Work it out:
The vital ingredient that can make or break your adventure

You’re planning your dream getaway – maybe it’s for a few days, a few weeks… maybe you haven’t even booked a return flight. You put so much time into planning, saving and dreaming… but are you really physically prepared to make the most of your trip?
 
Having at least a basic level of fitness is key for any traveller, particularly those thinking to stray from the beaten track. Hefting your luggage from Point A to Point B, racking up endless kilometres checking out the sights, climbing mountains and exploring all that your destination has to offer are far more enjoyable if you’re fit enough to handle the challenge. Puffing, panting and wishing you’d cut back on the Tim Tams before you left home wont do you much good when you’re attempting to explore Machu Picchu, ski New Zealand or trek Nepal.
 
As a young professional woman, chances are you lead a hectic life that leaves little time for the regular exercise that is so critical to optimum health. You’re faced with the additional challenge of trying to work out the unique requirements of your body and possibly are working to a deadline as your departure date is rapidly advancing.
 
Which workouts and routines do you need to get in top condition and stay healthy? What should you do to get travel fit before you step onto the plane? Unfortunately, it is not a case of ‘one size fits all’, particularly when you’re in a hurry. The best way to structure a program that works – and saves time while getting more immediate and sustainable results – is to take advantage of the expertise of a professional personal trainer who can tailor an individualized fitness program.
 
Sarah, a chartered accountant, had been planning her dream holiday for two years. The trip seemed innocent enough – four weeks on a whirlwind tour of Europe with a crew of friends. But too many late nights in the office and not enough time in the gym left the 26 year old in a sorry state just days into her trip.
 
“I remember running with my friends to catch the last train from Pompeii after a long day of exploring the ruins. Everyone shot ahead but I lagged behind – I was so unfit that even walking was an effort towards the end of the run. It was really embarrassing! We made the train, but it was a very close call. Looking back, I loved Europe, but even walking across around cities left me drained and often grumpy. I think I wasted my holiday a little in that regard and I know my friends were not impressed”.

 
Brisbane-based Personal Trainer Jonny Nelson, better known to his clients as Jonny B Bad, often faces clients in situations similar to Sarah’s.  “A lot of people come to me after having that moment when they suddenly realise they don’t quite look and feel the way they used too, that they’re not at the top of their game anymore.  Perhaps you have been shopping for new clothes and the shock of having to buy that size up is realisation enough that is it time to make a change; or perhaps you’re shocked at how terrible you feel after attempting to go for a run. Maybe it’s a few extra kilos that have crept up and mean clothes are now tight, perhaps the realisation that they’re too puffed to play with their kids or like Sarah, they’ve tried to travel and had a nasty surprise about where their fitness is really at.”
 
“A bit of prior planning and a little effort can really pay off in the long run. The benefits of working with a professional mean that you’re able to get fitter faster; and minimises the chances that you will have to reschedule your adventure of a lifetime because you’ve injured yourself through poor technique or some other kind of avoidable training issue”.

A good trainer will ensure your sessions are about you – what works for you, what you enjoy, what your body needs. Who has time to regularly go to a big gym these days? Or worse – what about that gym membership you pay for every week but never use? Having a trainer keeps you accountable and decreases the likelihood of your dropping out, giving up or rolling over to hit snooze a few more times in the morning rather than working out.

A qualified personal trainer will look at many factors – including diet, your work schedule, the nature of your work and the workplace environment, the kind of recreation you do and do not enjoy and your medical history. A woman may even hate to exercise and have a smoking habit and a weight problem she’s trying to control. But these are issues that a qualified personal trainer can address to get results without making exercise programs too difficult, goals unrealistic or exercise not fun. At the end of the day the best exercise for someone is something they enjoy doing and a personal trainer will make sure that happens.
 
“A great trainer can identify the exercises that will give you just the right level of challenge, mentally and physically”, says Jonny. “When I work with my clients I note down the exercises they enjoy and those they don’t and try to factor in little surprises that will make them really enjoy their sessions.”

Having a personal trainer also means no more wasted time and money with diets that do not work or exercise strategies that don’t get results - both physical and mental. The perfect workout routine should leave you feeling happy, inspired, challenged and accomplished, with a positive outlook that spills into the rest of your day.
 
For those who do not have time to get into the gym, a personal trainer can show how to exercise at home, in the office, or even when travelling and living out of a suitcase.

In other words, personal trainers customise routines to match personal preferences, lifestyles, schedules, and current fitness levels. They understand that there is no point in putting someone on a boot camp program if they are out of shape and have not exercised in years, because they will only get discouraged. But by the same token, they can take a woman who is a competitive marathon runner to the next level of peak performance.

Plus, training with a professional means less risk of an injury that can be extremely costly - both in terms of time and money. The cost of a few sessions with a trainer is nothing compared to a wasted holiday that you miss out on because you’re too unfit to keep up. Personal trainers instruct on proper exercise form, adjusting routines as needed to ensure safer, faster results. They give the extra guidance needed to get in shape, stay fit, and keep the unwanted weight off forever.
 
Don’t waste all the effort, money and time you’ve put into planning your getaway. Make the most of your adventure and get fit now. You want to bounce out of bed every day of your trip, not waste time missing out on the fun of a new environment while you deal with groaning muscles that aren’t coping with the sudden shock of serious exercise.
 
www.ExplorerGirls.com / Jonny Nelson
 

Jonny Nelson is an award-winning personal trainer based in the inner Brisbane suburb of Spring Hill, Australia. He manages a dedicated team of trainers and offers personal training tips and motivational advice through his website www.jonnybbad.com. To train with Jonny or one of his team, contact him through his website.