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With the busy Holiday travel season and New Year’s resolution time around the corner, I thought it was a perfect time of year to look at the challenges of keeping up the fitness routine while traveling. Sticking to a fitness regimen is hard enough when you are at home, add thousands of frequent flier miles and it gets that much harder. We have all been there: You arrive to your hotel late at night, eat at the hotel bar, spend the whole next day working with unhealthy snacks mixed throughout, only to conclude the trip with airport Chinese food en route to home. Yikes…this is a recipe for disaster for any person trying to get in shape, or keep up with their regular routine.

A recent Wall Street Journal  article asked “The Biggest Loser” trainer, Jillian Michaels, how she maintains her healthy lifestyle when she is on the go more weeks than not. Jillian travels with fitness DVDs that she can easily pop into her laptop for a quick workout wherever she is. When ordering out while traveling, she recommends being even more strict than usual since you are probably not getting your allotted amount of cardio for the day. That means grilled chicken and fish with brown rice or veggies, people.

For extended stay trips, she recommends heading to the local grocery store and stocking up on fruits and veggies. A genius tip I had never thought of is calling ahead and asking the hotel to clear out the mini bar for you. Goodbye M&M’s, hello carrots and apples! As for working out, bring your running shoes and you can take a brisk walk or run in whatever city you are in. If you prefer the gym, the hotel concierge should be able to recommend day passes at local gyms, or make it a priority that you stay at a gym with a health club.

While that cheesy pretzel at LaGuardia might be tempting before you hop on the plane, think of that warm weather destination you will be escaping to for a much needed vaca later this winter. While wearing sweaters and puffy coats makes it easy to forget about the waistline, thoughts of Mexico, Miami and L.A.  in February should keep you on track. In the meantime, follow some of Jillian’s expert advice and safe travels!