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Tips for Senior Travelers

Sacramento, CA -- Today's seniors are staying active. They care about their fitness and will work for it. Fighting a winning battle for a healthy life doesn't stop at home, though. It is also important to stay fit on the road. For those 50 and older who want to spend their leisure time traveling, Kari Eide and Lissa Mueller created 21 recommended exercises that can be done by almost anyone—anywhere, anytime. All you need is room to stand, a few common items (a chair or a door knob), and a copy of "The Fit Traveler: Senior Edition" ( www.thefitnessboutique.com, $17.95) which comes complete with a stretch band. Eide (a self-proclaimed 'exercise junkie' for nearly 20 years) and Mueller (A.C.E. Certified Personal trainer, Certified Aerobic Instructor, and physical education teacher) also offer the following advice:

  • Stand up straight: Good posture doesn't just look better, it helps blood flow in the body, too. Good posture will also help keep someone from getting sore on long car rides or plane flights.
  • Don't forget a stretch band: Resistance training is much easier with a stretch band. It also allows someone to do a greater variety of exercises and customize the amount of resistance in a workout.
  • Customize any workout: One of the best benefits of using a stretch band for resistance training is that it is easily customizable. Simply by changing where the band is held, the amount of resistance can be increased or decreased to suit anyone's current fitness level.
  • Know your limits: Those who are having difficulty with any of the exercises, don't push it. For example, if traditional push ups are too taxing, try a wall push up instead.
  • Secure the band: Several exercises in "The Fit Traveler: Senior Edition" require securing the stretch band to an anchor point. When this is done, make sure it is tied tightly. If the band comes untied suddenly it could cause injury.
  • Track all workouts: If traveling, it is easy to lose track of what exercises you have been doing. A good way to remedy this is by keeping a journal. Record how much cardiovascular warmup was done, which muscle groups were worked, how many repetitions, and how many sets. This not only keeps track of workouts, but challenges someone to improve.
  • Watch what you eat: It is easy to overindulge when traveling. It is true that travelers are often at the mercy of what is available, but there are still some steps anyone can take to eat healthy on the road. For example: Choose fruits or sorbets for dessert, select fat free dressing, or have a salad to start and order an appetizer as the main course.
  • Watch how much you eat: Eat only when hungry, regardless of what time of day it is. Eat only until your hunger is satisfied, not until you are stuffed.
  • Keep a food diary: Just like a workout journal, a food diary will help keep track of how much you've been eating on the trip as well. As a bonus this is also a good way to keep track of restaurants you like and want to visit on your next trip.

These tips should help seniors better manage their workouts and overall health while traveling, allowing them to keep up a healthy lifestyle even away from home. Following an exercise routine such as this one—and remaining conscious about eating—promotes an awareness of the body, and this is healthy at any age. So get packing…and take "The Fit Traveler" with you!