Between layovers, meetings and time zone changes, fitting in a workout while traveling for business can be challenging at best. But just because you can’t make it to the gym for a full-on sweat session, doesn’t mean you can’t be active while on the road. In fact, traveling can be a great way to make your day much more active than the usual nine-to-five sitting at your desk. From walking through that busy terminal to catch your flight to skipping the cab and walking to the convention center, you can rack up some serious mileage during your business trips. (Surely, your legs have told you this after a long day on the trade-show floor, right?)
But how do you measure your daily activity? With a pedometer! These small gadgets are easy to set up and clip onto your belt, recording your every step. While you can get a good pedometer for as cheap as $20 (fitbottomedgirls.com/2011/01/walk-it-out-not-your-grandmother%E2%80%99s-pedometer/), pricier models (fitbottomedgirls.com/2011/06/every-bit-adds-up-with-the-fitbit-but-theres-no-reason-to-get-overly-obsessed/) do offer more benefits such as access to online software, tracking and calories-burned estimates. No matter what type of pedometer you invest in, here are three tips to make your pedometer your best new fit travel buddy!
1. Set a step goal. Most health experts recommend getting 10,000 to 15,000 steps a day, although many of us don’t even get close to that. Wear your pedometer for a few days when you’re not traveling to see what your usual step count is. Then, when you’re on the road, try to top that number by 1,000. As you continue to use your pedometer, keep challenging yourself to hit that 10,000+ step number!
2. Keep a log. Whether it’s online software that came with your pedometer or a small book you record your steps in, be sure to keep a log with how many steps you’re taking each day. Not only does this help you to set step goals, but it also helps you to see your progress and pat yourself on the back as you get to steppin’ more and more!
3. Read the directions. Most pedometers these days are pretty easy to set up, but it pays to read the directions. Every pedometer is unique and may have slightly different features and requirements for calibration. In order to make sure you’re getting the most accurate step-count and the most out of your new fit travel buddy, it’s worth the ten minutes it takes to read about it. Have you used a pedometer while traveling? Will you? Tell us about it in the comments!
