Work calls many of us to travel a lot which can sometimes jeopardize our diet plan and exercise routine. Also, with the summer break around many of you would be planning a holiday. Just in case you stand a risk for giving in or losing track, check out and remember these tips to be make up for the lapses, if any.
If you’ve worked hard to establish a good fitness routine, going on a business trip doesn’t have to mean your healthy habits will be derailed.
You can keep your momentum and endorphins flowing and maintain your fitness level when traveling.
- Drink a minimum of eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Airport food, sitting on a plane, jet lag – all contribute to bloat. The best way to fight it is to stay hydrated. Also, If you will be drinking alcohol at business mixers, drink a lot of water between events. In fact, thirst is one of your body’s most powerful instincts. Medically, dehydration is defined as a 5% increase in the concentration of solutes in your blood. (Often this can be more conveniently detected based on short-term weight loss.) Thirst sets in at about 2%, so you’ll always feel strong thirst setting in long before you’re dehydrated. It is also not true that dark urine indicates dehydration.
- Use good body mechanics when you lift your suitcases up to the check-in counter. Lift from your knees, not your back. Be aware of your posture as you carry your bags. Try to, maneuvers through the airport on your own two feet, not on the airport shuttle. Walking through terminal A to D, with the handbag can give you a good hiking workout. Also once you arrive at the destination take advantage of the hotel’s gym – ‘some of the bigger hotels really do have nice workout facilities now, or find a nearby health club where you can pay a day fee.
- Even though you’ve left behind your daily routine, try to eat three meals a day, maintain a balanced diet and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. If you’re going to eat a high-fat meal, eat a smaller portion, or order an appetizer instead of a main course. Split desserts with a friend. One of the most important rules to remember all through the holiday season is the law of energy balance, which states: To lose body fat, you must consume fewer calories than you burn up each day.
- Rest. If your schedule is shot and you’re not sleeping enough at night, take cat naps whenever you get the chance. Studies show power napping is a effective antidote to free-floating anxiety and increases work productivity when traveling. “A NASA study…shows that a nap of just 26 minutes can boost [work] performance by as much as 34 percent”. 20-40 minutes is considered the optimal nap length. Longer naps lead to deep sleep and REM (dream) sleep cycles. Those sleep phases can make travelers more disoriented and groggy upon waking. Program your electronics or set the hotel alarm clock for the 40 minute mark if you think your nap might turn into a marathon sleep session. Ask your doctor about sleep remedies and medications if you have trouble with insomnia when you travel.
- Stretch in the morning and evening, especially if you’ve been sitting all day. Travelers need to periodically flex and stretch the hamstrings and hip flexors, the muscle at the upper part of the leg that connects into the pelvis. You can employ few yoga postures that you can do on your long flight that will help release your stress in your muscles and prevent fatigue. Effective yoga poses in your seat while travelling include ankle bends, toe stretches, aswini mudra, sitting chest expander, camel (kneeling in front of your seat), sitting side stretch, mountain, arm lift, modified neck rolls, eye exercises, shoulder shrugs, finger exercises, the blade, posture clasp, sitting abdominal lift, sitting sponge and the alternate nostril breath for relaxation.
- Pack snacks: bananas and apples, yogurt, protein bars. You can make meal replacement shakes in your room. No, you don’t need a blender, just a container with a tight fitting lid, large enough to shake the contents. If you constantly munch on chips, you will not only add emptycalories, but also excess salt, which will make you thirsty and will not satisfy your hunger. Instead, substitute these with nuts or energy/protein bars that are not too high on sugar.
- For more fitness options, place in your luggage a Resist-A-Tube or any of the home exercise tubing, a stability ball, jump rope or exercise video. Hotel-room workout can consists of push-ups, sit-ups and dips. A resistance band is a great travel workout aid because it’s an effective resistance-training tool and yet it folds up into the tiniest of spaces.
- When you’re sitting on a plane or in a conference room, take deep breaths occasionally, tighten your stomach muscles, then relax. Deep breathing exercises can help relieve stress and tension. Incorporating some meditation on a daily basis is also a good idea — even if it’s only for a few minutes a day it will help you remain centered. If you do so, the rest of your day will be more productive.
The key to a healthy holiday season is balance and moderation.
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- Top 10 to stay lean and fit during holidays
- Revamp your fitness routine
- Stomach Bloating or Abdominal Distension
- Water: a versatile nutrient
- What a healthy diet looks like?
- Sleeping off the Pounds
- Meal Replacement Shakes – A Healthy Choice
- Jump Rope Workout
- Every Breath You Take
