Physical fitness

[horsepuppy]

Originally posted by mowark@Oct 20 2005, 01:41 PM
Travelling is great cardio for sure.* However, I think that what horsepuppy is saying is more along the lines of not wanting to lose weight.* Proper diet is definitely a factor here.* When you spend a good amount of time every week in the gym lifting weights it can be frustrating to see your muscle weight drop off because you can't lift.* In this case it's an issue of not eating enough calories, or frequently enough, and actually too much cardio and not enough anaerobic workout.

And glad I could help horse.* I'll be interested to see if it works out for you.

[snapback]82337[/snapback]

this is exactly the problem...not that I've got that much muscle to lose , but loosing any weight at all is the last thing I need! I'll just have to make sure I'm eating enough of the right stuff while I'm away...hmmm, maybe a liquid diet??

[LiveFreeorDie]

Definately try to keep up your protein intake to help maintain lean mass. One of the problems with traveling, especially in Europe, is a carb laden diet. Cheap pastas and breads can kill you from that perspective. You could try to pack some protein bars and buy some more along the way wherever and whenever you find them. I see them more and more often now in places I never thought I would. they are always good to have anyway when you need a quick meal while on a plane or a train.

[mowark]

That's a great idea. Raw almonds work well too.

[elfmaiden]

Hee hee, oh. I'm not a travelpunk beef cake. I have no idea about lifting! Could just give yourself a heavy backpack and start up your own trend. I bet you could make alot of cool exercises with it, although it might be unwieldy!

Jenn

[The Monsignor]

Cardio for backpackers is seldom a real issue if you're on a trip. For the other (muscle type) stuff, oddly enough, Yoga is one thing you can pick up before your trip and keep up on your trip. It's an excellent workout that involves all your muscles, and if supplemented with some calesthenics and impromptu weight training (using available heavy things, such as your pack), there's little you can't do that you can do in a gym... Unless you're a competitive bodybuilder, (where it's important to have a machine that specifically targets the muscle on the back of your pinkie or somesuch) maintaining muscle tone really doesn't require a lot of equipment.

Yoga has the additional bonus of improving flexibility which is key to preventing injury (a particular danger if you pack frequently) and would improve your overall travel experience.

[horsepuppy]

Originally posted by The Monsignor@Nov 9 2005, 10:25 AM
Yoga has the additional bonus of improving flexibility which is key to preventing injury (a particular danger if you pack frequently) and would improve your overall travel experience.

[snapback]85564[/snapback]

I'm a huge fan of yoga actually...took some classes a few years ago but when I moved I never got back into it...if I end up staying in one place for an extended period of time I'll probably try to find a class

[mowark]

Yoga seems like a great idea. I'm gonna have to take that up before my next trip.

[horsepuppy]

It's a much better workout than I originally gave it credit for...worth checking out! Helps you sleep too...if you have a problem with that (which I do)...it often takes me about 1-2 hours to actually fall asleep once I go to bed...at the end of a yoga class though, I could've fallen asleep right there on the mat no problem.

[PlayPal]

Personally, I normally just do pushups and situps to stay in some semblance of shape. Pullups are nice also, but the whole reason for the pushups and situps is that I can do them anywhere. throw in some wall sits, legs lifts, etc, and it's way better than nothing. Running / hiking of course as well, but you shoudl be doing plenty of walking.