Staying Healthy on Business Travel

To the many people who don’t get to travel with their jobs, going to exotic, foreign climbs on a business trip seems like a desirable luxury.

In reality, going abroad for work, especially on short trips, is a world away from travelling for pleasure.

Imagine taking on a new time zone when you’re only in the country for a few days and whilst you’re there you have to be at the peak of your wits? Imagine living out of a suitcase for elongated periods because your days are just too hectic to unpack?

It’s important to stay healthy on a work trip to stop yourself from coming back and needing a holiday.

Tips for a healthy business trip

Food

With your body clock out of sync, eating healthily becomes very tough. Snacking can be good to try and get your senses back to the correct meal times but finding healthy snacks when you’re on the move or abroad can be difficult. Fresh fruit, nuts or even tinned fish can be easy to carry and healthy. They also last a few days which can be handy too.

It can also be difficult to avoid free food whilst you’re away. Salty nuts and snacks given out on the aeroplane, free biscuits in your hotel room, cakes at your meeting? Remember that you’re not moving about as much and will find it harder to burn off the excess calories.

The trick is if you’re not hungry, don’t eat!

If you’re eating out as part of your work trip then try to select the healthy options. Avoid creamy sauces if possible, eat plenty of vegetables and try to avoid anything that’s fried.

Hydration

Keeping your body well hydrated is vital whilst travelling. Make sure you always have a bottle of water to carry around with you and take constant sips.

You may be tired but don’t let energy drinks or full sugar soft drinks tempt you. These are not effective hydrators and over consumption can lead to stomach problems, the last thing you need on a busy business trip!

Needless to say, alcohol is not a hydrator either. Use sparingly to avoid worse dehydration and sleep problems.

Exercise

Travel with an exercise routine. This is easy given the plethora of mobile apps now available which provide routines which do not need any equipment, using your own body weight for exercises instead.

If possible, try to book accommodation with or near to a gym. If not, a place to walk or jog nearby.

Although your packing space is limited, some equipment such as skipping ropes and resistance bands are compact enough to travel with.

Don’t forget the downtime waiting for connections at the airport. This could be spent walking around the terminal getting your step count up.

Sleep

If you want to feel healthy or even just have the ability to function like a human being then getting enough sleep is vital to your wellbeing. This is one of the hardest things to master when travelling on a business trip.

Try to adapt to your new time-zone as early as possible by setting your watch before you travel. Don’t eat huge amounts of food and try to stick to your new mealtimes.

Drink plenty of water but try to avoid alcohol and caffeine. Embrace the daytime or make things as dark as possible, depending on what time of day it is.

Try to find a herbal supplement you can take that helps you achieve sleep when you need it. Try it at home first to avoid any unwanted side effects.

Accommodation

Renting comfortable accommodation is an obvious way to ensure you stay as rested as possible during your trip. Comfortable accommodation means much more than a comfy bed to lie in!

Think about the size of your hotel room, how much space you have just for you (how much space you have to exercise), what facilities you have access to and how close is your accommodation to the places you need to be?

Instead of hotels why not consider self catering apartments. There are companies that provide luxury corporate housing in city centres across the world, some of which are right in the middle of the central business district where you need to be.

Not only that, these furnished serviced apartments give you the space you need to unwind at the end of a long day in the city. Space to exercise and the space and the facilities to be able to cook your own healthy meal.