With travel starting to become a little more frequent now, its great to have some tips and tricks on hand to stay on top.
Travelling for business or pleasure most certainly has its ups and downs and for many of us the change in routine can be challenging to manage with so many other priorities competing for our attention. Staying fit and healthy and avoiding packing on the kilos is often a goal but one that soon flies out the window or rather stays on board when we disembark at our destination.
Keeping things simple and achievable is a sure-fire way to improve your chances of succeeding the next time you travel. We often take too much on board and aim to be perfect which places undue stress on us (the last thing you want on holiday or work for that matter) and to be frank damn unrealistic.
Choosing 3 or 4 elements to incorporate into your trip is all you really need to maintain your health, energy and vigour and avoid taking home any extra personal baggage that’s not desired.
When looking at what might be your top 3-4 elements, consider what you might find easy to incorporate based on your trip plans and schedule.
If travelling for work and being confined mainly to boardrooms and meetings – this is an ideal time to increase and focus on your fluids and hydration. There’s always a bathroom nearby and access to water and herbal teas. This single item alone if committed to can ensure great focus, concentration, energy, clarity and improve decision-making capabilities not to mention aid in fat loss and improve recovery from any jetlag.
Request green tea to be served at all meetings
Make a point of drinking water in meetings or at cafes and restaurants when eating out for work.
Grab bottled water whenever you can – at the airport, from the breakfast buffet in the morning, at the corner shop on the way to a meeting – every little bit adds up.
Many of us under-estimate the power of the small things but the truth is we are the sum of what we do consistently not what we do on occasion.
Green tea is also a great addition as helps the body detoxify, is a great antioxidant so some great health benefits as well as a natural fat burner so will increase your calorie utilisation.
Water or fluid consumption when travelling on holiday however might be a bit of a push as you may not know where you are going, what you are doing or where the next local bathroom might be so your focus might be on something a little easier to incorporate;
- Eating a breakfast high in protein and natural fats. We always have to start the day somewhere and often breakfast is easier to prepare and manage than lunch. Choosing foods high in protein and natural fats affect the chemical messengers in the brain helping us make great food choices for the rest of the day not to mention improving focus and drive and helping us manage appetite. Some great choices include eggs, omelettes, salmon, raw nuts, avocado with some fresh berries or melon. Meats are another great option but make take a little getting used to for some people.
If you have a good exercise routine while at home and want to keep this going, then doing a little prep work before you leave can work wonders.
- Check out where you are staying and see if there are local parks or places you would like to see that are a good walk / jog from your hotel – plan a sight-seeing exercise itinerary for your morning exercise – including exercise as part of your trip rather than something additional to do is an effective way to make sure it happens.
- Another easy option is to travel with some simple light equipment such as a skipping rope or stretch band but the key here is to do a few workouts with them before you go to create a short, effective routine that you know and are comfortable doing rather than trying something new that you may forgot or get a bit frustrated with.
- Hotel gyms tend to be quite limited in many places so preparing a simple exercise routine or a scaled down version of what you do at home is a good idea to avoid disappointment.
- Bodyweight exercises are a great choice as you can do anywhere, anytime and best of all no equipment required – these include press ups, squats, step ups, running on the spot – easy simple circuit which could be done and dusted in 20 minutes in your hotel room if need be.
Remember small things make for great change – choose 3-4 elements that might suit your trip and commit to making them happen and you will come home feeling and looking great.
10 QUICK TIPS:
- Arm yourself with a plan. Plan ahead of time what type of exercise and how much you will do and stick to it – even 10 minutes a day in your hotel room will do wonders
- Exercise can be quick and easy when travelling – try taking a fit strip with you or make a mini hotel routine up of 2-3 exercise before you go.
- Hydration so very important when flying – most jet lag can be avoided if you keep your water in-take up – try lots of herbal teas and bottles water.
- Just walk and ditch the car. Walking burns through calories, increases your cardiovascular stamina, and promotes relaxation, all without forcing you to break an embarrassing sweat, so it's ideal for travel fitness.
- Minerals and vitamins are an excellent way to keep you healthy when unsure of type’s quality of food. Take a good multi with you at the very least.
- Nature’s Playground and Man’s Monuments are perfect locations to keep your fitness routine happening; there really is no excuse for not finding places to exercise when every city has a great staircase, stadium or tall building where you can master the stairs without a machine.
- Opt out of the alcohol even if free when flying, with the pressurized air in the cabin your body dehydrates substantially, and alcohol affects the body clock by not giving you a full and refreshing sleep
- Pre-packed food is a god-send when trying to eat well. Try taking some pre-packed items in case of emergency like protein bars, a protein shaker and protein sachets or mini packets of salt-free nuts
- Xpress workouts are just the way to go when short on time – combine 2 upper body exercise with 2 lower body exercises and perform one after the other with no rest 3-4 times through first thing in the morning.
- Yoga exercises are a great way to unwind and relax while away as well as stretching out tired legs from sight-seeing. Pick up a couple of exercises before you go and do them every couple of days when away.