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Sheila Shares

Making Your Trip Comfortable

Founder of The Oaks at Ojai

Do you pour over travel magazines? Plan your vacation ten months ahead of time? Speak up first when someone from the office has to fly out to meet with a customer? We have a lot in common if you've nodded yes. People sometimes think I'm a travel-aholic. I love it! The truth is, like many of you, when I go away on business or pleasure, I continue to stay fit, eat good foods and do as much as possible to remain healthy. Thus, I have fun and see new and exciting places at the same time. Here is a suitcase full of fit travel tips. Use them -- tell others. The secrets of staying healthy and well while away from home deserve to be shared.

• 1. Avoid wearing panty hose if possible. They are a dangerous weapon when it comes to comfort. If you must have panty hose on with your suit, use one of the following options:
• a. Change out of your business suit and panty hose when you get on board the plane; change into a loose fitting outfit like workout clothing. Ask the flight attendant to hang your suit so it doesn't get wrinkled. If you're driving, plan to stop just before arrival and change back into your business suit and panty hose.
• b. Wear slacks, then take off the the knee-high hose and heels and slip on thick athletic socks or ankle slippers. If you're driving, put on sneakers. You'll be so much more comfortable!


• 2. Avoid a bra with a hook in the back. Sitting with the hook jabbing into your spine is unpleasant. Front hooking bras are a travelers dream.
• 3. Avoid soda & alcohol. Ask for water or mineral water instead. Another tip is to place a popular mineral water in a small atomizer and spritz your face every half hour, finally applying a touch up of make-up just before landing. Your skin is moist & soft and it helps avoid jet lag.
• 4. Speaking of jet lag... fool your body clock by eating 5 or 6 small meals the day before you cross time zones. Eat lightly for 2 or 3 days before an extended flight. You will feel more energetic and then you can splurge on delicious exotic cuisine when you reach your destination without any hint of guilt.
• 5. Pack your carry-on bag with "jet powder" (a small container of talcum). When getting dressed before the flight, be sure to sprinkle it on your body. When you need to refresh during the flight, smooth on a thin film and you will instantly feel dryer and fresher.
• 6. When you choose clothing for the trip, avoid anything with buttons, especially if the garment is tight-fitting. Even if weight stays the same, clothing often feels tighter when we travel.
• 7. Check the climate of your destination before you leave. Design your outfit for the weather where you're going.
• 8. To feel fresher when you arrive always do in-flight exercise. Here are some of my favorites:
• Lace your fingers and raiser your arms above your head. Hold for a count of 15, then relax. Repeat with arms straight out from the shoulders. Repeat, pushing your hands down to the floor of the plane.

While sitting, bring your feet up to your buttocks and hug your thighs, rounding your back. Hold for a count of 30 and relax. Take a walk around the plane as often as possible, hunching your shoulders, straightening your posture, contracting your abdomen, rotating every possible joint in your body.
One more suggestion ----- Pack your healthy lifestyle and you'll stay fit for life!

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Sheila Cluff, fitness expert, television celebrity and owner of The Oaks at Ojai, is the author of Take 5: How You Can Benefit from Just Five Minutes of Daily Exercise and The Ultimate Recipe for Fitness by Sheila and Eleanor Brown. Visit Sheila's Spa on the Internet and see all that's happening at the resort: The Oaks at Ojai www.oaksspa.com.