I used to travel a lot back at the time, staying several weeks in hotels and commuting between offices and airports. I always found very difficult to find a healthy balance and stay fit next to all the travel. There were just way to many uncontrollable factors (at least this is how I felt). For example the food in the airplane, local food in the country I visited, regular company dinners, breakfast buffet, long office hours and no adequate canteen. Eating out and not being able to prepare food for myself was the real issue. I also could not keep the regular exercise routine anymore. It was just too hard to stick to a fix schedule with all the appointments.
During my most busiest time of traveling I started putting on weight, little by little added up. I was really frustrated about it and did not know what to do until I changed my job and stopped travelling. Of course this is not always an option, it must be some other solution to make business travel more healthy. This week I was back on the road again. When I was packing my luggage I was keep telling myself that I will do everything this time not to fall back to the old routine.
I started to think about these uncontrollable factors and how I can take them out of the way. Let’s just go through the list what makes business travel so unhealthy and find a way to deal with it:
Airplane food: dependent on the time of travel have your proper meal before the flight and skip the food entirely. Take the water to get properly hydrated. If it is not a practical choice (which in my case was not an option due to flight times) take the time to order a healthier option. Airline firms offer nowadays many food options to choose from especially in long haul flight. I have a vegetarian in my profile which works for me.
Business lounge: while it is really practical to spend your waiting time in the lounge, do not get tempted by all the free food just to pass the time until boarding. Instead take a good book with you or do a rehearsal of your presentation and stay with your refreshing water.
Wending machines: you have been traveling and had a lot of meeting, no time for lunch? Do not grab sweets from the wending machine. Instead bring your apple and nuts with you to fight your hunger until you can bite into something better. It is generally a good idea to take with you your favourite healthy bar too for traveling.
Business dinner: it is almost inevitable to go for dinner with your clients or colleagues and no question networking is key for your business. However think it through and organise it according to your schedule. Do not skip your gym time entirely to have a bite, keep some evenings empty for yourself. Also, when you eat out remember the 7 simple food rules, they also apply when you are not at home!!
Lack of sport: sport is a must while traveling therefore pick your hotel wisely. Do some research before you book, a nice and inviting gym can support your motivation. Go there on the morning before breakfast to make sure your workout does not get skipped in case you have obligation in the evening. You can also do some exercises in your room directly, you only need your body weight and a towel, perfect for planking, jumping jacks, burpee, squads or crunches. Walk the streets, great start of the day to collect your thoughts before you arrive to the office or meet your client.
Challenge is up! Let’s go girls!
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