The Complete Guide To Staying Fit While Traveling For Business

Traveling for business can be an indulgent experience. Heading to new cities, flying business class, staying at premium hotels and dining at infamous restaurants. If you often travel for work then you might find that it can be counterproductive to your regular health and fitness routine.

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All that jetsetting can result in skipped workouts, poor eating habits, and a lack of sleep. Keep your health and fitness up by using our tips for staying fit while traveling for business.

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Pre-Trip Tips

Help your future self feel good by doing a few things prior to heading on your business trip:

Make A Plan

Perhaps the most important tip in this guide, making a plan will help you consider all the ways you can stay healthy on your trip. This plan can include things like what you’ll order when you eat out, what exercises you can do, and when you can do them.

This plan doesn’t need to be super detailed but laying out a game plan will help lay out your intentions and keep some goals in mind. Making a plan will help you start off your trip with clear goals, similarly to creating a shopping list so that you don’t walk around the grocery store aimlessly!

Choose Accommodation Wisely

Accommodations play a big part in staying fit. Choose a hotel or AirBNB with an on-site fitness facilities, an in-room fridge and microwave, and a very comfortable bed.

Even if you don’t tick all the boxes mentioned above, you can plan ahead to make sure to get as close as possible. Considering the location means that you can be near a good gym or park to work out. Additionally, the location should be nearby a grocery store or healthier food options.

If you don’t have any say in choosing your accommodation, do some extra research on the are you’re staying. Make sure to note the health and wellness amenities at the hotel, the closest gym or park, walking or running routes and a nearby grocery store.

Pack Fitness Essentials

Limited space in your suitcase means that you can’t always prioritize workout gear. However, you can pack a few things that don’t take up too much space and help you stay on track with your fitness goals.

• Workout attire like t-shirt and shorts.
• Running shoes or shoes you can exercise in.
• Resistance band for mobility work.
• Healthy snacks like muesli, oranges, carrots and protein bars.
• Tupperware to use as a bowl.

Traveling Tips

The travel process is the worst part of a trip on your body. You breathe in recycled air in an airplane or sit cramped in a car for hours on end. Here are a few travel tips to keep your health in check:

Air Travel

Walk around your terminal while you wait for boarding. This keeps your body active as much as possible before your flight. Alternatively, you can find a quiet corner to do a quick bodyweight workout in before your flight. If you packed some resistance bands then this a great time to use them. For this to happen, you’ll need to pack some workout gear in your carry-on.

Car Travel

Make sure to take plenty of quick stops so that you can stretch your legs and keep your blood flowing. This is super important, especially if you know you’ll be sitting in meetings upon your arrival.

alternatively, you can plan to leave 30-60 minutes early so you have time to squeeze a run in once you arrive at your destination. This way you can enjoy some fresh air and stretch your legs at the same time.

Exercise Tips

If you want to stay fit during your business trip then getting some exercise in is imperative. It can be hard to stick to your regular workout routine but that doesn’t mean you can’t get some exercising in. A short 15 minute workout is enough to keep you in shape during your trip.

Use Your Body’s Weight

Using your bodyweight means that you can work out anywhere, at anytime. If you don’t have a gym or pool at your disposal then you can still get a good sweat in. You can start off with a few basics: burpees, squats, push-ups, one-leg deadlifts, sit-ups and planks. If those are too easy, try one-legged pistol squats, jump squats, handstand push-ups and hollow-body holds. Or, use the resistance band you packed.

Do Yoga

Try doing some yoga in your free time. This is good for your mind and body. Try a DIY session or an app to guide you.

Go Running

Put on your running shoes and go for a run through a route that you picked out prior to your trip. Not only are you staying fit, you can explore the area around your hotel room.

Hit The Hotel Gym

Some hotels have a fitness center to offer guests. If this is the case, you can head to the gym in your free time and dedicate a couple of minutes to cardio. In the case that your hotel has a swimming pool, getting a few laps can be a great way to stay fit.

Walk Everywhere

Staying fit can simply means walking to meetings, exploring the city, or taking the stairs. Walking helps you get some extra steps in between your busy schedule.

Food Tips

Yes, you probably know how to eat healthy without us telling you . However, the hard part about eating healthy is choosing what to eat when you travel. Here are some tips to stick to your diet:

Stock Up On Snacks

Keeping some healthy snacks on your body, helps keep you from making poor food choices simply because of convenience. Having a fridge in your room allows you to store snacks and leftover food from eating out, perfect for when you get some cravings. We recommend loading up on fruits, veggies, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt and instant oatmeal.

Focus On Lean Proteins

Order dishes that features a lean protein, like grilled chicken breast or baked salmon. The carbs (rice, potatoes, etc.) and the fats (sauces, butter, etc.) will naturally go along with the meal. Avoid ordering dishes that feature carbs, like pasta and fried rice.

Order Meal Delivery

If there are no healthy food options near your hotel, use a food delivery service like UberEats and GrubHub. This opens your options to more healthy food choices.

Deconstruct Your Meal

Some business trips might include catered meals. If you get the option to feast at a buffet, you’ll have access to multiple food choices. Otherwise, you can pick apart your meal and eat only what is healthy. An exmaple of this might be eating your sandwich open, with the top off, to cut down on calories.

Skip The Alcohol

Turning down alcohol is easier said than down, especially at a business dinner. We recommend ordering a mocktail to avoid alcohol or simply tell your companions that you’re not drinking that night.

Sleep Tips

Sleep is a very important time for your body. It has ties to various factors including your concentration, memory, appetite, and metabolism. A poor night of sleep can throw off your entire day or even the whole week. Here are some tips to get good sleep on your business trip:

Stick To Your Routine

Make sure to stick to your regular sleep routine by going to bed and waking up around the time you normally would. This can help counteract jetlag.

Avoid Evening Drinks

It’s important to stay away from alcoholic beverages and caffeine in the evening time. These types of drinks in the evening can affect the quality of your sleep.

Keep Your Room Cool

Cooler temperature is linked to better sleep. If there’s no air conditioner available in your room, you can try asking the reception for a fan.

Prioritize Sleep

It can be hard to sleep enough if you’re not in your own bed. In the case that you didn’t get enough sleep, skip your morning workout or get ready fast so that you can catch a couple extra minutes of sleep. That way, you’re properly energized for the day ahead!

Additional Guides

In this guide we focused on how to stay fit while traveling for business. If you’re looking for more helpful posts then check out some of our other posts:

Bottom Line

Traveling for work often leads to making poor lifestyle choices simply because they’re more convenient. Make a plan and follow these tips to stay fit while even when you travel for business.

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