ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 2, 1996 TAG: 9607020033
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: PERSONAL HEALTH
SOURCE: JANE BRODY
Surely I am not the only person who returns from vacation in better shape than when I left. But my friends are astonished that I come home from trips - even cruises - minus a few pounds and with muscle tone as good as or better than when I left.
That was not always the case. Before I was bitten by the health-and-fitness bug, my post-vacation body was always several pounds heavier and flabbier and it seemed to take four times as long to regain my form as it did to lose it. Since then I have discovered how to enjoy good food without going overboard or feeling deprived and how to keep in shape even while traveling in exotic lands. If you have similar goals, here are some things you might try.
Bodies quickly get stiff and uncomfortable when confined to small spaces like airplane and automobile seats. Be sure to wear comfortable clothing without a binding waistband. When driving, stop every two hours to stretch, walk around and perhaps have a light snack and refreshing drink.
Although you cannot get off a plane at will, you can increase your comfort and safety during flights. Start by asking for an aisle seat when you buy your tickets and get up often, at least once an hour, to walk up and down the aisle. Between flights take a brisk walk through the airport.
A plane trip as short as three or four hours can set off dangerous blood clots in rare instances. But everyone can benefit from finding positions that do not impede circulation. Unless you are very tall, keep pressure off your veins by resting your feet on a carry-on item so that your knees are higher than your hips.
A pillow in the small of your back and an inflatable neck pillow can reduce aches and pains, especially if you doze off. Every hour or so, exercise in your seat: stretch your arms up and legs out, rotate your head, wrists and ankles, flex your hands and feet, roll your shoulders, bend forward with your stomach tucked in, alternately contract and relax the muscles in your stomach and buttocks and raise your knees, one at a time, to the opposite elbow.
Use a luggage cart or suitcase on wheels to avoid overstraining muscles and joints. Carry everything else in a backpack or shoulder bag, periodically switching shoulders.
To prevent fatiguing dehydration, drink lots of caffeine-free, non-alcoholic fluids, preferably without carbonation, to reduce bloating. Eight ounces of a plain liquid every hour is a good rule of thumb. I carry 20 ounces of bottled water to cover flight delays and gaps in onboard service.
``Getting away from it all'' should not include getting away from exercise. You will have more stamina during your vacation and feel a lot better after it if you maintain some kind of fitness routine. And maintaining an exercise routine will allow you to eat more without gaining weight. The first items I pack are running shoes, exercise clothing and a swim bag. If your knees can take it, you might also consider a jump rope.
Before booking a hotel, find out what fitness facilities there are on the premises or nearby. In recent years, many hotels have installed exercise rooms to attract fitness-conscious business travelers and conventioneers. If nothing else is possible, I take a brisk hourlong walk in the neighborhood. I look for hotels that have pools suitable for lap swimming. Once, while on a ship with a postage-stamp size pool, I devised a form of water aerobics to supplement my early-morning walk around the deck.
If you are a member of a Y at home, you can use one of the organization's sites elsewhere for no charge or a small fee. Many health clubs offer day rates for visitors. Ask the hotel concierge about nearby exercise opportunities or check the local Yellow Pages.
However, a vacation is not the time to increase your level of activity drastically. If you have planned an active vacation, be sure you are in good condition beforehand for the kinds of demands your body will face. The usually sedentary tourist is likely to become a mass of aches, pains and blisters by the second or third day of a trip that involves extensive walking or trekking, especially if it is up and down hills. While you are at it, remember your feet. They deserve the most comfortable, low-heeled, cushiony, broken-in shoes or boots. Even then, bring along some moleskin in case sore spots develop, and treat tired feet to a massage and soaking at the end of each day.
While you would hardly want to miss out on special culinary delights, there is no need to be piggish or overly self-indulgent. The sixth bite of death-by-chocolate or tiramisu is no better than the first few, and no one is forcing you to finish it. Try just sampling dishes that you do not want to miss but that are loaded with calories, perhaps sharing such dishes with your companions. If you drink plenty of water with your meals, you will be less likely to overstuff yourself with food.
Since few places on earth have as serious a problem with overweight as the United States, I have found that when visiting other countries, eating like the natives is usually the surest route to ``having it all'' without gaining. In Europe, that means a light breakfast, big lunch and small supper. In Costa Rica, I breakfasted on beans and rice. In Indonesia and Thailand, I ate heaping platters of rice and vegetables with small amounts of chicken or fish and fabulous fresh fruit for dessert. Wherever I go, before ordering I try to determine how dishes are prepared and choose those that seem least likely to be loaded with fat. And I ask for all dressings and sauces served on the side.
On planes, I have given up ordering low-calorie, low-fat or vegetarian meals. Few if any of the food services companies seem to know how to prepare a tasty, well-balanced ``special'' meal. Most airlines nowadays have reduced the fat and ``goo'' content of their regular meals, and on long flights there is nearly always a choice of two or three meals. If I do not want to take my chances on what I might be served in the air, I bring along a turkey sandwich from home.
On ships where food seems to be served at every hour of the day and night, you will do best if you stick to normal mealtimes and skip the in-betweens. Most ships have a wide selection of dishes and include several that are relatively low in calories but delicious nonetheless. At lunch I generally fill up on salads and low-fat seafood, and at dinner I request double servings of vegetables. I have found that chefs on ships will usually prepare a low-fat salad dressing upon request. I save dessert calories for those that are really special; the rest of the time I have a small cookie or two with my coffee.
Of course, vacation time also often means an increase in alcohol intake, and it is all too easy to drink up quite a few sneaky calories. Moderation is the key here. If you need to get blotto to have a good time, you have picked the wrong vacation.
For more guidance
Perhaps the most useful and comprehensive book ever published on health issues involved in travel is ``Fielding's Traveler's Medical Companion'' by Eden Graber and Paula M. Siegel (William Morrow, 1990, $15.95).
LENGTH: Long : 118 linesby CNB