Traveling is great, but it can interfere with a fitness regime. It’s hard to stick to a gym routine or continue with your half-marathon training program when you fly across several time zones and spend two weeks living out of a suitcase. Eating hotel food and drinking too much doesn’t help either.
All in all, travel is ruinous to a keep-fit program. You won’t have too many issues if you take a week off once a year, but if you need to travel for work, it can be very hard to stay in shape. Here are some helpful hacks to make staying in shape while traveling a lot easier.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is critical. If you don’t get enough sleep, your health will suffer. A lack of sleep has a knock-on effect in other areas. You won’t feel like working out if you are tired. Your body will crave carbs and you will probably end up drinking too much in a misguided attempt to get a good night’s sleep. Traveling through different time zones can have a disastrous effect on your sleep patterns. When it’s night time, your body thinks it is daytime, and when you are supposed to be wide awake, all you
want to do is sleep.
Try taking some melatonin supplements when you travel long-haul. Melatonin helps us to fall asleep and stay asleep. It can encourage your body to adapt to a new time-zone. If possible, try and catch some sleep on the flight. Invest in an eye mask to make it easier to sleep when it’s light outside or in the cabin. Get one that can be washed, so you can continue using it each time you travel.
Eat Healthily
Diet is as important as exercise. It won’t matter how much exercise you do if you gorge on high- calorie foods. Unfortunately, hotel food is often full of calorific ingredients, which is bad news if you are trying to stay in shape. Try to avoid the unhealthiest dishes on the menu. Grilled fish or lean meat with a side salad is a healthy option. If you don’t see anything suitable, ask for a salad or something low in calories. Give
the wine course a miss and ask for iced water instead. If you have no choice but to wine-and-dine your clients, pick a restaurant that offers healthy options on the menu and stay strong when faced with chocolate desserts and delicious aperitifs.
If you are lucky enough to stay in an apartment, shop for fresh fruit and vegetables at local markets. You don’t have to dine out every night.
Working Out
There are plenty of ways to keep fit while you travel. Most larger hotels have gyms and swimming pools. Make use of the facilities, and if there is a complimentary personal training session on offer, sign up. If gyms are not for you, pack a pair of running shoes in your bag and explore the local area on foot. It’s a great way to see the sights. Even a brisk 20-minute walk is better than nothing. Plan some routes before you travel. Use a running route app such as Map My Run. If you plan on sticking around for a while, find out if there is a local running club you can join as a temporary member.
You can also workout in your hotel room or apartment. Do a yoga routine or find a keep-fit training video on YouTube. Do sit-ups and squats daily. Every little helps!
Travel doesn’t need to ruin your healthy lifestyle. Try these tips and you can return home in great shape!
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