Forster has more than 25 years of experience testing and training some of the world's most elite athletes, including Pete Sampras, Maria Sharapova, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Phase IV's new Life Performance Program is designed for time-crunched business-people who have given up hopes of winning Wimbledon and would be satisfied finishing a simple 5k or completing 18 holes without a cart.

Whether he's working with elite athletes or weekend warriors, Forster employs a training method called periodization. Periodization, which was developed by Eastern bloc sports scientists back in the 1950's, involves four-or eight-week training intervals, including a recovery week. This cycle is then repeated continuously, with modified training porgrams.

Periodization fits the traveler's lifestyle nicely because of the built-in week off. Forster adjusts his clients' training programs so the recovery week falls during their most disjointed week, whether that's a hectic business trip or a lazy vacation.

But life doesn't always jibe with set schedules. For those times when you must live out of a suitcase, there are tricks to avoid slipping too far in your fitness routine.

1. Loosen up. First and foremost, Forster stresses the importance of stretching during long flights, particularly the legs and back, in order to comabat lethargy and stiffness by improving blood flow to the muscles. On the plane, get up and walk the aisles "every 45 minutes, if possible," he advises, and stretch during layovers and when you arrive.

2. Grin and stair it. Many hotels, and some airports have some sort of fitness facility. But not far from your room is another fitness aid: the stairwell. "I had a client who traveled a lot and practically trained for a marathon by running hotel stairs," Forster says. After stretching, do 20-25 minutes on the stairs.

3. Feel the burn. Cardio work in the morning will "elevate your heart rate and have you more energized all day long," says Peter Lavelle, co-founder of Boston-based Ultimate Bootcamp, which conducts grueling workouts at 6 a.m. He recommends imaginary jump-roping in your hotel room, adding, "That doesn't mean that you imagine yourself doing it." It's the same motion as jumping rope, just minus the rope. Begin with a stretch, then do two minutes, then rest for one. Do this three to five times.

4.Get your feet wet. Light swimming is a good warm-up, then move onto full-body lunges or cross-country skiing type movements while staying in place. "Gently," Forster urges, explaining that the workout comes from the motion and the water's resistance, not the speed.

5. Go hard-core. Every hotel room has space to work on your core, that is, your abdomen. This is the centrifuge of your power and stability, whether you're a Wimbledon champ or a driving-range hero. Lavelle loves crunches; Fingertips at ears, knees up, feet flat Come up slowly, exhaling, until your shoulders are six inches off the ground (three sets of 20-25).

6. P.S. Forster's biggest concern, above even fitness, is avoiding injury. If you should miss a few days of training, be sure not to try to make up for it by going harder than usual when you get home. Overtraining is precisely when injuries occur. Therefore, it's better to work your way slowly back into your normal program.

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