What are the travel fitness trends for 2017?
Each year the American College of Sports Medicine releases an annual list of the top fitness trends for next year. Let’s take a look and see which will fit most comfortably into your corporate travel lifestyle.
Wearable Technology
The market for fitness trackers, smart watches, GPS tracking devices and even smart eyeglasses is booming with sales expected to exceed $4bn in 2017. All of these devices are perfect for the corporate traveller enabling you to stay engaged with your activity levels easily. You can set visible reminders to move, hydrate and get a good nights sleep. It’s easy to get access to the data to help you identify whether you need to step up or step back with your training.
Bodyweight Training
Another win for the business traveller – who’s got space in their case for exercise equipment? You can do bodyweight training anywhere –the gym, your hotel room or even the plane – yes a brisk walk up and down the aisle really does count as exercise. Typical bodyweight exercises include squats, press-ups, lunges and the plank, none of which you need a vast amount of space or time to do.
HIIT
HIIT or high intensity interval training is again ideal for the business traveller on a tight schedule. HIIT sessions should be no longer than 30 mins max but even a five minute HIIT workout will improve your fitness, boost your energy levels and help manage jet lag when you’re travelling overseas. You can create a powerful five-minute HIIT workout using just five bodyweight exercises. Perform each exercise hard and fast for 40 seconds and rest for 20.
Educated and experienced fitness professionals
You might think this is less relevant for the business traveller but engaging a personal trainer could be just what you need to keep you fit and healthy both at home and when you’re away. Investing in one on one training demonstrates your commitment, and you’re more likely to attend a paid for a training session. Plus a good personal trainer will be able to create a personalised programme for you to follow when travelling.
Strength Training
This is the perfect compliment to the fourth trend. Ask your personal trainer to incorporate strength training into your overall fitness programme. It’s fantastic for reducing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass. Most importantly research suggests it can improve thinking and learning skills. Strength training doesn’t have to involve heavy weights – bodyweight exercises such as press ups and squats fall into this category.
If your work requires regular travel, then follow these top five fitness trends for 2017. With commitment and planning, you can stay in shape throughout the year and ease the stress and fatigue that business travelling can cause. Exercise will give your energy and productivity levels a natural boost and keep you at your best both mentally and physically.
© Extravitality 2017
