Lots of people are travelling again for business.
One person told us last week that they'll be on the road for up to 60% of the time between now and the end of the year which can be really disruptive to your rhythm with healthy habits.
So, if you have some travel coming up and you're keen to stay on track with your energy, focus and performance, here are a few things you must be mindful of:
Exercise
Look at your travel schedule in advance and decide what your workout plan will be. This way, you'll know what to pack.
For some trips it could be clothing for the gym. For others, your swimming kit could be all you need.
Sometimes you'll need to pack trainers for a local park workout with a skipping rope that you'll also need to remember to pack. Or a resistance band for a hotel room workout.
Or you might not need any additional clothing or kit at all if you plan to do some stretching and bodyweight exercises in your room.
With a bit of forward planning there are opportunities on every trip and the chance to return home feeling in good shape and ready to return to your regular routine, rather than coming home tired and frustrated and feeling as though you now need to play catch up with your healthy habits.
Sleep
If you have a pre-sleep routine that works at home, be sure to take what you need, or plan ahead to ensure you can replicate this routine while on the road.
This could include an eye mask, ear plugs, reading material or making sure you have your preferred podcasts, relaxation music or mindfulness audios downloaded and ready to go. You might also like to take a small portable speaker.
If you haven’t yet established your ideal pre-sleep routine, use any forthcoming trips as research to create this, experimenting with slightly different approaches until you settle on what works best for you when away from home.
You can experiment with the above elements to find a useful order of events with reading, music, meditation etc, and also give some thought to setting out some guidelines around alcohol, caffeine, meal times, and technology use.
And speaking of meal times...
Eating & drinking
You can also refine your business travel healthy eating plan gradually over time.
Eating and drinking well while on the move can be challenging so break this project down into sections of the journey. What can you do at the airport? On the plane? At the hotel when you arrive at the other end? When you get to the office or meeting venue?
As with your fitness plan, visualise how you'd like to feel when you return from each trip.
Making simple adjustments could be the difference between arriving home feeling tired and sluggish and in need of some recovery, or coming back bright and bushy tailed ready to either get stuck into the next work day or to enjoy your weekend.
Here are 10 small things that could make a difference.
Plan in advance how you will spend your time on the plane. If it’s a night flight, how much time will you spend sleeping? If it’s a day flight, what’s your strategy for work, movies or leisure reading?
Examine your travel schedule so you can identify the maximum number of workout slots available. Then decide how many of these you'd actually like to make use of.
Pack your resistance band and skipping rope.
Make sure you have a reusable (and full) water bottle with you as you leave home.
Avoid alcohol / caffeine at the airport.
If you’re eating at the airport base your meal around salad or vegetables first, then think about the protein element aiming for pulses, beans, fish, chicken or turkey rather than heavier beef or lamb options. Avoid or minimise bread, pasta and rice.
Finish your water bottle before security. Then fill it up again when you get airside.
Avoid alcohol / caffeine in the plane
Aim to drink as much water as you can during the entire trip
Try to complete this workout while you're away. It's 25 mins total, broken into three sections. All you'll need is a couple of water bottles.
And if you'd like to read a bit more on this topic, here are 3 articles that will help.