Top 5 Basic Healthy Habits for Business Travelers

How do I manage to stay fit while traveling for work on a regular basis? I admit eating healthy on a business trip can be tricky. Not to mention, to get in good workouts when traveling is even more challenging.

However, with a few sustainable healthy habits that you can build over time, keeping in shape – eating healthy and staying active no matter what country you go – will become easier for you, too.

In the end, it has a lot to do with wanting to maintain your health in order to keep traveling, and always being on the go, which requires a lot of movement!

Do you struggle to stay in shape while traveling for work on a regular basis? Would you like to change your habits and don’t know where to start? I strongly believe that a healthy lifestyle is built on a foundation of healthy habits. You don’t need to change everything about yourself at once. Just pick something from the list below that resonates with you, apply it consistently until it is easy, and then pick another one. It’s as simple as that.

Having to travel on a monthly basis, keeping a close eye on my food intake and staying active is essential to stay in shape.  So here are my top 5 basic healthy habits you can start building to stay in shape when traveling for work too:

#1. Hydrate properly – drink lots of water every day

Staying hydrated is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Try to keep water on hand at all times and sip it throughout the day. As a good rule of thumb, if you are drinking enough so that you never feel thirsty and your pee is light yellow, you are hydrated.

Make sure that you keep a bottle of water on hand at all times – in your bag, in your rucksack, at work or in the car so that whenever you feel thirsty, you can be sure you’ll be ready! Flying on a regular basis? No problem, take your bottle, empty before security and refill it after landing. More and more airports have water fountains these days. Avoid bottled water. Companies don’t sell water but bottles.

#2. Avoid eating just before your bedtime

Why is not a great idea to eat a large meal right before going to bed? Because eating at night may upset your body’s natural day/night cycle, impairing your sleep cycle and causing you to have trouble managing your blood sugar levels.  Also, your body needs time to digest the food before it shuts down and goes into sleep mode.

Gas, indigestion, uncomfortable full feeling in your belly – all of these can seriously delay your ability to fall asleep and stay resting through the night.

#3. Replace salad dressings with extra virgin olive oil or squeezed lemon or lime juice

Be careful when eating and drinking out. Most dressings and sauces are also packed with salt and sugar, so ask for it to be either served on the side or on someone else’s plate (kidding! Just tell them to skip your plate).

Most salad dressings are very high in calories, often from refined vegetable oils and sugars. Pretty much defeats the purpose of a salad, right? If you are opting for low calorie, use lemon or lime juice for some extra flavor. The best choice though is a small amount of extra virgin olive oil because it drastically increases the absorption of the many fat-soluble nutrients in your salad.

#4. Start taking the stairs instead of the elevator

It only takes an extra two or three minutes at most, and sometimes is even faster. Climbing stairs is actually great exercise, and if you make a habit of it, you will be a far more conditioned person.

#5. Whenever you can walk, please walk

If you simply can’t walk to where you need to go, make a point to park further away from your destination and walk the extra block or two. Similarly, you can get off of the bus or subway one stop early and walk the rest of the way. At work, you can get up and go to someone’s desk instead of using your instant messenger. Be creative, and keep walking.

I have written previously about making healthier choices and sticking to a healthy resolution both of which are focused on the idea that, by setting a few realistic baby steps – meaning-making small changes towards a healthier lifestyle – it can become much easier to stick to good habits.

Healthy habits are NOT about strict diets or, even worse, depriving yourself of the foods you love. Eating healthy is all about eating smart. Feeling great. Having more energy. Having more time for your hobbies. Improving your health. Making your life much simpler and happier.

Stay healthy and be happy!
Xoxo Cris