Wyndham Wisdom

Tips for Staying Fit While Traveling

By Charyn Pfeuffer

A few years ago, I met the tour de force that is Laurel House while on assignment in Maui. What she lacks in size (she's a teeny tiny and toned 5'2"), she more than makes up for in smarts and spunk. She's the kind of gal girls want to swap secrets with and guys want to swap spit with. In short - she's one of the fabulous women people are lucky to cross paths with. Period. She's positive and inspiring and leaves an indelible message that no matter how chaotic life gets, you can always squeeze in some time for yourself.

As a lifestyle author, expert, and writer, Laurel has evolved into the successful media personality "QuickieChick." Before you jump to any conclusions, she's not talking about your standard late night booty call kind of quickie. Her "quickies" are all about seizing the moment and making the most of it - whether it's 60 seconds of heart-thumping exercise or om-inducing mental health. She's appeared on television morning shows including the Today Show weekend, CBS, NBC, and ABC Morning News. Laurel has also dished "quickies" with countless celebrities from Giuliana Rancic to Giada DeLaurentiis.

Laurel knows that life can move at blink-and-you-might-miss-it breakneck speeds, but she believes there's always time for a quickie. Here are Laurel's tips - Q&A style - for staying fit while traveling. 

Sometimes it's hard to break free from a fruity cocktail and poolside horizontal position. How to you motivate yourself to exercise while traveling?

Exercise has become more than a chore for me, it's a lifestyle. But beyond that, one of the reasons that I started to get into fitness in the first place was to support my "eating habit" and my passion for food - lots of it! I am petite and I gain weight easily - which is never fun when you are on a bikini vacation. But I don't like to get on a treadmill on vacation. Instead I like to use exercise as a mode to explore my environment. I will go hiking, kayaking, walking for hours through town, rent a bike, go snorkeling, learn to surf... I make the most of the place, and burn a few calories while I'm at it. If I do SOMEthing to move my body each day - yes even on vacation, I can justify drinking those fruity cocktails and eating those guacamole-dipped chips!

Are you a gym, fitness class or hit-the-pavement kind of workout woman?

I walk every day - at home or on vacation (I even march in place while watching TV in my hotel room). When I'm home I love taking hip hop class - I was a dance major in college, plus it's a serious cardio and muscle-toning workout. I do Quickie Workouts in Bed. And I work out using Your Shape on kinect for xbox360. Some hotels have great gyms, which when traveling a lot, can be a great way to get out of my room and be social without having to go down to the bar. 

What is the best hotel fitness amenity or program you've seen?

I love when hotels offer walking and trail maps. They are even great in big cities. You can walk around, see the sites, shop, AND get in a workout! I have taken a few group exercise classes at hotels - mostly yoga classes, which I LOVE!

Do you have a favorite, can-do-anywhere exercise?

Quickie Workouts in Bed. So maybe they aren't "anywhere" exercises since you have to have a bed, but they are real workouts that are just done on a bed (I have a whole series of them on YouTube). They allow for no excuses to not work out because you don't need any special equipment, you don't have to drive anywhere, and you don't need sport-specific sneakers. Really, you don't even need clothes and you can get an awesome workout. I also do Hotel Room Quickie Workouts and what I call "Daily100s"- they are 100 seconds or 100 reps of an exercise -  any exercise. My go-tos are plank, jumping jacks, marching in place, wall sits, and Warrior II.

What travel essentials do you pack?

I absolutely must have my lavender and flax seed-filled eye pillow or else I'm not sleeping. I have been using it for decades, even at home. I love the weight on my face (I sleep on my back), plus it is the cue that it's time to sleep. I also travel with one pair of red panties - I call them "power panties" (because you never know), flip flops (to walk around in the hotel and for quick errands), Emergen-C (I drink at least one a day), mascara (it's my one makeup "must"), Burt's Bees lip product, and sneakers (there's always an opportunity to exercise, no matter where you travel to). 

Do you have a go-to healthy meal or snack that you eat when you're on the road?

I always carry Nimble bars by Balance Bar. They are the absolute perfect snack and I constantly have at least one in my purse. My go-to healthy room service meal is always, always salmon with steamed vegetables - no butter, add garlic, and hold the bread basket.

Do you have any special "all-about-Laurel" rituals you do when traveling? Sweat optional.

I swear I'm not crazy, but as I'm stepping across the threshold onto the plane I do a "tap tap." It's an odd little quirk, but I used to be scared of flying and it's one thing that works for me. For further safe flying, as soon as I am seated, I call my mom to wish me a "fly safe." If she isn't available, I call someone else. They have to say those words exactly - "fly safe." If no one is available, I say it to myself under my breath. After that, it's smooth flying. Once I arrive to the hotel, I always have to first throw my eye pillow onto the bed (I like to do things in a certain order), then I take my toiletries bag into the bathroom and check out the amenities. In the morning, even if I have an early morning meeting I always do a few yoga poses, then eat at least a light breakfast in my room (though sometimes just my green tea if I have a breakfast meeting). It helps me to get my thoughts straight and start my day in a calm way.

Laurel's book, QuickieChick's Cheat Sheet to Life, Love, Food, Fitness, Fashion, and Finance on a Less Than Fabulous Budget (St. Martin's) comes out in May 2012, but is available now for pre-order at Amazon.com. For more information on how to stay healthy and in shape, visit Laurel's website http://quickiechick.com.