How to stay fit when you travel with work

Many of the business people we work with travel a lot. Some can be away from home for up to 10-months in the year! Even for those who are on the move for a few weeks each year, keeping a healthy routine can be a challenge. Or at least that’s what they tell us. Others report that they actually find it easier to stay healthy when they’re on the road with hotel swimming pool and gym open 24 hours etc.

So how can it be easy for some and hard for others?

It's all about the way you look at it. Here’s a selection of top tips to keep busy executives sharp and energised while traveling for work.

1.Plan ahead
Always book hotels with fitness facilities or a swimming pool, or preferably both. Hotels in areas close to parks are also great. Keep a resistance band and a couple of ideas for hotel room workouts in your suitcase at all times and never leave home without your trainers. Simple truth is if you don’t plan for fitness it won’t happen. Business travel can be demanding and any obstacle to exercise can put you off. The best case scenario is that your trip provides you with some different options for exercise. That way you’re looking forward to trying something new – running or cycling in a new city for example. Safety first - always check with the concierge about the best running routes in cities you don't know.

2. Be experimental
While away you’ll be eating in hotels and restaurants but this needn’t be a problem. The great thing here is that someone else is doing your food shopping and cooking and you just have to make the right choices. So, while someone else is preparing your food for you, take the opportunity to try something new. It may be a completely new food or a familiar food cooked in a new way but any new dish will provide the chance for your body to experience some new tastes and nutrients.

3. Pace yourself
Busy executives have a habit of packing their schedule on every trip so they can fit in as much as possible. A difficulty with this is that trips will be tiring and you can return home feeling shattered. Every trip should have some rest and recovery time built into the schedule. This can include a massage or a yoga session, both of which can be booked in advance of your departure. Make these appointments that will recharge your batteries, and protect the slots as you would for your client meetings and you’ll find that your trip will feel more balanced.

4. Get creative with routines
People often think they can't plan routines and patterns when they are traveling. But chances are that business trips eventually fall into their own routine of location, hotel type, meeting schedule and eating patterns. As you get to know the patterns of your business travel, learn to plan around them and know when you’ll take exercise, what you’ll eat and when, how you’ll relax and how you can sleep best. The more you can follow tried and tested successful strategies for staying healthy on the road,, the easier every trip will be. You might even return home feeling better than when you left!