Whether I’m going on a summer vacation or a business trip, I find traveling to be extremely gratifying. However, the extended hours at the terminals, long drives in cabs and the lengthy flight can be extremely infuriating, and my doctor says that this might prove to be detrimental to my health. I wouldn’t agree more because most people don’t even get to exercise when traveling. They spend most of their free time lazily lying around on the beach when on vacation or held up in a conference center when on a business trip. Between the meetings and the excitement to explore new sceneries, getting time to eat a healthy meal might prove to be an arduous task. Knowing how much my health means to me, I came up with simple tricks that could help me maintain optimal health when I’m on the go.
Getting Adequate Sleep
The best and most important thing I do while traveling is sleep. This is because the body and mind need some rest after carrying the luggage and crossing time zones among other uncomfortable activities. After arriving at my destination, I always ensure to get some sleep before embarking on my mission. If I take some work back with me to my hotel, I sleep for a few hours before initiating the next task, which allows my mind and body to rest. How much time is enough? The body should tell; if the alarm rings but I still feel tired, I always go back to bed and enjoy some quality slumber.
Biting What I Can Chew
I am an enthusiast of roaming the streets of my destination city to meet new people, but I don’t overdo it. Taking things slow is not only beneficial to my health, but I also get to know the place better rather than hastily exploring the obvious scenes. When visiting a big city, I always extend my stay. This affords me the luxury to slow down without compromising on my need to have optimal fun. Shortly put, I don’t strain to see the entire city in a day; I take plenty of breaks after short distances.
I Don’t Forget To Take Breakfast
Skipping breakfast could adversely affect my efforts to keep fit. Since it might not be practical to go out for breakfast and still go for lunch and dinner, I make myself a quick and easy breakfast. I purchase a box of oatmeal, which I can mix with hot water in the morning before heading out for the day. Since I also like to keep my health up to high standards, so few days a week I make my breakfast even more healthy and interesting using vegetables and fruits for preparing a quick smoothie or juice in the morning. And what’s better than a juicer to make my juice.
Well, this goes a long way in ensuring that however tight my schedule is, I don’t miss breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and missing it might compel me to take junk food, which will ultimately ruin my goal to stay healthy.
Keeping Hydrated
If there is one thing that you’ll never miss in my backpack, it’s a bottle of water from which I sip all day. Water plays a critical role in our body; in fact, our bodies are comprised of 70% water. Staying hydrated prevents me from erroneously feeling ravenous while in the real sense I’m just thirsty. This saves me from consuming excess food unnecessarily. Besides, sufficient water intake raises energy levels, lowers stress and avert cramping when working out. When visiting someplace with more humidity or hotter than my usual residence, I make a point of drinking more water. I also remember to take water during long meetings.
Avoiding Alcohol and Sugary Beverages
For those enjoy an occasional bottle of beer like me, it would help if you substitute drinking with other activities during your trip, which will help you to remain focused on your mission. For example, I pick a hobby, go to the movies, begin a workout session, chat with family members back at home or even make new friends. However, the chances are that your new friends are going to offer you a drink. For the sake of my health, I’ve learned to politely turn down the offer by saying “no thank you” and mean it. I say it firmly, quickly, and change the topic, denying myself a chance to change my mind. Also, I substitute sugary beverages like soda with healthy smoothies, which further facilitate my resolve to stay healthy.
Traveling for leisure or business can easily interrupt our fitness regime and adversely affect our health. If not cautious, it’s easy to fall into the trap of little or no exercise and ingesting calorie ridden meals, especially when on vacation, forgetting that the importance of our health does not go on holiday. However, with the above tips, I am always assured of a healthy journey to greatness.
