Traveling is fun. Whether you’re doing it on business, or for your own pleasure, visiting other places and seeing different sights and people is great. Naturally, people who have to travel a lot on account of business are less interested in sights and local attractions. But we all have something in common and that thing is the havoc that traveling causes to our bodies, especially when we’re talking long distance traveling. Diets, workout programs, daily work or recreation routines, everything is thrown out of its proper place and confusion reigns instead. This is an unpleasant situation, but there are ways to manage that.
A good thing you can try when you arrive in a new city is to drop your bags at the hotel, put on your sports gear and go running or jogging. Don’t bother unpacking your stuff because this will only sap the last of your energies. Once you’re done unpacking and putting everything in its place, you’ll only have enough energy to crawl into your bed, grab the remote and also some of the tempting high-calorie snacks from the mini bar, while checking out the fifteen channels on TV. That’s not the best way to start your visit, so it’s a good idea to do things differently.
Business trips are most of the time a whirlwind of confusion and exhaustion that drains a person, but that’s not set in stone. While exercising may sound counterintuitive, because exercises require some of that precious energy that keeps a person going, physical effort is actually a very good idea. Working out does not deplete the kind of energy that keeps a person awake in a chair throughout the day, but actually helps increase stress resistance and general stamina. So instead of getting between the sheets as soon as possible, you should do the exact opposite.
If you don’t have the time for a full run and a shower afterwards, you should at least take a brisk walk. This is an excellent way to clear out the cobwebs and also to check out the surroundings and discover all the little sights and shops you may want to visit later. If the hotel has a gym, you can use that, although you miss out on the local parks. A very important piece of advice is to avoid snacking on those overpriced, high-cholesterol, high-fat foods that the hoteliers load in your mini bar. Instead, you should find a local convenience store and buy some good stuff that will keep in the minibar’s refrigerator.
Eating properly is of utmost importance. But that can be difficult, especially on a hectic business trip, when eating improperly begins the moment the flight attendant serves you a tray of something that shouldn’t belong in any healthy diet. What you can do before leaving home is to load up your carryon bag with celery, carrots, raisins, tomatoes, fruit, a lean turkey sandwich, maybe a little cottage cheese with pineapple, even some trail mix or a protein bar. This will keep hunger away and also the pangs that can make anybody give in to overeating.