This is two years in a row that I’ve come directly out of an 8-week FIT4MOM Body Back fitness program directly into my only business trip of the year.
The timing has potential to be the ultimate shock to my system: from clean eating, scheduled meals and 5-6 workouts a week to all restaurant meals at all hours of the day and hours on my feet but no time for a legitimate sweat.
Even a week off track can put your goals further out of reach and undo some of the hard work on diet, exercise and overall healthy lifestyle put in place over the past months.
A true healthy lifestyle is all about balance. While I’m traveling for work, in a new city with new restaurants, I know I’m not going to be as disciplined as I usually strive for. I’m going to sample the local favorites and unwind with a nightly glass of wine.
But with these planning tips, days away from home, on the road, in a hotel room, and out of a suitcase don’t have to equal disaster.
Here’s how I stay on track while traveling.
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Tips to Maintain a Healthy-ish Lifestyle While Traveling
1. Pack a variety of healthy, portable snacks.
My go-tos: all kinds of nuts, Portable Protein Packs, Rx nut butter packets, apples, string cheese.
2. Request a mini-fridge for your hotel room. That gives you freedom to buy some fresh foods and have healthier snacks on hand.
3. Shop local for fresh items once you arrive. Grab portable produce like apples, bananas and baby carrots, some pre-made hard-boiled eggs, and maybe your preferred brand of milk for breakfast.
4. Stick to basics in your hotel room for breakfast. It might sound crazy but I make overnight oats in my hotel room in a mason jar. I bring the dry ingredients pre-portioned out in Ziploc bags and then I add mashed banaa and almond milk I’ve bought from the local grocery store. I rinse out the jar when I’m finished and repeat the next night. Voila: healthy, fast, filling breakfast.
Another option is Greek yogurt and berries topped with almonds and cinnamon or low-sugar granola. Throw some plastic flatware into your suitcase so you don’t have to wash the spoons.
5. Pack your athletic shoes and sportswear. Odds are, you’ll have some amount of downtime and you may want to fit in a quick workout. Even 30 minutes is better than no minutes.
6. Check out the hotel gym. I generally hate the treadmill and machines, but when on the road, the hotel gym is an easy way to get in 30 minutes of sweat. The novelty of trying new machines might be enough incentive to get you to throw those workout clothes on after all.
7. Do a bodyweight workout – no equipment needed. If the hotel gym isn’t your thing (and I totally get it — it’s really not mine either), you can stream a bodyweight HIIT workout on your phone or tablet. PopSugar Fitness and YouTube have bunches of options that will have you sweating without any equipment at all. Yoga by Adriene on YouTube is another favorite channel to get in a quick stretch at the end of a long work day.
8. Walk instead of Uber whenever practical. Going out to dinner with colleagues? Tell them you’ll meet them there and focus on getting your steps in. Aim for 15,000 steps on days when you can’t work out. It’s hard (really hard!) for me, but that high goal motivates me to get up and get moving every chance I have.
9. Read restaurant menus before you go out and have a plan in mind. It helps to see what your options are and make deliberate decisions about the better options on the menu so you aren’t making split-second decisions. Salad with dressing on the side is always an option. I opt for grilled seafood with steamed vegetables as sides when they are available, but most restaurant dishes do have heavy sauces. It’s not perfect but it’s better, and sometimes that’s all you can ask for.
10. Pass on (at least some) cocktails. If you must have one, stick with light-colored: a vodka soda, extra lime, is my drink of choice. A glass of white wine or champagne is another better choice.
11. Bring a large water bottle everywhere you go and just keep refilling it. My 24-ounce spillproof Contigo is my perennial travel accessory. I fill it from hotel meeting space water pitchers, water coolers, water fountains, and even the bathroom sink. Staying hydrated goes a long way to making better food choices.
12. Give yourself a little bit of grace and get right back on track when you get home. Recognize that you can’t be perfect when traveling because there will always be some things out of your control. That’s OK. Enjoy your indulgences and eat and drink them mindfully. Make better choices whenever you can. And make a commitment that as soon as you get home, you resume your usual healthy habits.
I already have my workout booked for next Monday and I’m looking forward to sweating it out after a week out of my routine.
See? A business trip or even a vacation doesn’t have to spell the end of your fitness journey progress. Just take it day by day, meal by meal, and it will fall into place. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself while you’re there!
How do you stay healthy when traveling? Drop me a tip below or share on social media with #NeverDoneWithFun!
