Fitting In Fitness At The Airport

Please enjoy the following guest post by Ambassador Dorothy Beal @mileposts. Wishing you safe and happy travels this holiday season.

If you are a frequent airline traveler the holidays can feel like your worst nightmare come true. Delay after delay can steal the holiday pep from your step. If you have more time on your hands than you would like either because of a delayed flight or because you are like me and don’t like to be late EVER then follow these tips to fit in a little fitness while at the airport.

Skip the escalators – If your flight is delayed or you are early, you have more than enough time to skip anything that is going to help you arrive at your gate faster. I’ve made it a habit to take the stairs whenever possible at an airport and often turn it in to a mini competition with myself or others. If I am traveling with someone else and they want to take the elevator I race them up – gets my heart pumping and gives me a confidence boost knowing that I’m faster than the elevator {hey! athletes can make anything competitive right?!}.

Skip the moving walk ways – Moving walk ways are great when you are running late but if you want to live an overall active life don’t take advantage of things like this. We have gotten so used to modern conveniences that we are blind to see that little by little they take away from our every day health by reducing the overall steps we take daily.

Surf the trains, trams and people movers – I’m not a germophobe but something about grabbing on to a pole that’s been touched by thousands of travelers, gives me the gag reflex. When on underground trains or people mover type things I shift my stance a little wider and “surf” my way to my destination by not holding on to anything for balance. I recommend standing near a wall or a pole just in case!

Chair dips – I’ve seen a lot of things at airports around the globe, so while you may feel silly doing chair dips in an airport – who cares – I promise you many people have seen much crazier things that someone trying to fit in a little fitness. 

Meditate – For the longest time I wanted to meditate but my Aries go-go-go personality wouldn’t slow down long enough to convince me that I was capable of sitting still and clearing my brain of all thoughts. When I discovered the Headspace meditation app, meditation became something I could compete with myself. The more days in a row I racked up the more I was able to make meditation a regular part of my life. Pack your headphones, download the app on your phone and create your own 10 minutes of ZEN amidst the chaos that is the airport. If I can meditate, anyone can.