Keeping fit on the road is one of the most challenging things about business travel in particular. In other words, when it comes to business, everything else will usually take a backseat.
But what if you could stay healthy and get the job done at the same time?
You see, in spite of popular belief, you don’t need to spend time at the hotel gym to stay healthy while you travel. What’s more, you don’t even need to spend much time at all doing anything!
Here are five simple ways to keep fit and stay healthy when you travel:
1. Explore the City on Foot
If going for a run seems a little far fetched, take a stroll around the city and get yourself acquainted. As you know, walking offers a very different perspective of a new destination but it also gives you a good sense of direction and orientation. Needless to say, this is also a nice way to dust off the cobwebs from sitting on a plane and keep fit in the process.
Tip: Download MapMyRun to track your walks/run and inject a bit more fun into the process.
2. Invest Time in Yoga
Yoga is such an amazing way to stay healthy and fit that requires very little time or money. However, there still seems to be a slight taboo around taking up yoga.
You see, most people assume that yoga “is not for them” but then most people who actually try it realize just how beneficial it can be. You can find yoga classes in almost any destination and there are even apps to help you find them such as the Lululemon Om Finder.
On the other hand, maybe you want a bit more convenience in which case you should check out Pocket Yoga to learn about more than 200 yoga poses and the basic stretches that can be done anywhere, anytime.
Tip: Buy a lightweight travel yoga mat and take it on business trips to hold yourself accountable.
Recommended travel yoga mat available on Amazon: TOPLUS 1/16 Inch Travel Yoga Mat, Foldable Thin Hot Yoga Mat, Sweat Absorbent Anti Slip, High-Grade Natural Suede for Travel, Yoga and Pilates, Coming with Exquisite Carrying Bag
3. Take Advantage of the Hotel Room Workout For many people, leaving the hotel is often the hardest part of keeping active on business trips. For this reason, a quick hotel room workout can work wonders for the mind and body. In most instance, try to stick to regular reps and do them as fast as possible. Here’s an example of a workout:
10 Sit-ups
10 Push-ups
10 Squat Jumps
10 Burpees – Press up position to jumping star ten times
30 Second plank position
Tip: Try to do this workout as soon as you wake up or just before bedtime and as the days pass, try to increase the volume of each exercise by two.
4. Stop Avoiding the Stairs
Taking the stairs is one of the most convenient ways to stay fit when you travel. In other words, instead of standing on an escalator at the airport, take the stairs. Anytime you return to the hotel, opt for the stairs over the elevator. In fact, anytime you see a staircase, make a point of passing up on convenient and taking in some cardio instead.
Tip: If there is no hotel gym and you want to take this one “step” further, set a time limit of twenty minutes and spend this time walking up and down the hotel staircase.
5. Pay Attention to Nutrition
As you know, diet and nutrition are just as important as any amount of exercise. However, when most people travel, the lack of time is often a reason as to why they fail to maintain a healthy diet.
With this in mind, try not to indulge too much in coffee, soda, cocktails or alcohol and even try to replace them with green tea and sparkling water. If the hotel has a buffet, resist the temptation to splurge and when you eat out, avoid fast food at every opportunity. What’s more, try to stick to healthy foods with a nutritional balance such as soup, salad and seafood.
Tip: If you struggle with diet or nutrition on your travels, consider vitamin supplements which can give the immune system a much needed boost.
As you know, business travelers find it especially difficult when it comes to making time for health and wellness. However, as you can see from the simple tips above, it takes little more than effort to keep fit and stay healthy when you travel. So why not start the new year off by making health a priority when you travel?
If you have any tips for staying healthy when you travel, please post them in the comments below. I would love to hear from you.