She Always Passes Travel Survival With Flying Colors

Like a lot of people, I tend to feel pretty out of sorts after a long airplane ride. Not only am I affected by the dry air and cramped seats, but my circadian rhythms are thrown so out of whack by the time zone changes that they couldn’t keep beat to a Motown song.

That’s why, as soon as I arrived in Boston a few weeks ago on the first day of a whirlwind, six-day business trip, I put on my running shoes and asked the hotel concierge for the location of a good walking / jogging area. Hearing that the Boston Common was just a few blocks away, I took off on a 30-minute jog that brought me face to face with the people, statues and architecture of this most beautiful and historic of cities. Afterward, I found a park bench on which I could do some squats and lunges, and a grassy area for sit-ups, push-ups and stretches. Finally, refreshed and invigorated, I went back to my hotel and unpacked.

To some, my priorities may seem screwy. Many people tell me that they wouldn’t dream of leaving their hotel room without unpacking, which they do while checking out how many cable channels are on the television and what kind of snacks are stocked in the mini bar. But to me, unpacking is no antidote to the havoc that traveling can wreak on a body. Exercise is.

Whether traveling on business or for pleasure, I always go out immediately after arriving at my destination and get moving. Even when I don’t have time for a full run and shower, I’ll at least take a brisk walk. Not only do I clear out the cobwebs, I also get acclimated to my surroundings and discover all the little sights and shops I’ll want to investigate later.

Then I check out the hotel’s gym, in preparation for my first-thing-in-the-morning workout. Because what coffee is to some travelers, exercise is to me. These days, all better hotels have fully equipped gyms, while most others have at least a couple of exercise machines and some dumbbells. The hotel I stayed at in Milwaukee, on the third day of my trip, happened to be one of the very few that offer nothing at all. When I asked the front desk clerk where the exercise room was, he looked at me as though I were speaking Icelandic.

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From experience, however, I knew there was probably a health club within a mile radius. Explaining that I’m from out of town, I’ve never had to pay more than a few dollars for the privilege of using a local health club’s facilities, as I ended up doing in Milwaukee.

There have been times, though, when a health club / gym is unavailable and horrible weather prevents either walking or running. In those circumstances--or if I’m just in the mood--I’ll head for the hotel’s stairwells. Starting at the first floor, I’ll climb 20 or more floors, then ride the elevator back down and begin again, this time taking the stairs two or three at a time.

Of course, exercise isn’t the sole remedy for what ails the traveling body. Eating properly is of utmost importance. But that can be difficult, especially on a hectic business trip, when eating improperly begins the moment the flight attendant serves you a tray of something that really ought to carry a warning from the surgeon general.

What I do before leaving home is load up my carry-on bag with celery, carrots, raisins, tomatoes, fruit, a lean turkey sandwich, maybe a little cottage cheese with pineapple, even some trail mix or a protein bar.

Once I get to my destination, I avoid snacking on those overpriced, high-cholesterol, high-fat foods that the hoteliers load in the mini bar. Instead, I find a local convenience store and buy some good stuff that will keep in the mini bar’s refrigerator.

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For meals, I choose a restaurant or room-service food that’s more or less akin to what I eat at home. Even if the menu describes, say, the fish as dripping in butter or sauce, I ask them to broil it dry or with a little olive oil. Rarely, in these days of healthy heart consciousness, do they say it can’t be done.

For the return flight (or flights), I’ll seek out a local health food restaurant. In Toronto, for example, the taxi driver who took me to the airport happened to know of a place where I found the most incredible peanut butter sandwich--homemade peanut butter on homemade whole wheat bread with homemade strawberry preserves--which I pulled out when the flight attendant began serving the meal. After trying a few bites of what they called “fettuccine Alfredo,” the guy sitting next to me stared at my carry-on meal as if it were the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.

Believe me, I love to travel, even on business. I love seeing new places and meeting new people. The part about traveling I don’t like is how disruptive it can be to the system. That’s how my travel priorities evolved. What I discovered is that there’s no better way to get the feel of a new place than on foot, and no better feeling than to be grounded again.

Besides, I hate unpacking anyway.

Copyright 1998 by Kathy Smith

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Kathy Smith’s fitness column appears weekly in Health. Reader questions are welcome and can be sent to Kathy Smith, Health, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. If your question is selected, you will receive a free copy of her book “Getting Better All the Time.” Please include your name, address and a daytime phone number with your question.