Ways for Professionals to Stay Healthy While Traveling by guest writer Janice Russell
Traveling professionals spend a lot of time in hotels or short-term rentals. It’s not always easy to stay healthy while you’re on the road. Sticking to healthy habits and finding ways to be healthy can help. Today, A Walk in the Park with Colleen provides some strategies you can use to stay healthy while on the move.
Visit Your Doctor
Keep up with your regular physicals if you travel frequently. If you’re traveling abroad, check on vaccination requirements and recommendations to protect yourself from diseases. Ask for refills on regular prescriptions to ensure you don’t run out while traveling. If you are pregnant, check with your doctor before traveling. If they clear you to go, then invest in some comfortable clothes you can wear throughout your trip. A soft maternity dress can be great on planes and strolling through the city. Or soft lounge pants can be great for relaxing in the hotel room.
Plan Healthy Food Options
Relying on restaurant food while traveling can leave your body begging for veggies. When you dine out, look for healthy options or swap out high-calorie sides for vegetables. Your meals should be roughly half fruits and vegetables along with whole grains and lean proteins. Stock your in-room refrigerator with yogurt, fruit, and other healthy breakfast and snack options.
Stay Active
Exercising while traveling, especially on work trips, can be challenging. When possible, walk to the places you visit to get in more steps. Book a hotel within walking distance to where you need to go, and check for an on-site gym. Exercise apps or videos let you fit in workouts in your hotel room. Try for the minimum recommended 150 minutes per week through these various options.
And if you’re pregnant, don’t let that stop you! Staying active can be a bit more of a challenge but there are things you can do to help, from listening to your favorite music to investing in practical yet stylish pregnancy leggings for some added comfort.
Practice Mindfulness
Even people who love to travel can find it stressful. There are always new things to learn, and you are away from the comforts of your home that provide you with stability and mental ease. One way to combat that stress and fatigue is through mindfulness. Learning to meditate and simply be can calm your mind, and thus lower your heart rate and stress levels. Try practicing mindfulness before you travel so that it is a familiar experience on the road.
Be Prepared to Network
Traveling can be a great opportunity to meet new people and share more about your business, so always keep plenty of business cards on you. If you need cards for a new business or want to refresh your old cards, look into creating useful business cards online. There are great free templates online that allow you to customize the design and content until it fits your business perfectly.
Focus on Sleep
Most people feel their best when they sleep 7 to 9 hours nightly, explains Rise Science. Some people struggle to sleep well away from home. Bring your favorite pillow and blanket to feel more at home. Adjust the thermostat to a cool temperature; 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit is the recommended range. A white noise machine can block out noise from hotel neighbors or the street.
Travel With Your Dog
If you have pet-friendly accommodations and have a flexible schedule while traveling, taking your pup can support your physical and mental health. Those frequent walks and trips outside for potty breaks keep you moving regularly. Look online to find helpful pet care advice, like how to keep your pup safe with an escape-proof harness or even a doggie backpack, and why you should bring a well-ventilated crate to secure your dog when you have to leave the room. And if you’re worried about leaving your pet unattended, a portable pet camera you can set up in the hotel room will let you keep an eye on your dog when you leave.
Practice Good Hygiene
You’re exposed to lots of germs while you travel. Packing sanitizing wipes lets you clean high-touch surfaces, such as plane armrests, door handles, and toilet flushers. Wash your hands frequently, especially before eating. Keeping your distance from other people, especially if they’re sneezing or coughing, can also help.
Take Safety Measures
Safety issues can impact your mental, emotional, and physical health. So, follow these hotel safety tips:
- Stay on the 2nd to 4th Request a room above the ground floor, but not too high that a fire ladder couldn’t reach it. Ground floor rooms are easy to breach. Upper floors generally require several key cards for access.
- Secure the door. Lock the deadbolt when you’re in your room.
- Bring alarms. Engage portable door alarms in the room.
- Stow valuables. Use in-room safes for valuables.
- Use the cloud. Instead of toting around important documents, digitize them and store them in the cloud for safekeeping and easy access. With a free online tool, you can merge similar files together for better organization.
- Keep info private. Don’t tell anyone where you’re staying. And be careful about what you share on the phone in public
- Make noise. Leave your TV running even when you’re gone.
Always being alert helps you notice potentially dangerous situations quickly.
Healthy Travels
Traveling for work can be a welcome change of pace, but it can also interrupt healthy practices you established at home. Instead of falling in and out of your routine, do your best to maintain it even while on the road. Focusing on key healthy habits and practicing safety strategies can help you stay healthier while traveling. And use mindfulness practices to keep up your mental health, too. It’s important to have holistic health goals both at home and away. With some effort and consistency, you can travel for work without sacrificing your health.
A Walk in the Park with Colleen is here to help you find that magical vacation. Call 518-265-1421.
