Bill McGinnis is an NFPT-certified Master Fitness Trainer, and trains exclusively at the University of Texas Medical Branch Alumni Field House on Galveston Island, TX. He has over 25 years in the Fitness Industry, including work as the Men’s Fitness Trainer at the Betty Ford Center and as a Fitness Manager in Southern California. He currently specializes in training older clients for balance, strength, endurance, golf, tennis and an improved quality of life. He can be contacted at mastertrainer.tx@gmail.com.
I’d like to share my proven game plan to maintain my current fitness level, my strength and my weight while traveling over the holidays. First and foremost I AM going to be in a gym somewhere every day except maybe Christmas and New Year’s Day. Over the past 25 years, I can’t remember ever seeing any fitness facility open on either of these holidays. I’ll take my gym bag and workout gear. My gear takes up very little space so packing it shouldn’t result in an extra bag fee if you’re flying.
A quick Google search can find good fitness facilities within ten miles of wherever you’ll be staying. Good gyms will charge a reasonable day fee and allow you to stay all day or, come and go until closing. I’m sure you will be able to locate suitable gyms wherever you’ll be. That may just give you the excuse you need to have some quiet time away from relatives.
For my early January trip to Colorado, I will be seeing one of my longtime workout pals. I am stoked about us working out together after some 14 years. In addition to being a great work out pal, he’s a retired, professional football player with many cool stories from the NFL.
Over Christmas I’ll be visiting a couple of my brothers in Kentucky. Since I grew up in Murray, KY I know where the gyms are. In a town of about 25,000, there are more than an average number of gyms, including the Field House at Murray State University where veterans like myself, can work out for free. This is my kind of place for sure. Check with any gym you visit for veterans discount or try to bargain with them.
Yes there’ll be as much food in KY as you folks will see wherever you are for Christmas dinner. My proven system is this…I’ll continue to eat small meals like turkey and veggies throughout the day. This will keep me from eating like a starving wolf later. My brothers are cool people but any snarling from me at the dinner table upsets their wives! Go figure, huh?
So there you have it folks. Try these suggestions when you can and the chances of scaring yourself in the mirror on January 2nd, 2013 will be greatly diminished. Safe travels and Happy Holidays!
Bill McGinnis is an NFPT Master Fitness Trainer. He lives and trains in Galveston, Texas and works at the University of Texas Medical Branch Alumni Field House. Bill previously served at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, an internationally acclaimed rehab facility for substance abusers and persons with eating disorders, as The Men’s Fitness Trainer where he oversaw training groups of 25 to 50 people.
Bill has studied, trained and earned his certification from NFPT, National Federation of Professional, and NFPT Master Fitness Trainer, in 2007.
Bill began personal training in 1989 and has trained, and/or, counseled more than 4,300 people towards improving their levels of fitness. He also played college baseball. Served in the United States Air Force and was accepted into the PGA Apprentice Program in 1997 to become a professional golfer.
