Why Self-Care, Scheduling, and Healthy Eating Are Keys to Staying Healthy When Traveling for Work

Whether you are consistently on the go or have an occasional business trip, staying healthy is essential. If you travel for your job, you can face many challenges maintaining the routines that benefit your health. Eating out, switching time zones, and accommodating varying work schedules can easily disrupt your efforts to care for your body. Try these tips from skysportsf.com for keeping fit while away from home:

Make Self-Care a Priority

The first step to accomplishing your health goals is to create a plan. Employees who do not prioritize their physical and mental health can experience burnout, making them more likely to take sick days. If you are often experiencing jet lag, poor sleep or lack of energy due to unhealthy grab-and-go foods, it is time to change your travel routines.

Eat Healthy Foods

Although this may seem daunting, you can eat nutritious foods while traveling. Stop by a supermarket and pick up healthy snacks and breakfast items when you get to town. If possible, try to book hotels with kitchenettes or rent Airbnbs so that you can cook some of your meals. Avoid eating unhealthy foods simply because they are available at meetings and conferences. Thinking ahead ensures you have good food to maintain your physical and mental energy. It takes some pre-planning and effort, but keeping your body in good shape is well worth it.

Create a Good Schedule

Organizing a business trip can be very time-consuming and stressful, but sticking to a schedule can help make the most of your time away. Creating an online planner or schedule maker is a great tool to help you keep track of where you need to be and when. This way, you’ll ensure that all your important meetings are taken care of and any downtime is filled with activities that are meaningful to you. Not only will organizing your trip this way ensure that you get the most out of it, but it will also give you more time savings by using a schedule maker. This effortless tool enables efficient use of time while on the go – an invaluable asset for any business traveler.

Keep Exercising

It is easy to become sedentary on a trip, abandoning exercise because you are away from your home routines. However, physical activity keeps your body healthy and improves your sleep quality and work productivity. One study shows that participants experienced a 72% increase in completed tasks on days that they exercised. Try these ideas to remain active:

• Use the hotel’s fitness room
• Walk to your meetings if they are nearby
• Exercise in your room with squats, push-ups, lunges or yoga
• Stay active at a park or walk/hike in nature
• Go for a swim

Get Some Sleep

Be proactive when it comes to sleeping during your travels. Ensuring you rest significantly improves your ability to tackle each day’s agenda. If you are only away for two days, stick to your current schedule in your time zone. If you will be away longer than that, start adjusting your sleep to the time zone of your destination three days ahead of your trip.

Take your eye mask, sound machine and other sleep aids with you. Use a calming app or try meditating before bed. Remember to moderate your caffeine intake during the day and turn off all screens one hour before it is time to sleep.

Bring Your Pet

While it may seem like a hassle to bring your pet along on a trip, there are actually many health benefits to doing so. For one thing, having a furry friend by your side can help reduce stress levels and blood pressure. In fact, research has shown that simply stroking a pet can help calm the nervous system. Plus, pets can provide much-needed companionship, especially if you’re traveling solo. They can also motivate you to get outside and explore more, which is great for your mental and physical health. 

If you plan on traveling with your pup, ensure their safety with a GPS collar. Look for a collar with real-time mapping and location history so it’s easier to track your dog if he gets lost or escapes.

Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can increase your jet lag and cause headaches, dry eyes and dizziness. Make a conscious effort to plan your water intake. Getting enough water will allow you to feel your best. It can also help avoid deep vein thrombosis when flying. Avoid drinking too much alcohol. It accelerates your fluid loss and disrupts your circadian rhythm, making it challenging to sleep and adjust to your new time zone.

While it can be tricky to navigate work travel, it is possible to stay healthy on your business trips. By creating a strategy for self-care that includes healthy eating, proper sleep hygiene and exercise on the go, you can maintain your physical and mental well-being wherever your career takes you.