Workout Tips

How To Exercise While On Vacation Or On The Road For Work

One thing that can be extremely difficult to do is continue exercising or working out while you’re on the road. Often the places you’re staying may not have adequate workout facilities or weights that you normally work out with.

What is a person to do when there just aren’t many great options for exercising? It’s time to get creative!

how to exercise when traveling

Exercising On The Road – Get Creative

When you’re on vacation or on the road for work it can be tough to maintain a regular workout schedule. If you plan ahead, however, it can be done.

So what are some things you can do to make sure you maintain your regular healthy lifestyle while on the road?

Stay at a hotel with workout facilities: When you’re booking your hotel make sure that they offer some sort of a workout facility with weights, treadmills and so forth. Most hotel booking sites will make a note of hotels that offer those types of amenities.
Go running: One thing you can always do even if your hotel doesn’t have a treadmill is to go running in the area that you’re staying. It can be fun to go out and see the area where you’re visiting – and see it early in the morning before things get busy. Just don’t get lost!
Do body weight exercises: You can do body weight exercises in your hotel room. Things like pushups, pull-ups, sit-ups or squats. Check out a program like Crossfit.
Bring your own workout gear: You can bring lightweight exercise gear like resistance bands in your suitcase and get in a good weights workout routine. Put video workouts on your ipod or laptop!
Go hiking or walking while sightseeing: When sightseeing do plenty of walking while you’re checking out the sites. Or if you’re in a more natural setting, go for a hike! You’ll be exhausted at the end of the day!
Incorporate fun healthy activities like golf or tennis: Take time for golf breaks and check out the local courses. It can be fun to see a course you’re not used to. Or play some tennis with a friend.
Do Yoga: Yoga can actually be quite strenuous, so try doing some while on the road.
Play beach games: If you’re on the beach at a tropical location, get in on a beach volleyball game or play frisbee on the sand.
Take a bike tour: Many popular tourist locations will do bike tours, or allow you to rent bicycles by the hour. Go out for a spin!
Swimming: Go for a swim in the hotel pool or the ocean. Swimming can be great exercise!

So as you can see there are a myriad of ways to stay on your fitness regimen while you’re out on vacation – or on the road for business. Just get creative and you’ll come up with a bunch of other ways as well!

How do you stay fit while you’re away from home? Tell us in the comments!

15 Minute Fat Loss Workout

By Kevin Leave a Comment

If you’re in a time crunch and want a simple but highly effective metabolism boosting fat loss workout that only takes 15 minutes to complete then this is right up your alley.

Give it a go and let me know how it works for you:

High Performance Lower Body THRASHER Workout

By Kevin Leave a Comment

If you’re anything like me (a glutton for punishment) and love a good challenge then you’ll LOVE this workout. Or you’ll hate me altogether 🙂

WARNING: This isn’t easy and will push you to your limits physically and mentally.

If you’re still reading this then I haven’t done a good enough job of putting you off yet have I?

Ok, if you’re determined to go through with it then here ya go:

High Performance Lower Body THRASHER Workout

Good Luck and let me know how it goes

Kinect Sports For Xbox 360 Review: Another Kinect Title That Will Give You A Workout

By Peter 2 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I did a quick review of the game Your Shape: Fitness Evolved on this site. I talked about how I thought it was a leap forward for fitness video games, and how it was so much better than any other games in the genre that I had tried before. I’ve been enjoying the game, and I’m working my way through a series of Men’s Health weight training workouts, in addition to doing the cardio boxing and even a little yoga. It’s a great game, and it really draws you in every time you play.

Kinect Games Are Great For Fitness

One thing I’ve noticed since purchasing our Kinect is that not only are the dedicated fitness titles good for giving you a workout, a lot of the other games are as well! As such, I decided to take a look at several other Kinect games that we own, and look at some of the activities that will really get your heart pumping.

In this article today I want to do a brief review of the Kinect title, “Kinect Sports“.

Kinect Sports Review

One of the first games that we bought when we bought our Kinect sensor was the sports title called Kinect Sports. I don’t have a Wii, but some friends have mentioned that it compares favorably to the game Wii Sports, and in many respects surpasses it.

The basic premise of the game is that you can engage in a variety of sports, many of them olympic sports. The game makes it feel like you’re at the summer olympics or something along those lines, and that you’re participating in the competitive atmosphere there. From Amazon:

Turn your living room into a world-class stadium, bowling alley, soccer pitch or track-and-field arena. With “Kinect Sports” you’re not only the star player, you are the controller — through the magic of Kinect for Xbox 360. See a ball? Kick it. Spike it. Even give it a little topspin. “Kinect Sports” features soccer, beach volleyball, bowling, table tennis, track and field, and boxing.

Simple, intuitive and instantly fun, “Kinect Sports” delivers the ultimate party experience — whether you are trying to outmaneuver the goalie to win the soccer match or cheering on your friends at ringside. The first full-body, controller-free sports game, “Kinect Sports” is so real, you will almost feel the wind in your hair as you fly over hurdles and the sand in your toes as you set, bump and spike your way to volleyball victory.

While of course some of the text above is just marketing spin, I have to say I have been thoroughly impressed with the game. It really does feel very natural to walk into a ping pong arena, pick up your paddle and start swinging at the ball. Or if you go bowling to reach out and grab your ball, and throw it down the lane. Boxing? You just punch as hard and as fast as you can at your opponent! It’s extremely intuitive to play, even beginners can get into it no problem!

On New Years Eve we were at a friends house who had just purchased a Kinect for Christmas, and we brought all of our Kinect games with to the party. We played Dance Central (very fun), Kinect Adventures (another good game for getting active), and of course Kinect Sports. Of all the games we played, everyone enjoyed Kinect Sports the most just because of how easy it is to play, and the sheer variety of sports you can compete in.

Sports You’ll Find In Kinect Sports

There are a lot of fun activities to keep you moving in Kinect Sports – both the main sports themselves and mini-games.

Sports In Kinect Sports

There are a ton of sports you’ll find in the game. Among them:

Track & Field: This one is a lot of fun with running activities, hurdles, javelin, discus, long jump among the activities. When you compete you’ll basically compete in all of the track and field events, which will give you a combined score at the end. Some of these activities, especially the hurdles and other running rounds will get you sweating.
Bowling: This is a lot of fun, and while it isn’t particularly active it is a lot like going to a bowling alley and rolling a few rounds. More fun than the Wii Sports version I think.
Boxing: The boxing portion of the game will have your arms feeling like jelly by the time you’re done. When we played this game on new years against each other, we were both exhausted by the time you’re done – you can really feel your abs tightening and your arms getting a workout.
Beach Volleyball: You do have quite a few short burst of motion in this volleyball simulation. You’ll have to serve, set, bump and spike the ball as you try to win a game down at the beach.
Table Tennis: I used to play a lot of ping-pong growing up, and I have to say I was impressed with how accurate this portion of the game felt with the Kinect. When I would slice the ball, it would slice on screen. When I added top-spin, it would add it on screen. Amazing!
Soccer: Another part of the game that will get you moving as you dance around trying to block shots, or swing your leg kicking the ball.

As mentioned, some of the sports get you moving more than others. Bowling, for example, won’t get you to break much of a sweat, but boxing and track and field will for sure get your heart racing. All in all my favorite parts of the game so far are the table tennis portion and the track and field part. Both tons of fun.

Mini Games In Kinect Sports

There are also a ton of mini games that you can play in the game – which are based off of the main sports that you play in-game. For example, there’s a boxing mini-game where you have to knock out as many opponents as you can in a short period of time. This basically means you’ll be wildly swinging your arms and huffing and puffing by the time you’re done. For table tennis there is a mini-game that has you hitting as fast as you can and trying to hit targets for points. Very fun.

So Can You Get A Workout In Kinect Sports?

So the question remains – is it possible to get a workout by using Kinect Sports? Maybe. If you’re looking for a weights routine, or a hard core cardio workout – you might want to look elsewhere like Your Shape: Fitness Evolved. But if you want to get a pretty good cardio workout that will get you sweating – and maybe even a little sore – Kinect Sports might be just the ticket.

While it isn’t an all around workout option, Kinect Sports is a good piece to add to the puzzle when trying to improve your health and fitness. Get up off the couch and get active!

Get more details and your copy of Kinect Sports at Amazon.com

There are affiliate links in this post. If you purchase something through my link, I will receive a small commission. Thanks in advance if you do!

Why Core Training Workouts Need More Than Ab Exercises

By Kevin 2 Comments

In recent years core training workouts and abdominal training have become synonymous but core conditioning programs need more than just abdominal exercises.

The “core” is the body’s center of gravity and origin of movement and actually consists of many different muscles that stabilize the trunk and hips, allowing efficient movement of the upper and lower extremeties.

Core training programs that fail to address these muscles and focus primarily on abdominal exercises will get limited results at best. Core training exercises need to address the muscles of the trunk and hips to be effective.

Proper core workout training targeted on these muscles help:

develop better movement coordination and control
improve balance
proper load transfer between the upper and lower body
stabilize the spine and pelvis
improve joint stability

A strong core is needed to protect the back and hips and other joints of the body during weight bearing activities and to effectively dissipate ground reaction forces.

Core training workouts can help reduce shoulder, back, hip and knee pain and improve athletic performance.

And, core training exercises can be performed using a variety of training tools such as: medicine balls, stability balls, dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands and your own body weight.

Movements like the plank, bridge, trunk rotations, squats and multi-directional lunges are very effective core fitness training exercises.

Developing optimum core strength and stability requires core training workouts focus on more than just ab exercises. There are many different exercises to develop core strength and stability.

A qualified trainer or a properly designed core stabilization training program can you help determine which core fitness exercises work best for you.

photo credit: hectorir

Core Strengthening Exercise For Hip And Knee Pain

By Kevin 6 Comments

Hip and knee pain are often the result of weakness in the abdominal and glute muscles.

Your abdominals (a.k.a “core”) work to keep your upper body stable while your arms and legs move and your glutes extend your hip by bringing your leg back like when you walk or run.

But, when your abs and glute muscles are weak other muscles must compensate. This happens when your quadriceps (thigh muscles) and your hip flexors try to perform the work your abs and glutes are supposed to be doing. This is also why you can have knee pain when squatting.

The result is often one or more of the following:

-lower back pain
-hip pain
-knee pain
-foot and ankle pain

I use many different types of core strengthening exercises to eliminate hip and knee pain quickly.

Using exercises to strengthen your core muscles help to strengthen weaker muscles to reduce painful symptoms.

In the video to the right I’ll show you a simple, yet really effective core strength exercise to strengthen your abdominal muscles immediately and reduce hip and knee pain.

Try it out and leave me a comment here and tell me how it worked for you.

Golf Shoulder Exercises To Prevent Golf Swing Shoulder Pain

By Kevin 5 Comments

Proper golf shoulder exercises can usually correct poor golf swing mechanics. I have identified 4 common reasons that contribute to golf shoulder pain:

1. Poor posture: Having forward rounded shoulders and a slouched upper back limits shoulder motion and proper shoulder turn during your golf swing. As a result, shoulder turn during your golf swing is decreased and increased stress occurs to your rotator cuff.

2. Limited trunk rotation: Proper rotation must happen at your hips and trunk to allow proper shoulder turn and a balanced golf swing. When trunk rotation is limited it prevents proper hip and shoulder turn which can force the rotator cuff muscles in the shoulders to overcompensate resulting in pain.

Large deficits in trunk rotation results in lateral body movement which displaces your center of gravity and throws your golf swing way off balance.

Lateral deviation of your body during the backswing or downswing often results in:

loss of balance
reduced power
poor accuracy
over-slicing the ball
topping off the ball

3. Poor shoulder flexibility: This is frequently caused by tightness in the pectoralis major/minor muscles of the chest. When these muscles are tight they limit the amount of external rotation at the shoulder which results in poor golf swing mechanics and increased stress to the shoulder.

4. Weakness in the upper and mid-back muscles: The muscles that make up your upper and mid-back are very important for healthy shoulders and a proper golf swing.

rotator-cuff I won’t get to scientific here but basically each rotator cuff is comprised of 4 muscles that attach to your shoulder. The rotator cuff’s primary function is to stabilize your shoulder during movement. But, your shoulder isn’t the only
attachment site of your rotator cuff. Your rotator cuff muscles originate from your shoulder blades.

And, your shoulder blades are controlled primarily by the muscles in your upper and mid-back. When properly conditioned, your upper and mid-back muscles help to allow proper shoulder motion and swing mechanics. When these muscles become weak and deconditioned the deltoid muscles in your shoulder and even your neck muscles can start to overcompensate which leads to shoulder and/or neck pain.

In the video to the right I show 3 key golf shoulder exercises I’ve used for my golfing clients with great success:

Wall Rows
Diagonal Shoulder Patterns
Trunk Rotations
My 3-way doorway stretch

These can help correct golf swing mechanics and prevent golf swing shoulder pain.

Post a comment below and let me know what you thought of this post and the video.

Get A Personal Trainer: In A Group, On The Phone Or On The Internet?

By Peter 1 Comment

photo credit: jontunn

When working out and trying to lose weight, one struggle that many often run into is that they aren’t able to get themselves properly motivated, and they just don’t have all the information they need. You know you want to get fit, and you’re ok with exercising and eating right to make that happen, but you just don’t know where to start!

Many people find that using a personal trainer is a good way to keep themselves accountable and to make sure they’re doing things that will further their goals. The problem is that a lot of the time getting a personal trainer can be prohibitively expensive.

In the last few years finding a personal trainer over the internet or getting training sessions over the phone has become more popular. From the LA Times:

Now there’s training via Internet and the phone. Such coaching has become enormously popular in the last few years, spawning a mini-industry of tailored but flexible workouts. Some programs offer customized, downloadable regimens based on an online questionnaire, with little or no trainer interaction; others provide extensive one-on-one phone coaching.

Finding a personal trainer may still not be an option, but things like getting small group fitness training are now options as well.

Another option is small-group training, in which two to five people work with a trainer at once. It’s less expensive than one-on-one workouts and a good way to learn how to strength train properly.

When choosing a program, the key is to know thyself, says Margaret Moore, chief executive of the online coaching site Wellcoaches: “Some people want more of a relationship, while others are more into technology.”

So there are more options than ever to find a trainer, or training regimen that is perfect for you. Just remember:

Make sure the trainer has current certification from a reputable organization such as the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise, the National Academy of Sports Medicine or the National Strength and Conditioning Assn.
Make sure your trainer is a good fit for you. If you don’t click personally, you may want to work with someone else.
Make sure you know what you’re getting for your money.

Fitness Sites That Tailor Workouts For You

There are a ton of sites out there that offer some good options in tailored workout plans, or personal training. Here are a few:

Workoutsforyou.com: One appealing feature of this site is the varying levels of training programs, from the bare-bones “Access for You” plan with non-customized workouts and the exercise demo library, to the “Extras for You” program, with custom cardio and strength-training workouts and weekly trainer e-mails.
Wellcoaches: Clients are matched to coaches who will best meet their needs, and counseling via phone and Internet is done with a holistic approach, tackling other issues such as stress and goal planning; has a partnership with the American College of Sports Medicine.
Global Health & Fitness: Members are assigned to their own trainer, plus get personalized training and nutrition programs, fitness videos, podcasts and 24-hour access to the site’s experts.
Plus One Active: The site offers workout plans, goal tracking and access to trainers. Trainer bios are online, allowing potential members to see their backgrounds and qualifications.

Have you ever worked with a personal trainer? Was it a beneficial experience for you? Tell us about it in the comments.

Things To Avoid While Working Out So You Won’t Get Hurt

By Peter 6 Comments

photo credit: Erik Charlton

After having an injury in the summer of 2007 to my rotator cuff while involved in some strenuous exercise, I realized just how important it is to be careful when you’re working out so that you can avoid injury. If you don’t take precautionary steps, you can end up injuring yourself like I did, and find yourself on the sidelines for weeks, or even months. And then where will you be?

An article on MSNBC this week talks about some fitness faux pas that many people make when working out that can lead to injury. Here they are – try examining your own situation to see if you’re doing any of these:

Not using the right gear: A lot of people will often not use the right equipment when working out, which can lead to injury. Things like not wearing a helmet when riding a bike or roller blading (A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed that 92 percent of bicyclists killed in 2007 reportedly were not wearing a helmet), or not wearing shin guards when playing soccer. Even wearing the wrong type of shoes while running can lead to an injury. Make sure to use the necessary safety gear, and fitness equipment when working out.
Not paying attention to instruction: Many people when they first start playing a sport – or using a new piece of fitness equipment – will try to engage in the activity without first learning how to do it. Not playing tennis correctly? You can get tennis elbow. Not using a piece of weight lifting equipment correctly? You can easily strain a muscle or hurt yourself in other ways. Get some instruction from a personal trainer, a tennis coach or other professional to make sure you’re doing it right!
Overdoing it: This is particularly a risk for those not used to exercising – couch potatoes just getting back into exercise. Instead of overdoing it, ease yourself back into an exercise routine gradually to avoid injury, health problems, etc. Overdoing it can also be a risk for more experienced fitness aficionados. Exercising too hard day in and day out can be harmful to your body and lead to “overuse injuries”. Try alternating hard workouts and easier workouts to stay healthier.
Not varying your routine: If you do the same workouts and exercises day in and day out, it can lead to overuse injuries and muscle imbalances. Instead of running every day, try throwing in some alternate exercises like a workout tape or mountain biking. Cross training is a good idea!
Overexposing yourself to the elements: If you’re going running outside in the winter, make sure you dress appropriately with a first layer of moisture wicking clothing, as well as making sure to wear gloves and a hat. Not doing that can lead to illness. By the same token make sure to stay hydrated in warmer weather, wearing clothing that is conducive to cooling you down. Sunscreen is also a good idea.

Some good ideas to take into account to help you avoid injury.

If I had been more careful and listened to instruction, I may have avoided my rotator cuff injury. The injury happened because I wasn’t using proper form while lifting some heavy weights. That allowed me to get off balance, and to tear the rotator cuff. If I had used proper form I wouldn’t have been on the sidelines for 4-5 months while it healed. I’ll be more careful next time.

Have you ever had a situation where you injured yourself because you weren’t being careful, using the right equipment or weren’t using common sense? Tell us about it in the comments.

Working Out When Sick: Is It A Good Idea?

By Peter 3 Comments

These last few months have been tough ones on my diet, and on my exercise regimen. It seems like every time I get motivated and start working out, something will blindside me and I get short circuited. This year it has mostly been because I’ve been sick off and on for a good part of the year. In fact, right now I’m coming off of being sick for over a week with an ear infection, pink eye and a sinus infection. Not fun!

The Center For Disease Control estimates that during flu season up to 20 percent of Americans will suffer from the flu. That’s a lot of people getting sick!

One thing I’ve been curious about through all this sickness was whether or not it’s a good idea to work out when you’re sick, or whether you should put a hold on exercise until your body has recuperated.

An article on CNN.com gives one expert’s opinion on whether or not you should exercise during illness:

At least one expert says that if you think you’re coming down with a cold or the flu you should probably skip your daily workout.

“I tell people to listen to their bodies. If they are sick, their body is telling them something is wrong.” said Dr. Rick Kellerman of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Even though it may be tempting to not break an exercise routine, working out may actually prolong the illness,” Kellerman said. And, in rare cases “viruses can damage heart muscles,” he added.

Kellerman said it is a myth that you can sweat out germs and toxins. He acknowledges that “low levels of exercise increase endorphins and benefit the body, but an intense workout that creates high levels of endorphins can wear down the immune system.”

In other words, “Don’t count on endorphins to heal you,” he said.

So working out when you’re sick can actually be bad for you in some cases, and may even prolong the illness. Some low level of exercise is probbably ok, and may benefit the body, but intense workouts probably aren’t a good idea.

So when should you, and when shouldn’t you exercise?

Kellerman advises his patients to skip their workout if they have a fever. It puts too much stress on the heart, which already is beating faster because of the higher body temperature. If you’re suffering from chest congestion, coughing and shortness of breath, he said, you also shouldn’t work out. And exercising with a stomach ache will probably make you feel worse, he added.

But if you have the sniffles and milder symptoms of a cold, moderate exercise is probably OK, Kellerman said.

Only have the sniffles and a head cold? You’re probably alright for some moderate exercise. More severe? Hit the sheets and rest up!

So a couple of things to remember:

Have the flu, a fever or coughing or shortness of breath? You’re probably better off not exercising
Have a slight cold or a runny nose? You’re probably fine with some light cardio. It may even help a little. Don’t overdo it though!

Have you ever exercised while sick? How did it affect you? Let us know in the comments.