Roasted chickpeas (very lightweight)
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Whey, egg, pea, or hemp protein powder
• Quest bar or equivalent
• Cured salami (types that are not refrigerated)
• Almond or peanut butter (slightly heavy, but calorie dense)

This is not an exhaustive list, but these are all non-perishable items you can bring to keep you full. If you are backpacking, weight matters the most, so do a few practice hikes with full packs to test the weight. Also, eat the heaviest foods first. As you fatigue a few days into a trip, you’ll appreciate a lighter pack. Tuna pouches, nuts, and bars can weigh more than dehydrated foods, so eat them first, and get to the lighter foods after.

Other food to bring:

• Dried seaweed. Weighing next to nothing, it’s an easy way to get sodium, potassium, minerals, and iodine
• Ramen noodle. Quick and easy carbs
• Instant oatmeal packets
• Small baggies of spices from the cabinet. Don’t bring the container, just pour some of the basics into tiny bags. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, and chili pepper would be on my list.

Choosing the right foods to bring on a trip is always a challenge. Whether you are backpacking or just traveling, it’s always good to have non-perishable, light, and nutritious options with you. Making your own or purchasing dehydrated meals may be an option for you. Instead of relying on bars and powders, if you have access to heat and water, you can have a regular meal.

Want more travel nutrition advice?

How to Stick to Your Nutrition Goals While Traveling

The post Fuel Your Adventure: Backpacking Meal Ideas appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Stuck in an airport? Automatically think that travel days are “goners” for eating well and exercising? Make the most out of your long waits, layovers, delays, and discomforts with these unconventional travel tips.

Pack Your (Lunch) Bag. The best food in the airport is the food you bring with you. For day-of travel, pack your sack with non-liquid based foods. Salmon and roasted veggies tossed in olive oil. Burger patties, sweet potato wedges, and asparagus spears. Homemade chicken salad, cashews, and an apple. Traveling home from your destination, stop by Whole Foods or another clean-eating restaurant spot on the way to the airport to find grub that’s healthy (and more budget-friendly) then you find at the airport.

Always Prepare. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail, especially when layovers, missed flights, and changing schedules happen. Keep easy travel snacks with you at all times: coconut butter packets, almond butter packets, nitrate-free jerky, canned wild salmon and tuna packets, additive-free protein powder and a shaker bottle, Kale Krunch, apples or oranges, carrots and celery, plantain chips, raw nuts and seeds, Bulletproof collagen protein bars, RX Bars, and more.

Handle Your Poop Problems. Traveler’s constipation does exist (#TheStruggleIsReal). Your bod is thrown off from schedule changes, poor hydration, and the change in cabin pressure. Arm your digestion and elimination to work like a champ with these tactics:

• Drink Up. Make a conscious effort to drink water the days before travel and throughout your travel day to keep things running smoothly
• Probiotic Power. Carry a quality probiotic supplement in your bag to ensure you are armed with good bacteria.
• Chew Your Food. As simple as it sounds, being “on the go” often times means eating fast, which is not optimal for digestion. Chew your food. Rest and digest.
• Enzyme Supplements. The second line of defense for digesting your food after you’ve minded thorough chewing, water, and probiotics. Enzymes supplements give your body the extra oomph to break down your food and send it on its merry way through the digestive process.

Get Your Sweat On. For years I’ve been saying there need to be gyms in airports. Until that happens, bring your workout to a long travel day. Instead of using the downtime between flights sitting and working on your computer or reading (you can do this on the plane), move a bit. Stretch your legs, walk around, or even break out your jump rope or do a bodyweight WOD. Here are a few ideas:

• 7-minutes Max Burpees
• 20-minute AMRAP 20 Push-ups, 20 Sit-ups, 20 Air-squats
• 21-15-9-15-21: Squat Jumps + Sprawls
• Tabata x 8-minutes: Hollow Body Holds & Push-ups (alternate between the two movements, 20-seconds on, 10-seconds off)

Roll Out. Don’t let stiff muscles happen to you. Use the downtime on the plane and sitting around to roll out. Pack a lacrosse ball or band in your carry on and take advantage of the opportunity to mobilize.

Boost Your Brain. How many times have you said, “I don’t have the time to ______ (read, write, learn, listen)”? Now you do. Use your travel day to boost your self-development with a book, audible book, podcast, or a good ol’ pen and paper brainstorming session to grow some brain muscle.

Om. I can’t help it – I always fall asleep on airplanes. I have a philosophy that there is a lack of oxygen higher up in the air that knocks me out like a sleeping baby. Sometimes you just need to chill out. If you are a go-go-go person like I am, naps, Zen, and even sleep are sometimes neglected. Consider your travel day a restoration day.

Need more travel tips?

Stay On Track While Traveling

The post Healthy Airport Travel Made Simple appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Food, movement, and mindfulness are at the core of my miracle outcome, but they can be quite a daunting task to maintain as I travel. This reality mirrors the obstacles athletes face when they leave their normal routines and commitments. Recently, while returning to California from PaleoFX in Austin, I took extra care to note the tips and tricks that allowed my journey to support my wellness program without a hiccup. Below are my top five tips for traveling consciously.

Don’t let a long flight be a catalyst for ignoring your health and wellness priorities. [Photo courtesy of Pixabay]

1. Reach Out

Self-care is all in the planning. Just as you plan your week to include a supportive workout schedule, this same effort needs to be incorporated into your travel plans. This task can seem daunting, especially when traveling for work or a trade show.

I have found great success by reaching out to others for recommendations pertaining to their town or city. This can be done searching for bloggers, social media pages, or meet-ups that are specific to the visiting town. I found people love sharing their community with others and supporting your journey.

2. Renew Your Commitment to You

I’m not sure why, but for most of us when our daily routine is changed up we stop supporting ourselves as much as we usually do. It almost feels like you get a “Get out of Jail Free” card when routine becomes disrupted.

Committing to you is essential to success, especially when traveling. Travel places higher demands on your body and mind, so supporting your workout efforts should be at the top of your list. You might need to change up your game to allow yourself the chance to grow and explore in spite of travel.

For example, if you usually run on the treadmill, consider running outside to explore the surrounding area while bringing a nice shift to your normal routine. Continued commitment will honor your body and offer a wealth of opportunity to explore, grow, and learn when traveling.

3. Hydrate

Travel of any kind can make hydration hard, especially if you’re traveling during hot and humid months or places with limited water. A decade of travel for work taught me the value of a trusted water bottle. Bottled water isn’t necessarily the best way to maintain performance, health goals, or the environment. Find a glass or stainless container to stay hydrated on the road and at home.

If you’re looking for some alternatives to water, try out these fun hydration solutions: Have Fun With Hydration: Infused Mason Jar Water

4. Play Mind Chess

This trick has never failed me. I play a mental game of chess that begins the moment I step out of my door to begin my travel and ends when I return home. I walk through each day asking what my needs are mentally, physically, and emotionally. I make sure I can support them each day.

This game of mental chess offers insight into tools that may be needed to support the journey. These tools may be food, workouts, or mindfulness needs. For example, at home I start every day with MCT oil, but that’s not always easy to find when I’m traveling, so I eat other high-fat foods instead. I also eat organ meat at home, but I am not going to pack liver or go crazy to find a place to supply it during my travels, so I pack liver pills instead. Same outcome, just a different delivery mechanism. Playing mental chess allows me to prepare for and anticipate these needs when traveling.

Here are a few recipes that support my travel food needs. Having these on hand prevents mistakes in airports or at convenience stores during ground travel:

• Meals to go: On-the-Go Mason Jar Meals for Busy Athletes
• Power balls: Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of YUM: 2 Paleo Treats for Athletes
• Morning fuel: Grown-Up Granola: A Recipe for On-the-Go Paleo Goodness

5. Love Yourself

At the end of the day, the driving force rests in caring enough about yourself to commit the same level of self-respect you apply day to day. Just because the autopilot of life is disrupted does not mean your wellness goals and athletic performance goals should suffer. The same energy that drives the athlete in all of us needs to be committed to the traveler in us.

Taking time off from training is also an act of self-love, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into doing nothing. Instead of running five miles, try walking. Instead of CrossFit, maybe yoga or a spin class is a better way to apply those loving principles while on the road.

Don’t Leave Your Life Up to Chance

Nothing happens just because. Conscious effort is needed to maintain any level of performance, especially when you are an athlete. Over the years I have found preparing foods, identifying a community, and a little mental chess goes a long way in producing results, even while on the road.

Don’t show up for a workout unprepared:

4 Tips for Visiting a CrossFit Gym While Traveling

The post Stay on Track While Traveling appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This video contains a twenty-minute sequence of airport-friendly exercises. Try them on your next layover to stay loose and keep your muscles moving. All you need is a chair, some floor space, and a wall. If you don’t have enough time for the entire sequence, just do what you can. A little bit of functional movement will go a long way, and your body will thank you.

Worried about what others will think? Don’t be. Chances are, if other people are watching you while you do exercises in the middle of a crowded airport, they are jealous. They just wish they had the chutzpah to do the same. Don’t be scared to set an example of what it takes to be proactive about your health and wellbeing.

More Ways to Travel Healthier:

• 4 Tips for Healthy Digestion on Summer Vacation
• How to Eat Healthy and Train Hard on the Road
• Yoga for Jetlagged and Weary Travelers
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

Teaser photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Upgrade Your Next Flight With These Airport Exercises appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Okay, you’re probably wondering when I am going to bring the topic around to weightlifting or at least some other sports? What does Seattle have to do with anything? 

The Importance of Competition

Well, there’s another iconic institution in the Seattle area to which weightlifting, and indeed many other sports, owe a lot. The Boeing Company. Their commercial jet aircraft manufacturing plant is located in suburban Renton and employs thousands. And what does this have to do with sports and, in particular, weightlifting?

The answer has to do with competition. Athletes all know that more competition will ultimately improve skills and increase performance. The more people you compete with, the better you will be. And definitely the more people you beat, the better you will be.

In most sports, athletes begin by competing with those in their own neighborhood or city. After topping all the opposition in one city, it is natural to wonder how you’re going to do competing against those from that city down the road. Now just keep this process going until you are wondering how you will do against athletes from all over your country. Then, it is another short jump to wonder just how good you really are in the entire world.

But you will have to find some way to meet these people if you are going to compete with them.

The Difficulties of Travel

Enter Boeing. Prior to 1954, national championships had difficulty attracting the very best in any sport. In large countries like Canada, the United States, or Australia, it was difficult to travel from one end of the country to the other. The option of flying was available, but was beyond the budget of most people, young athletes especially. So flying was out of the question, as was driving. Many athletes simply had to stay home.

I remember reading of one transcontinental train trip that U.S. and world champion Isaac Berger took from Los Angeles, California to Daytona Beach, Florida to lift in the 1958 Nationals. Then, he would presumably have had to take that same trip back home after. The train trips took up a lot of time – time that could be better used training or even working for a living. Not only that, an active athlete would feel very constrained sitting in a chair for several days.

Things were even worse on international trips. In the early days, the U.S. weightlifting team would go to the world championships in Europe via boat. This tied up a week of sailing time getting there, another week returning, plus whatever train trips were required to get to and from the East Coast. All world championships were held in Europe and most European countries were represented since their distances were not near as daunting. But few non-Europeans entered. Money was a factor, but so was the time problem. Even richer people just couldn’t take that much time off.

The Significance of the Boeing 707

The Boeing people would change all that. In 1954, the Boeing 707 rolled out of its hangar. It could hold nearly 200 passengers and was capable of nearly double the speed of the fastest propeller-driven planes of that time. Instead of props, the 707 had four jet engines capable of moving it at 585mph.

The continent could now be crossed in four or five hours in a single hop when it used to take all day on a milk run. Even more ominously, the Atlantic could now be bridged almost as easily. Unfortunately, the cost of air travel did not change dramatically with this development. The average person only flew when it was absolutely necessary or when time constraints dictated.

But transcontinental flights were now at least possible. While most weightlifters could still not afford to fly, other professional sports benefitted greatly, baseball in particular. In the 1950s, baseball teams played 154 games over six months, playing almost every day. They would travel by train, which pretty much restricted the game to the U.S. The farthest trip in the league was to St. Louis and later Kansas City. Anything further west than that was just not possible with the schedule.

However, when the jet plane came out, it was possible to go all the way to the West Coast in jig time. Big-league ball arrived on the West Coast. (Dodgers and Giants fans have probably never forgiven Boeing for their insidious invention.) After that, the map filled in nicely, to the point where every major city in the U.S. and one in Canada now have Major League Baseball teams. That could only have happened with the jet. In 1960, the jet also enabled the American Football League to come to many long neglected cities.

The Game Changer for Sports

This development is what made air travel affordable to the masses. Air travel is now our first alternative, not our last. The new low cost made trips to other continents easy and economical. As a child, few people I knew had ever been to Europe, other than the immigrants among us. But after about 1970, most of my university friends had started traveling to Europe on a regular basis. My sport colleagues have all been overseas many times.

This opportunity was not lost on the world of sports. Championships in weightlifting became real world championships. Most of the events were still in Europe, but they were attended by those from Australia, East Asia, South America, the Middle East, and even a few from Africa. Cost and time required for travel had all but eliminated these countries from true world competition up until then.

It is also these factors that enabled junior world championships in weightlifting and other sports to evolve. What would have required taking way too much time off of school now can be done over a long weekend. I saw this on my recent trip to Peru. Sixteen-year-old athletes, mostly from modest income levels, were able to take a day or two off school to compete. And not only that, but their parents were also able to go and watch them.

The Evolution of Sports

Cheap air travel has enabled the evolution of traditional sports and the inventions of many more new sports than we had in the old days. Just look at all the new sports in the winter and summer Olympics. None of this would’ve been possible were we still operating with the slow and expensive travel arrangements of years ago.

Although there are undoubtedly other factors to consider, it must be remembered that at least some of the increase in performances over the last few decades have been brought about by the 747. Its contribution to support development needs to be appreciated more. I wonder if even Boeing is aware of their pioneering role in sport development.

Photo 1 “1950- Boeing 377 Stratocruiser- lower lounge” by James Vaughan Attribution-NonCommercial License.

Photo 2 “Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Boeing 367-80 (prototype 707, first jet airliner), and De Havilland Canada DHC-1A Chipmunk Pennzoil Special” by Chris Devers Attribution-NonCommercial License.

Photo 3 “Spirit of Everett (The First 747)” by Spappy.joneS Attribution-NonCommercial License. 

The post Seattle’s Gift to Weightlifting and Other Sports appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

One of the benefits of my job is that quite often my work trips involve large amounts of exercise, but I recognize that isn’t the case for everyone. If you’re like most business travelers you know that it’s not as glamorous as everyone thinks it is – particularly if you have to travel internationally for work. You’re always trying to take the smallest amount of stuff with you and you need a plan that is barebones simple, yet does the job of maintaining fitness.

My goal when I travel is always the same – arrive home no worse than when I left. Travel is not the time to plan on making big gains, unless you’re heading to a training camp. Your plan needs to be spartan and able to be done anywhere.

Here’s what I pack for fitness when I travel:

1. Trigger Point Performance Therapy Tools

While I do own one of the kits I travel with just a single piece of my TPTherapy arsenal – the calf roller. It’s small, light, and allows me to keep working on my calves all the time. With all the running I do, it’s essential to keep the calves as free of restriction as possible.

2. MobilityWOD Gemini

I also have waiting for me at my hotel one of the brand new Geminis from Rogue and MobilityWOD. It can be used like Bak Balls, which allow you to do some work on the thoracic spine to reset yourself after hours of sitting hunched at a desk or in a plane seat. (And you’ll also see that one of the TPTherapy kits has a similar tool).

3. Kong Ball Dog Toy

I had also planned on buying one of MobilityWOD’s new balls called the Super Nova, but they are out of stock, so I have brought my old stand by favorite with me. Forget Lacrosse balls, golf balls, or tennis balls – all have drawbacks. From being too big or small or too soft, I have never really gotten along with any ball the way I do with my dog ball. It’s called a Kong Ball and is meant to be a dog toy. It’s very hard rubber yet has a little give and is a perfect size – not so small that it can only be used in spots like the bottom of your foot, and not so big that you can’t get enough pressure on it. Easily the best twenty dollars I have ever spent on self care as mine is now about ten years old.

4. Running Shoes

Every hotel has a treadmill, so even if I am nowhere near a decent trail to run on I can get in some hills and speed work. Keeping in line with my goals for maintaining my fitness, I won’t put in marathon sessions while away, just short 3-5km runs to keep my fitness and legs.

5. Handstand One and Gymnastics One

Keeping my focus on bodyweight strength is easy while travelling and I am going to keep working on my skills from Handstand One and Foundation One from the good folks at Gymnastics Bodies. Apart from a couple of rowing or pull up variations, I can do all the skills anywhere with zero equipment. Given that some of my travel includes externally loaded training, I’ll just hit some extra core work back at my hotel in a separate session that involves doing some extra mobility work. That’s the great thing about Primal Move, stretching and bodyweight training – if you know what you’re doing you can do them anywhere with zero equipment making continuing training easy.

One item you can’t pack, but that I always look on a trip that is three weeks long is a supplement store where I can buy some protein. I’m not a huge fan of supplements and generally don’t use them much. However getting enough food, particularly vegetables, while staying in hotels is difficult so I look for a store where I can buy some quality whey protein and a greens supplement.

There’s no reason to stop training while away from home, but you do need to be smart about it. Don’t rely on needing equipment to get in your training, or on needing much space. The key is to find a way to train that you can do on your own in your room. Pay attention to keeping your body working right via self-therapy, as the time spent sitting on planes or working in your room can take its toll quickly. If you look after yourself and get in some solid bodyweight strength sessions and a few short, hard runs you’ll return home in the exact same shape in which you left.

The post What to Pack and How to Train While Traveling appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Traveling near and far, I have developed some detailed travel routines. Many of these practices I developed are to ensure that I stay well and thriving. I’m constantly refining my ‘travel practice.’ As I mentioned before, I am requiered to be at my finest every day, regardless of travel stress. That said, there are a few tasks that I must do once I reach my destination.

Tip #1: Have the hotel empty the refrigerator for you.

Upon check-in, I will inform the hotel staff that I have a strict diet and I need to have the refrigerator emptied so I can store the food on my diet. The fridge is usually emptied within an hour or two. Not a big deal.

Tip #2: Go to the market.

Since the fridge is empty you now have room for snacks and small meals. Get healthy snacks or little meals that don’t have to be heated. Even if you are staying at someone else’s house, go to the market to get breakfast food for the morning and maybe ingredients for a healthy dish to make that evening.

Tip #3: Make everyone breakfast.

Every time we visit my mom we always inform everyone that we are making breakfast. This allows us to cater to our desires while also helping out in the house we are staying in. And, who doesn’t love a big breakfast?

Tip #4: Bring your own toiletries.

Nobody likes fussy skin, especially me. Your skin is not just a barrier to keep foreign invaders out. It is an organ and contains pores, and it is definitely susceptible to environmental triggers. I use organic, food-based products. Little glass containers are great to keep around for travel.

Tip #5: Keep a water bottle nearby.

The most beneficial thing people can do while traveling is to stay hydrated. As I mentioned in my previous article, staying hydrated on the plane is super important. However, just because you are in unfamiliar territory doesn’t mean you can slack on daily hydration. People often return from trips exhausted and with a cold, or they even come down with something while away. Hydration (and of course sleep) is key for keeping yourself healthy.

Tip #6: Bring workout clothes and a jump rope.

The coolest way to get to know a city is by getting to know it’s active culture. My first choice is to visit the local CrossFit gym. I love meeting new friends and suffering through a workout together. One of the first places I visited was CrossFit Miami Beach and they welcomed me as if I were already family. There is no better feeling than that in a city that is not your own. If I cannot get to a CrossFit gym, then I throw on my shoes and go explore the city. I pick my playlist and enjoy the scenery for as long I desire. If you cannot do either, then you can always workout in your hotel room. I’ve done this numerous times.

Enjoy your holidays but also put in a little effort to stay healthy. No one likes to start off the new year sick, so develop some healthy habits that work for you. Start evolving your ‘travel practice’ this holiday season. Contact me if you have any questions. Happy Holidays.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Healthy Travel Tips, Part 2: Hotel and Lodging appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

But after a trip I just took with some teammates this past weekend, I’ve been thinking more deeply about why to travel for competitions and athletic events. Obviously, one of the main reasons to travel is to compete. If a tournament or event is far from where you live, you have to travel to get to it. And I’ve taken many of those kinds of trips. But for this trip, I went as a spectator, with about eight teammates and coaches, to cheer on our coach while he did his thing. And that gave me some time to consider the benefits you can derive from competition travel. They extend beyond the actual tournament, which means you can take advantage whether you compete or whether you simply come along for the ride.

This trip required a ten-hour drive each way, and once we arrived, we crammed into two hotel rooms. At the actual event, we wore matching t-shirts to show our support, we were rowdily (but respectfully) vocal, and we may have shown some love for our local bartender. The event was fun and well organized, the good guy(s) prevailed, and, speaking for myself, my sense of adventure was more than satisfied for a little while.

So what do you get when you travel in the service of competing or supporting your teammates? Plenty, as it turns out. Read on for a few examples:

#1. Camaraderie

When you spend ten hours in a car with people, you have nothing but time, time to learn more about those people and, arguably, yourself. Add to this probable sleep deprivation and disruption of normal routines, and you have a traveling petri dish, in which you see sides of teammates that you probably don’t normally see.

From what they wear on long plane trips (long johns or pajama bottoms?) to what they eat on the road (Happy Meal or brown bag lunch?), to how their natural reservations break down during hour thirty of being awake, the choices your comrades make and the ways they behave give you insight into their preferences and personalities you might not get just from training with them. And you never know what factoid might come in handy in the future, and for what reason. (I’d like to point out right now that I never mentioned the phrase “friendly blackmail.”)

#2. Sustained Focus

If I’m any indication, one of the things athletes love about their training is the opportunity to be completely present. So often in our lives our attention is fragmented among our jobs, our families, our other obligations. But somehow, we manage to bring all of ourselves to our workouts. We get to block everything else out and just be fully in one place. Imagine an opportunity to experience that kind of presence for several days rather than just an hour or two.

Imagine being able to be steeped in your practice, by participating, drinking in the sights and sounds of the actual event, discussing with teammates, interacting with strangers likely to become friends because they are in the same place, for the same reasons, loving the same things you do. Traveling to an athletic event affords this opportunity.

#3. Expressing Your (Other) Selves

In our daily lives, we are predictable and circumscribed. We are parents, professionals, and spouses who follow routines and fulfill certain expectations. When we travel, however, we are temporarily freed from the normal expectations placed on us, and we can give voice to other aspects of ourselves. We can try on for size what it feels like to be a professional athlete, or part of a road crew, or simply the incognito enthusiast. Traveling can free us to express parts of ourselves that don’t get center stage very often, or perhaps ever, without disrupting who we are at home.

Kerouac was on the road. Steinbeck traveled with Charley. Heyerdahl got on a raft and hit the open sea. These guys had the right idea. When we travel, the possibilities are endless. When we travel in conjunction with our athletic practice, the possibilities for expanding our connection with that practice through connection to others, opportunity to focus, and personal expression are significantly increased.

Have you ever traveled to compete or support your teammates? What did you experience? Did it affect your relationship to your athletic endeavors? Post observations to comments.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane, or a Train, or a Boat: 3 Benefits of Traveling for Sports appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I know about trying to combine travel with being on your A-game. From 2008 to the end of 2011, my time spent traveling averaged about six months per year or two to three weeks at a given time for work. Throughout that time, I dialed in my travel routine. Some flights would take three hours while others would take nine plus hours. There were instances in which I had to hop off of a plane and be ready to work with clients twelve hours straight.

I learned a lot about staying healthy while traveling during those years and I’m going to share it with you in a two-part article. Next week I will follow up with my tips for staying in a hotel room or someone else’s home, but this week the focus is on tips for traveling by air or car:

Tip #1: Avoid alcohol.

Alcohol has a greater affect on the body while flying. A good rule of thumb is one alcoholic beverage in the air equates to about three on land. My drink of choice is a sparkling water with a lemon.

Tip #2: Bring healthy snacks.

Not only do I have the hungriest boyfriend in the world, but I’m not going to pay ten bucks for some mediocre snacks that compromise my food standards. A little bit of food preparation goes a long way. Think raw or dried fruit, real beef jerky, coconut butter, and raw veggies.

Tip #3: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Our bodies tend to dehydrate while flying. Low humidity is a problem for our skin, breathing, and even muscles. Drink lots of water. If you’re traveling by car, then you may want to add a lemon, as they are known to aid in hydration. That way you don’t have to make as many pit stops.

Tip #4: Bring an organic moisturizer.

I’m a skin fanatic. Whatever I put on my face I better be able to eat. I won’t just put any chemicals on my skin. I switch between two moisturizers: Elique Organics and 3 Girls Holistic. Both are fabulous, and I apply moisturizer during my flights and when I get off.

Tip #5: Get a neck pillow.

I’m a chiropractor, so it kills me to see bobble heads on the plane or someone in the back seat with their head tilted back and their mouth wide open. Yes, it’s hilarious to Instagram them, but that person will experience discomfort for at least the next two to three days. Take care of your spine.

Tip #6: Stay mobile.

You may look foolish but you will be happy you moved around. If you are on the plane, do a few lunges, half moon poses, behind the back prayer pose to open your chest, and squat whenever you can. If you take a pit stop while driving, then do the wall lunge, side lunges, duck walks, bear crawls, and a few downward dogs and cobras. Activate the glutes with good mornings and bird pickers. Also, do the behind the back prayer and focus on posture any time you think about it.

Take care of yourself during your travels so you can experience everything the holiday season has in store for you. Yes, I have a lot more neurotic habits I do while traveling, but these are my top six that would be a huge benefit for anyone. When I step off that plane or out of the car, I want to be glowing and ready to rock. Cheers!

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

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So if you’re on the same page with me, step away from the tourist sites and hit a work out. You’ll feel energetic, refreshed, and good about yourself for not falling completely off the horse from your normal workout routine. Plus, you get another level of local culture.

One thing I’ve noticed, worldwide, is that CrossFit affiliates welcome out-of-town visitors. The only time I couldn’t be accommodated was when I wanted to attend an affiliate in Singapore, because they were hosting certifications. For anyone thinking about dropping in on a CrossFit affiliate, it always helpful to contact the affiliate before your intended visit. If there are no CrossFit affiliates, there is usually a group of like-minded athletes meeting up to do CrossFit-type workouts. It can be a challenge to find these groups, but the CrossFit discussion forum can help in this aspect.

But before you head off to the nearest fitness center or CrossFit affiliate in whatever country you happen to be in, you should consider some of the “gym culture” you might be accustomed to stateside. I’ve been extremely fortunate to travel abroad and experience the gym cultures in other countries. I’ve also been lucky enough to connect with like-minded travelers who I’ve asked to share their own observations. As such, I’ve learned there are some outright differences that appear in the gym culture abroad. They are as follows:

Gender

A glaring difference I’ve noticed, as has my friend Joanna Gail, who’s documenting her epic global CrossFit tour, is the predominately male attendees at CrossFit affiliates abroad. This might not be a surprising fact because even in the U.S. this incongruity may hold true at some CrossFit affiliates, but I feel the gender gap is more consistent abroad.

Despite this, female travelers wishing to work out shouldn’t be discouraged or intimidated by the ratio. It hasn’t stopped the solo traveling Joanna. One great thing she observed about the CrossFit culture, “is the environment of universal acceptance. As a foreign CrossFit-goer, I’ve experienced incredibly warm welcomes at every box I’ve visited.” Joanna also noted that “most were completely committed to bringing CrossFit to their fellow female family members and friends,” which grows and diversifies the community, so it’s win-win situation for everyone.

Language

For anyone who has traveled abroad, you’ve encountered some language barriers. Although most coaches at a CrossFit affiliate abroad are bilingual, in their native language and English, they tend to speak the local tongue in explaining the warm-ups and the workout.

Don’t let language discourage you. Once you see the WOD written on the whiteboard, you’ll be in familiar territory as to what you’re going up against. A fellow traveler, Jamie K. summed it best when he told me, “I only speak English, but love how that doesn’t matter in CrossFit. A deadlift is a deadlift and a squat is a squat no matter where you go, so it’s easy to follow along.” I agree one hundred percent with her statement. There have been times where I’ve stood there and just stared with a blank face while the coach was explaining everything in a language foreign to me, but as soon as the coach went through the movements, the language barrier didn’t matter. It all made sense.

If you’re still uncomfortable, you’ll usually find one or two athletes who speak English. My advice is to stick close with them and if any questions arise, you can ask your new friend to fill you on as to what’s going on.

If you’re in a fitness center most of the universal machines are similar to those found in the U.S. The major glaring difference is the metric units versus the English units. Most of the world uses the metric system, but I was surprised to see some weights listed in pounds versus kilos on my visits to CrossFit affiliates and fitness centers. In either case, it’s always helpful to remember the conversion: 1kg equals 2.2 lbs.

Gym Etiquette

Dining customs differ from one culture to another. What we may think of a pair of chopsticks standing vertically in a bowl as harmless is, in fact, a sign of bad manners to the Asian culture. Like these dining customs, there are some customs that carry over to the gym and if a visitor is not familiar, they can very easily violate them. One risky area in particular is the locker room.

Have you ever noticed nearly all Asians remove their shoes before they enter their homes? This is done because the house is considered a clean area and they don’t want to make it dirty. This custom carries over to the locker rooms or changing rooms in the gym. Most of the gyms in Asia I’ve attended, required taking off your shoes before entering the locker room, because the locker room is like a house and considered a clean area.

The biggest tip off to this custom is if you see a pile of shoes before a boundary or if you see a stockpile of slippers. It’s usually a good indication to remove your shoes before entering. If you’re unsure, just ask.

Workout Clothes

In the Western world, workout clothing leaves nothing to the imagination. It tends to be revealing and form-fitting, showing off every curve of the female body. What may seem like appropriate workout attire at home might not be abroad.

A particular experience stands out from when I visited CrossFit Gangnam in Seoul Korea. At this affiliate each member changes into a uniform consisting of a grey T-shirt and navy blue shorts. Imagine a CrossFit affiliate in the States imposing a uniform! Additionally, imagine the reaction if a (foreign) female entered this affiliate wearing skin-baring attire amongst the uniform drab of other (mostly male) athletes. It’s difficult to avoid this faux pas, but researching cultural norms and bringing several different apparel options is probably the safest bet.

For all those traveling workout buffs tired of the tourist attractions, or if you want to meet some locals, try hitting up a gym. You never know what you may experience. I can certainly say that as a result of my gym visits I’ve been invited to join in on some social gatherings afterwards and it made my journeys much more memorable. Happy travels!

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The study tracked the daily health of 259 elite rugby players who were competing in the 2010 Super 14 Rugby Tournament. This is an annual tournament that includes fourteen teams from Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. The tournament spans over sixteen weeks (from February to May) at venues in each country, and the time zones can vary from as little as two to eleven hours.¹

There were eight team physicians who completed a daily log for each member of their squad when they contracted an illness requiring medical attention. There was 1000 players days, resulting in the total number of playing days for all of the teams to be 22,676 (based on squad size x days of play).²

There were 469 illnesses that were reported in 187 of the players (just over 72%) within the sixteen weeks of the tournament. This resulted in an incidence of almost 21 per 1000 player days. However, the rate varied significantly depending on where the matches were played. The matches played on home grounds, before international travel, resulted in an incidence of 15.4/1,000 player days. This incident rate rose considerably when the matches were played in locations 5+ hours different in time from home – it rose up to 32.6/1,000 player days. When the matches were played at home after international travel, the rate fell back to 10.6/1,000 player days.³

The most common illnesses that were reported were respiratory conditions (almost 31%), stomach/GI problems (27.5%), and skin and soft tissue conditions (22.5%). Out of all the illnesses, some form of infection was the cause. “The results from our study indicate that the illness risk is not directly related to the travel itself, but rather the arrival and location of the team at a distant destination,” wrote the authors.⁴

The researchers conclude that many variables could be the reason for the differences in illness rates. Factors that could be influential are changes in altitude, pollution, temperature, allergens, humidity, as well as different food, bacteria, and culture. Athletes anticipating travel for competition would be well advised to factor in extra time for rest and acclimation to the environment before their event, as well as bringing items to combat as many of illness-causing factors as possible.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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