Stay Healthy While Traveling to Boost Your Job Performance 

It’s hard enough to stay healthy while on a regular work routine.  After all, who wants to skip out on a  lunch with co-workers at the best Mexican restaurant in town?  Or turn down a chance for the often laughter-filled, casual networking of an end-of-day Happy Hour – the only problem being, that can mean calorie-filled cocktails and tasty but girth-enhancing hors d’oeuvres.

And it can be even harder to stay healthy while traveling for your job.  The road warrior is often having work meetings during breakfast, lunch and dinner, and after a long day, with the company picking up the tab, it’s human nature to find yourself slipping into the “I’ve-always-wanted-to-try-that-decadent- dessert” mentality.

As if that weren’t enough, what happens if your hotel doesn’t have a gym?  Or it’s not in a safe part of town, and you don’t want to go for a jog outside?  Not to worry — while we can’t solve the time crunch of around-the-clock meetings, we can offer four tips on staying healthy while on the road:

Eat Well

• • • Pack your carry-on with some healthy snacks such as power bars, almonds or kale chips.  Try to stow  enough snacks in your purse so that you have something to grab if you are out and about and get hungry.  High-protein goodies are especially handy for much-needed brainpower during work sessions.
    • You should also plan out your meals in the city where you’re going.  This takes a bit of research, but it’s worth the effort not to gain a few extra few pounds on every trip.  Look up healthy restaurants at your destination, and try to visit at least one per day.
    • If you’re meeting up for a meal with colleagues, and aren’t able to choose the restaurant, don’t sweat it.  Instead, review the menu online in advance to find non-fattening options, so that you are less stressed figuring out what is healthy once you sit down and get caught up in table chatter.

Stay Active

• • • The best way to stay active is if your hotel has a gym, but if that’s not the case, there’s no need to fret.  Most in-room TVs now have up to twenty exercise programs on-demand you can use at any time.
    • And don’t forget good old-fashioned stairwell aerobics — running up and down the stairs at your hotel is a great cardio workout.  Also, if you feel comfortable in the area where you are staying, you can go for jog, and look for a nearby park to give you some soothing scenery while listening to your favorite tunes.
    • Additionally, you could walk to your appointments instead of taking a taxi, if the buildings are close.   The key is to get moving!

Get Some Rest

• • • Remember to get some slumber.  Sleep is a very important factor in staying healthy: according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, it substantially refreshes your brain, actually “flushing out toxins.” And it even helps keep you slim: the Harvard School of Public Health notes that “there’s a link between how much people sleep and how much they weigh.”
    • Also, try to get the same amount of sleep you get at home, aiming for 7 or 8 hours per night.  If you think you should be burning the midnight oil in order to finish up that report while on the road, have a look at this article about job performance and sleep  in Entrepreneur magazine, which contains a blunt quote from a sleep researcher: “Unless you’re doing work that doesn’t require much thought, you are trading time awake at the expense of performance.”

Stay Motivated

• • • Lastly, anybody who’s been on the road knows that it’s tough to be away from your regular routine, and sometimes anxiety wins out.  So you may find that you gave in and ate that free cookie or drank at the complimentary happy hour on the Executive Level of your hotel.  Once again, don’t sweat the small stuff.
    • Think of it like this:  you want to make the most of every minute while on business travel away from your family, so don’t forget to schedule at least a few hours of healthy “me time” to decompress and then get back on track again.  Once you have taken time to unwind, it will be easier to re-charge your sense of willpower and say no to that double chocolate-chip brownie!  (And if you need scientific proof, see the study noting the draining effect that stress has on self-control.)

So our road warrior prescription is this: munch on healthy fare, stay active and moving, then allow enough time for sleep so your brain is rested and you can make wise choices – particularly where food is involved – to help boost your job performance and make that business trip memorable.