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Burn with Kearns: Road Warrior Tips for those 40+ – Kevin Kearns
By Kevin Kearns, Burn with Kearns
Road Warrior – Tips and tools for the 40+ guy to stay in shape while on the road
As someone who has been there and done that, I know what it’s like to be on the road for days and weeks on end. Trying to eat healthy, workout, and get enough sleep can be a full-time job. My certifications keep me bouncing all over the place. I can be in Japan for a week then back in the states, and then in Mexico the next week. The climates are different. The time zones can be different, and the food is definitely different.
This can stress the 40-plus guy out big time. It’s just not simple being the road. You’re away from family, working your butt off, and probably drinking a little too much. As someone who has traveled a lot of the past 10 years I have come up with some tips and tricks to keep you on the right track.
Your kit for success, Road Warrior
There are some real simple ways to stay in shape on the road with little or no equipment – we will explore all of them one by one.
Bodyweight – since the dawn of man humans best piece of equipment is their own bodyweight. Calisthenic exercises are tried, true and tested over centuries. It’s always with you – and always available to you – all hours of the day. You don’t have to bring anything with you. You wake up and get it done. That’s the tough part – wake up and get it done. Once you start moving it’s a slam dunk. The key is to have a set plan. Now with all the apps out (burnwithkearns being one of them) you have limitless resources for exercising. Make the time; not excuses.
Resistance bands – These have been my go to for at least 15 years. My all-purpose bands have been traveling the globe with me from Japan to the UK and back. For 25 bucks they are a great investment. Whether it’s in your hotel room or a quad or beach, somewhere you can get a great workout in in a short period of time. The versatility of the bands is truly impressive. Just about every exercise in the gym can be mimicked with a band. I have been caught in between certifications in Yarm, UK working out on a quad with my bands attached to a pole. It was a beautiful day and I wanted to get a workout in.
Slide disks – who knew that someone would take something that moves furniture into a seriously flexible, portable, user friendly, and priced affordably tool. They look like they can’t do much harm at all until you start using them. For the core, upper body, and legs they are truly a killer that can put you into very functional positions that are easily performed in an apartment or hotel room. I have personally carried mine around the globe and back. When its nasty outside they are a great back up and they don’t make any noise like similar products.
Yoga mat – not that you need this on the road but I’m not putting my hands on the floor in hotel rooms. Yoga is one of the oldest forms of exercise known to man. It’s no wonder why it is estimated to have been around for possibly 25,000 to 50,000 years. Besides the strength and flexibility benefits are the total mind-body immersion with breathing, balance, and focus. The best part about it is you can do it anywhere. I have been known to do it in my hotel room as well as the pool side while on the road. In California, it’s commonplace to perform yoga or workout anywhere you want.
Agility ladders – these do not take up as much room as you think. It’s about the same size as a pair of pants. For cardio, lower body, balance, endurance, and overall fitness, it’s one of the best investments you’ll ever make. Besides working the lower body, you can also perform some real intense core and upper body drills with this kit. Its great just to take it out to a quad and just make up your own drills.
Stability ball – with the ball deflated and a hand pump, this takes up as much room as a pair of pants. It might be a little hassle to some, but it is a great tool to have on the road with you. From working your entire body and core, to flexibility, it’s a go-to piece of the kit in our arsenal.
Suspension trainers – one of our 2 favorites are the Purmotion Airfit and the Ko 8 . The amount of drills and skills you can do with these is truly limitless. They also take up little to no room in your suitcase and can be used in your hotel room and any park near your hotel.
Tips while on the road.
Being on the road can be a real hassle for all of us. Now that you have some fitness tips and kits let’s discuss eating and staying healthy on the road. When it comes to eating on the road, I try to maintain what I normally do at home. I basically stick to protein and veggies with some carbs for workouts. In the states it’s pretty easy to find food that’s healthy just about anywhere. Overseas you might have some challenges with different culture and food types.
When traveling to Ireland I noticed that there was definitely and abundance of eggs, fish, and chicken. So poached eggs were always available. In Japan, fish was always present and in abundance. It’s not uncommon for some cultures to eat fish for breakfast. So, when in Japan I had no trouble eating fish for breakfast.
Some other tips to remember
Drink plenty of water. Yes, know you’ve heard it and I’ll say it again, you need to stay hydrated. Flying will dehydrate you and the stress of traveling will, as well. If you dehydrate yourself 1 percent your productivity goes down by 10 percent.
Sleep – It’s essential and hard on the road but you need to try and keep a regular cycle as best as possible.
Meditate – I’m a huge fan of meditation daily and on the road, it’s on the top of my list whether I’m flying or in my room. It lets you wind yourself down and stay relaxed while working crazy hours, and with time changes as well.
Take some private time – I always found an hour or 2 a day to explore my surroundings and the culture. I always made it a habit to spend time with my host and his people. It extends my sphere of influence, and you can never have enough friends.
Stay connected with home – make sure you reach out to your family or significant other regularly. Feelings of home or loneliness can cloud your thinking and there’s. Stay connected and communicate what’s happening . It keeps everyone dialed in.
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Both of Coach Kearns’ books may be purchased on www.Amazon.com. For more information about Coach Kevin Kearns, including scheduling speaking engagements and classes (both online and in person), please contact him at 508-404-8503 or [email protected].
Coach Kevin Kearns has been coaching in the world of fitness, nutrition, and tactical self defense for over 3 decades. As the former conditioning coach to 15 UFC Pro Fighters, and ranked in the Top 5 in the UFC , he is no stranger to the the importance of proper nutrition and proper mindset programming. He has long advocated to all his clients – athletes or the general population – about the importance of programming mind, body and spirit.
Coach Kevin Kearns BS FMS CPT – Former conditioning coach to 15 UFC Pros Ranked in Top 5 by the UFC Personal Fitness Coach, Author, Columnist, Motivational Speaker, Corporate Wellness Consultant, Youth Wellness Program Provider, Certification Specialist, Personal Self Defense, and Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics Specialist Www.BurnWithKearns.com