Staying Fit for Business Travelers

Business travel can be exhilarating, fun and challenging. However, despite all the great experiences you get to enjoy on the road, you also have to deal with not being in your own bed and the lack of sleep that accompanies that. Add long hours, little access to fresh foods, and of course, time away from family and friends, and it’s no wonder the Harvard Business Review found a strong correlation between the frequency of business travel and a wide range of physical and behavioral health risks.

It takes effort to be a healthy road warrior, but it is so worth it. Feeling good while traveling for work leads to more productivity, better output, a superior work product, and an all-around happier life. Here’s our business travel wellness routine:

Stay Hydrated – Drink at least 1.5 liters of water every day, whether or not you’re traveling. When flying, drink at least half a liter of water for every hour in the air. As a bonus, this forces you to get up and move while on the plane, helping to lower the risk of blood clots.

Move Your Body – Make it a point to be up early enough so that you can exercise at least 40 minutes every morning before 7 a.m. A good road warrior workout should involve a balance of high-intensity cardio and free weight exercises to keep metabolic levels up during the day. You should either use the hotel gym, or simply pack exercise bands to use in your hotel room in case time is tight.

Rev Up Your Mind – After you get out of bed and exercise, do some motivational reading, listen to TED Talks or spend time in spiritual reflection to put yourself in the right frame of mind for the day. Stay off social media during this time and challenge your brain instead!
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Refresh Your Body – Get at least seven hours of sleep every night, because your brain and body needs restorative sleep in order to work well. To get that sleep, practice good sleep hygiene: turn off the TV in your hotel room and set your phone on silent so you’re not awakened by a 2 a.m. email.