Part 44 - Keeping Fit On The Road
So I was away last month doing some travelling of my own. My trip involved four weeks of deciding on the spot where to go next, not always knowing where I was going to stay, and a valiant attempt to see the whole of Thailand with only one backpack, one guide book and one travel companion. Needless to say this was somewhat outside of my usual training regime so I decided to take my own advice and put Backpacker Bites on the road into action.
Story Highlights
- On the Road Equipment
- How To Use It
- Types of Exercise
- Fitness and Strength
On the Road Equipment
The advice I am giving today would, one month ago, have been somewhat based on text book knowledge but now, coming back and slipping into my old training regime ‐ within a few days it is thoroughly tried, tested and proved to work!
The essence of my plan was in fact a small purchase which I made before departing. Good sports shops and department stores all over the world now sell exercise equipment and amid the array of running machines and barbell sets, I picket off the shelf a small packet containing an elastic band. Quite a large one I might add and one designed to provide resistance in a similar way to weights in a gym. Such items come in various lengths and resistances, some in the form of tubes with handles and others in the form of plain, flat bands. With just this one piece of kit, you are able to train pretty much any muscle or muscle group targeted in the gym and here is a brief outline of how.
How To Use It
Think of any weight training exercise from the gym. For example a bicep curl. In which direction does the resistance act? My answer ‐ down. I will therefore stand in the middle of my band, holding the ends with my hands and off I go. Putting my feet wider apart will result in more tension on the outside, but if feet together is too hard I can simply work each side separately, standing further from the middle to release some tension. Simple!
Types of Exercise
For information on the number of repetitions required I suggest you consult my previous article about strength training. For ideas about different exercises ‐ don’t worry. Every band should come with a suggested training programme – but always ask, just in case.
It may be worth mentioning that choosing a longer band, which initially offers less resistance ‐ may be a better option even if you can cope with something stronger. This will allow you to do a greater range of exercises, such as standing in the middle of the band and performing an overhead shoulder press. This may be just plain impossible with a shorter one. For something a little shorter and stronger, simply double it over and voilà ‐ something twice the strength for shorter movements. There’s nothing like having a play in the shop!
There is of course a difference between weights and elastic. The good part is that weights offer resistance only in the downward direction, meaning that you have to put yourself into some pretty awkward positions to target particular spots, or use machines equipped with pulleys. A band however can be held above, below, in front and behind, and it can even be tied or looped around other objects.
Fitness and Strength
The downside is that with elastic, the resistance increases as you stretch it. Hence if you create sufficient resistance at the start of a movement, you risk not being able to reach the other end. With a little practice this can be avoided, but the training is never completely consistent. For the purpose of muscle maintenance, this poses no problem at all. For those who use this method to increase their fitness, be aware that you will develop a greater strength in positions where the band is at its longest.
The good news is that 10 minutes of reasonably light training per day, alternating between different muscle groups, is enough to maintain your physical strength for a surprisingly long time. Monitoring this exercise more closely can even help you to gain a little more oomph!
Now of course my travel buddy in Thailand laughed at first, but within a week I had become his personal trainer! There’s nothing better to make you feel energetic and ready to take on the physical challenges of traveling and best of all this approach is compact, cheap and it certainly does the trick.
‐ Dave
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