The life of a service member is a 24/7 job and when it comes to your own physical fitness needs and the requirements levied upon you, it can be difficult to maintain your day-to-day fitness routine, especially when temporary duty travel (TDY) orders are served. These orders can be sudden, unplanned and disruptive to both your diet and your physical fitness regimen. While traveling, you may have to adapt to challenging situations and make some changes to keep up with your fitness goals.
TDY orders can be delivered with no more than a few weeks notice. These particular orders can have you reporting to almost any base around the country. Consistency in any training regimen are essential, so that’s why we’ve compiled some easy tips to follow when traveling, on and off duty, to keep you on track.
Hit the trail
Nature trails are an excellent way to maintain your fitness regimen. While staying at an IHG® Army Hotel, be sure to ask one of our employees where the most scenic trails are located on or near the post. They will be able to point you in the right direction or take you to someone who can.
Additionally, you can find an installation map at your IHG® Army Hotel front desk, which will show the nearby trails and historical “must sees”. You can enjoy a scenic run and can clock up some serious miles running the beautiful and sprawling posts around America.
Be sure to learn your TDY post’s regulations before you head out. Some require that you wear some type of reflective clothing or belt during low light conditions. These regulations are essential at keeping both personnel and their families safe while walking, jogging, running and driving.
Make the most of your hotel room
Your hotel room can provide plenty of space to maintain your core strength and stay fit while traveling. The area between the bed and the TV stand or the hallway that leads to your bathroom can serve as an exercise gym for three simple workouts that can keep your core strong: pushups, sit ups and planks. Pushups take practice and TDY is a good time to do that.
We recommend warming up with 25 jumping jacks followed by 10 repetitions of 10-20 pushups, with 10 seconds of rest in between. For sit ups, take the traditional route or do a sit-up variation like a standard crunch or v-up. For a peak workout, do 5 repetitions of 25 sit ups.
Planks are a great core strengthener. Get down on your forearms and toes, lift yourself until you are parallel with the floor and rigid. Stay in that position for up to 60 seconds. Repeat until you are unable to hold the plank for the full time. Don’t be discouraged if you’re unable to hold this position for very long as this is a great everyday exercise where you’ll be able to see improvement day after day.
The Hotel Gym - Get Your Cardio On
Hotel gyms can vary quite a bit in size and equipment, but there are some consistencies between them. Seek out rowing machines, stair climbers and treadmills for exercise that will get your heart rate going. A moderate workout may consist of 60 minutes on the treadmill at 10-minute miles. You’ll work up a sweat and be ready for that scheduled PFT when you return to your duty station.
Attack the Bleachers - Feel the BurN
Quite a few military bases have tracks and stadiums where you can really get a diverse and intense workout. A friendly IHG Army Hotel staff member can direct you to the nearest outdoor facilities. Start with stretches then a few warmup laps. Modern military tracks are made of rubber and can be very comfortable for the feet, so do what’s required for your branch of service PFT, for example, 1.5 to 3 miles, then add an additional half mile if you’re feeling up to it at the end of the workout.
If there are bleachers around the track or field, run up and down the stairs for an extra challenge, and to get your heart rate up.
Your Ally in TDY Fitness and Recovery
IHG Army Hotels have you in mind when it comes to your personal fitness – locations are always being updated to the most modern nautilus and workout machines, free weights, treadmills, stationary bicycles and mats to so you can work your core, increase your endurance and be ready for whatever the military has in store for you.
Keep in mind that your recovery is just as important as your workout. After every session, stretch and wind down. Always pay attention to the signs your body is sending to prevent overexertion. Spending 15-20 minutes stretching after a workout will not only assist in your recovery but will leave you better prepared for your next workout.
These are just several tips to assist you as you work on maintaining your fitness while traveling. Think about downloading a fitness application on your smartphone to keep track of your progress, in miles and in repetitions, then share it with your troops. If you’re an officer or NCO, this can be a special time to stay in touch with your soldiers, sailors or marines while you are traveling, either through TDY, business, or deployment. Either way, it will help you keep track and stay accountable to your goals.
