As an avid pursuer of mental, spiritual and physical health, and being what some chronologists may consider “not in my twenties” anymore, I’m always looking for ways to keep in shape when I’m traveling. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a gym rat. I enjoy Randy’s Donuts as much as the next guy. As Emo Phillips once said, “my body may not be a temple, but it is a reasonably well-kept Presbyterian Youth Center.” Enter: workouts on the road.
It can be tough, but even finding 30 minutes of time to do basic exercises (sit ups, push ups, jumping jacks, squats) can get your blood flowing and stave off that killer, STRESS. As a guy who paid his way through college as a fitness instructor, (and jumps off the stage into the crowd on most of my Atlantic City Boys gigs), I felt qualified enough to demonstrate a road workout I do when I can’t find a gym. (The irony that I filmed it in a gym is not lost on me) I was able to film myself, sometimes successfully, with a handy little device called a KickBack Phone Stand.
So throw on some gym clothes, click on this link and let’s do it!
Hiking, it’s like walking only harder.
As a singer (who moves well) and a producer of talented folks who sing and dance for a living, I strive to be an encourager of physical fitness (hence this article’s focus on workouts on the road. My theory is that if you’ve worked out in the morning, your body is warmed up and ready to sing, even if your call time is 9am. It’s for this reason that I like to do my #FroggieFitness hike at like, 7am. It is also for this reason, attendance can be spotty at best. But the early birds get the worm, and in my case that comes in the form of home-made apple pie from the Trails Café. Pie for breakfast? Yup. I believe in balance, so my offer of a hike is quickly followed by my offer of free pie. (You still have to get up, though.)
Of the physical activities you can do in a group (5k, bootcamp, Ninja warrior), the hike is the most social I’ve found, and still challenging enough to burn calories and work up a sweat. When you hike with a group, that group tends to chat and bond and become a team, and there’s no more need of teamwork than an acapella group, I can assure you. Everyone has to hit the right note to make that chord ring, and if you’re warmed up, chances are you’ll be successful.
Now if you are hiking, odds are you are on a mountain. If you are on a mountain, you have the perfect excuse to sing at the top of your lungs like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music, (or in my case anything by Justin Bieber) so as an exercise for singers, it’s a win win.