Today’s “staying alive” is about liberating yourself from the gym. Why, you ask?

Needing a gym for your workout gives you too many excuses for not working out at all.

I mean, let’s face it. We all prefer to stay at really fancy hotels with great gyms (why not a full spa!), and of course also prefer heading to that fancy hotel while still awake and that gym is still open. But reality often speaks a different language. The hotel might be nice, but it has no gym, or one that would rather not enter. Or it is full of sweaty old men… and even if there is a gym, chances are that it is closed once you return from the client site.

Introducing: The gym-liberation-set.

First. The mindset.
It starts in your head first. Don’t worry, in a minute I’ll tell you what you can do in terms of exercise and what equipment you might like to take with you – but we gotta take care of the attitude first. So let me make this clear. Sports-is-not-an-option. It is a necessity. Without regular exercise, you will end up out of shape (fat?), you will lose well needed energy, you will feel bad and you will look bad. It just comes with the demands of the job: At the desk all day, high stress level and a bad mix of fast food (before milestones) and very good food (after  reaching milestones).
Don’t make sports optional. Build it into your week. Twice, at least. Half an hour, at least. Good boy.

Second. Exercises.
You don’t need a personal fitness trainer to get good info on workouts that you can do with minimal or no equipment – the internet gives you an abundance of places to look:

• Hotel room workout tips from Work&Travel Magazine
• Hotel room workout from Times Online
• On the road? Don’t skip workout from CNN health
• A plan for the road from BodyBuilding.com
• The already mentioned hotel room workout video from cbathletics

Third. Equipment.
I said this was about liberating yourself from the gym, and now I talk about equipment? Right. You do not need anything except your own body (and willpower) for most of the exercises described here. But to expand your possibilities, you might want to take some things on your shopping list.

• Running shoes.
  Of course, your sneakers take you around the corner well, but if you pick up the good habit and get running (especially good when you get on a project on the countryside!), treat yourself for some good running shoes. Go to a specialized store. Don’t look at brands or design, it is about function only in that case.
• The Reebok Travel Gym.
  No, this is no product placement. I just happen to have gotten that as a birthday present from my loved one last Monday. It contains wrist weights, a skipping rope, a resistance band and a pair of hand grips – all in a little case that fits easily in your luggage. Can be obtained at various places, for example at Amazon - and I think it is great. With the pack you get a little leaflet that gives you many exercise options, which perfectly complement and/or enhance the exercises you can do in your hotel room without any equipment already.

There you have it. Now go, do something for yourself!

And once you tried out your new habit – come back here and share your experiences in the comments! 

Today’s “staying alive” is about liberating yourself from the gym. Why, you ask? Needing a gym for your workout gives you too many excuses for not working out at all....

Today is travel & technology day – let’s take travel!

Most of us tend to fly a lot… like, twice a week, sometimes more. So we all have to go through those tedious routines again and again and again – it is like riding the bus, but you have to be at the queue at least thirty minutes before it arrives, and people tell you that bringing more than 100ml of fluid with you is a big threat for everybody.

In the last days, there has been this site of Wired in the news, which tells you how to “fly through airport security“. It was rebutted by David Pogue shortly after… but reading both articles and the discussions that go with them should give you a good picture of what does and what does not get you through security faster. Both articles are targeting the crazy-crazy-crazy USA regulations… in Europe it is not _that_ bad, just almost.

From my own experience, there are a few things you can do to be faster and/or happier on the way to your seat:

• Check in online, if possible. Although a no-brainer in my book, there are still people not doing that. Especially good if you are in danger of running late (always?). Most airlines let you check in online the day before the flight, which most of the time gives you access to good seats, as well. Saves you time on the way out of the plane.
• Mark not only your luggage, but your laptop! I was amazed how many people before and behind me in line had the same model ThinkPads. I just Taped my business card underneath mine (not blocking the vents of course) and turn it when they put it through the X-Ray, so there are no mistakes.
• Men: When wearing a jacket and a coat, just slip out of the jacket with the arms still in the coat. Saves you half the time putting it off and on. (Ladies: Feel free to take as much time as you want, if you are pretty, in front of me in line, and I am not in a hurry)
• Put all those small items (stuff in your pockets, phone(s), wallet, etc.) in the front pocket of your carry-on while in the queue – saves you time at the X-Ray as well.
• There will be times when you are running late and have no time to check your luggage. So it is a good idea to have no bag larger than “carry-on-size”, and to pack your shampoo, toothpaste, etc. only in bottles under 100ml (and a transparent bag under one liter size, to be optimal) – so that when you have to, you can take it with you

And for heaven’s sake, could you please decide what stuff from the carry-on you need at the seat and what to put in the overhead compartment? Because I sure don’t like waiting behind you while you are searching for your book/lipgloss/iPod.

What are your secret tips for having less stress at the airport?

Today is travel & technology day – let’s take travel! Most of us tend to fly a lot… like, twice a week, sometimes more. So we all have to go...