At my hotel in Copenhagen, floor 16
Once you have established healthy routines and have found that sustainable balance, staying healthy and improving your fitness comes sort of naturally.
I struggle however, when my routines break due to, for example, a business trip. To be honest, compared to any other distraction to my everyday life, business trips are by far the hardest to cope with when trying to stay healthy. My top priority is naturally to excel at my work (which is hard enough!) but trying to get in enough rest, good nutrition and exercise is a real toughie!
Luckily my business trips are usually short ranging from 24h to 3 days. What I learned early on though, is that the trips are usually preceded by a very intense few days of preparation including presentation material print deadlines and late night packing. And when I get back… well, even if – in theory – I could just make it to the last gym class of the day, recovery is needed!
Below is a list of the five main challenges I face while trying to keep healthy and fit when I travel as well as some tips that have worked for me.
The challenges:
- Tight schedule – There are only 24 hours in a day and work needs to be prioritised
- Stress and fatigue – Excitement and adrenaline only carry so far
- Limited food options on the go – Meals range from indulgent client lunches/dinners (if I’m lucky) to a sandwich in a taxi (less lucky), neither are really great for my fitness goals
- Temptations – minibar chocolates, tax free treats, coffee and cookies in meetings… It’s so easy to convince myself “I’ve earned a treat because I’ve worked so hard”. While that may be true, my body also deserves to get some goodness in it
- Flying is exhausting, stiffens your muscles and dehydrates!
Breakfast of the champions (in case I end up missing lunch, which does happen..)
Tricks to make it work:
- Handbag snacks – Nuts, fruit or a protein bar work really well and keep you going through the day!
- Water bottle – The obvious…
- Proper breakfast – Make good use of that hotel breakfast buffet! Eggs and porridge usually always available. When there is a chance you’ll miss lunch, breakfast + snacks take you a long way
- Exercise when and if you can – Simply choosing to walk (when possible) instead of taking a taxi helps to get the body moving and reduce stiffness. Going for a run or hitting the hotel gym is obviously a great way to get in your workout, but at least I rarely manage to do that because I …
- …Prioritise sleep – Nothing is worth losing your sleep over!
Home sweet home <3
Business travel is part of (my) life and to be able to stay healthy it’s really worth it to make the effort! Even if my bananas and trainers in the suitcase receive odd looks from my colleagues 🙂
xoxoxo,
Sini