On the road

I can come up with some pretty good excuses for not keeping to my fitness regime when I have to go on business trips. Such as: "I'm only taking hand luggage so I don't have room for my running shoes", or, "The treadmills aren't the same as the ones in my gym at home," or my favourite one: "My boss might come down to the pool." They are all good excuses, but not really good enough (apart from the last one).

Most hotels have some kind of gym facilities – even if the treadmills are not exactly the same, there is usually someone around who can show you how they work. Even if there isn't a gym, there are ways to keep fit without turning to machines or pools.

We've created an exercise with some tips on how to keep fit when travelling. We don't expect you to do everything (I know I don't), but you might find time for one or two of our suggestions.

To inspire you to take up more exercise, we'll start with a quote from Joan Welsh, a successful American businesswoman:

"A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs."

While travelling you get to choose! Pills or stairs?

Deborah Capras