- December 21, 2024
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It’s that time of year. The boarding passes are printed, the bags are packed and the Uber to the airport has been called. Everything seems to be in order for the trip, but then it happens: A second look at the amenities shows the alarming absence of a hotel gym.
Have no fear. We spoke to three professionals who are well-versed in staying healthy while traveling.
Ian Black, owner of boutique commercial real estate brokerage company Ian Black Real Estate, maintains a strict exercise routine. But when it comes to traveling, he likes to give himself a break.
During an average work week, Black works out for at least 20 minutes every morning, rotating between cycling, swimming, cardio and then “filling in” with golf on other days. However, he often skips the gym when he leaves town. During vacations Black turns to golf as his go-to exercise by forgoing the cart and walking the course.
“I think it’s the thing that kept me reasonably physically fit,” Black said of ditching the cart while golfing recently in Ireland. “Not only are you walking in fresh air and going up hills and down hills, it’s a pleasure.”
He also opts for more active vacations, particularly to destinations where he can enjoy bike rides, walks and other physical activities, such as tai chi. If he’s going on a cruise, however, he said he’ll hit the gym because there are fewer options available.
“I don’t think I would be going on a coach tour … yet,” he said with a laugh. “As time goes on and as we age a little bit our activity levels may reduce, but we would still be focusing on an active vacation.”
Black maintains a pescatarian, carb-rich diet, but he likes to indulge on trips. To do so, he often increases his protein intake, eats fewer carb-rich foods and forgoes social drinking for about 30 days leading up to his departure. This way, he said he feels like his body is prepared and hopefully he’ll bounce back quicker when he gets home.
When Kimberly Manooshian was a junior in college, she tasted her first canned vegetable. She was not impressed.
Manooshian grew up on a farm in Prince George, Va., where she ate fresh fruits and vegetables from the family garden. Today, she’s a mom of two boys who eat a “rainbow” of fruit every morning — usually courtesy of Whole Foods, but nonetheless fresh.
She’s also a full-time businesswoman working for both Selah Freedom and her own event planning company, and she travels two to three times a year for work and to run a half or full marathon.
Whether she’s traveling for work or pleasure, she commits to three habits religiously: running for exercise, drinking plenty of water — ideally a gallon a day — and sticking to the fruit and vegetable-based diet she maintains at home.
Manooshian says her must-pack items are her running clothes and glass water bottle, so it’s no surprise that her first instinct after checking into a hotel is to go for a run. She determines the location of the nearest Whole Foods or other fresh market, where she stocks up on salad, wraps — anything fresh.
However, maintaining her diet is hard when she’s surrounded by delicacies she’s itching to try. Manooshian usually allows herself to indulge in one meal at a restaurant boasting local fare. She couldn’t go to New Orleans without trying Creole cuisine, after all.
“The name of the game is balance,” she says. “Health is very important because without it, there’s no way I could do what I do and travel and be a good mom and be a good, strong leader in my family.”
The background noise of a 14-month-old’s squeals turning to screams on a phone call with attorney Casey Colburn gives an accurate peek into his hectic life.
Colburn, a principal with The Colburn Firm PL and full-time dad, splits his time between Sarasota and Washington, D.C., where he travels several times a month for work.
“Lately, the thing that keeps me in shape is packing a toddler along for the ride,” he said.
That toddler is his daughter, Cecily, and chasing her down airplane aisles and pushing her stroller around the streets of D.C. is his primary form of exercise. He jokes that he’s usually “allergic” to exercise, but traveling with Cecily caused Colburn to change his travel habits, like forgoing taxis to walk everywhere he can and remembering to wear or pack comfortable shoes for said treks.
After 55 flights with Cecily, Colburn has it down to a science.
Before flights, Colburn prepares Cecily various healthy snacks, such as edamame, fruits, vegetables and dried yogurt. For himself, he packs several Clif Bars and other protein bars to stay energized.
When he reaches their destination, Colburn likes to eat the local grub, but he stays away from most fried food and focuses on portion control when he eats out.
“Like Pappadeaux in New Orleans — you’re going to get six portions with every order,” he said. “You don’t want to eat all six if you’re trying to stay healthy.”
