You’ve been doing great watching what you eat, making healthy choices, maintaining a good exercise routine. But what happens when you travel? For some of us that is just a couple times per year and we are able to self correct any back sliding when we get back home but for others travel happens regularly and sticking to any kind of diet and exercise seems impossible. Below are some healthy ideas you may want to consider when you are traveling. These ideas should help you maintain a healthy lifestyle even while you are on the road.
HYDRATION
Bottled Water — carry it everywhere. Whether flying or driving bottled water is your friend. If you are traveling by car fill a cooler with bottled water and take it with you. Water the no calorie, stomach filling; digestion cleaning fluid is your best friend when on the road. Your digestive system will probably be compromised when traveling so give your body the benefit of lots of water.
If you are flying you really need to take some bottled water with you. Airplanes are dry and you will get thirsty. One in six airplanes is flying with unsafe drinking water. So after you get through security go get a couple of bottles of water to consume during your flight, do not trust the airplane water.
It is also a good idea that whenever you get to your destination, assuming it is not your mom’s or grandma’s house, stock up on some healthy drinks to keep in the hotel or condo. Do not rely on pop out of the vending machines. No good will come from soda.
EXERCISE ANYWHERE
Stay at hotels with an exercise facility, many even have a trainer on staff. Before you even get to your room ask to be shown the exercise room or hotel pool. Now you will know where the work out facilities is located and be more likely to get some exercise in. In order to make this work you must pack clothes for working out and swimming, do not let that be your excuse to not exercise.
If you are staying somewhere without facilities you can do some things in your room. Such as, pushups, squats, use the hotel chair for triceps dips, and no elevators only stairs to your room.
At the airport don’t use the people mover and take the stairs not the escalator. You can also use the time before your flight to walk the airport and get in at least a mile. If you carry your luggage while walking that will also be strength training.
SMART FOOD CHOICES
Remove temptation. Call ahead and ask the hotel management to remove the minibar from your room. If they won’t do that, tell them you do not want the key to the minibar left in your room. This will help you avoid temptation.
Avoid mindless munching. There are often long waits at the airport with the new requirements to get checked in and the Cinnabon smell is very tempting. You are looking at a whopping 813 calories if you indulge. If you absolutely can’t pass a Cinnabon up at least share with someone. So if you are driving or flying and need to munch pack some power bars, nuts, baby carrots, or fruit. These choices are much healthier alternatives.
Avoid fast food. Fast food while you are driving seems like a good idea because you can eat and keep moving on down the road but the calories are outrageous and not nutritious at all. Below are some links that you may want to research to find choices on these popular fast food menus that won’t completely train wreck your health.
Burger King https://www.bk.com/nutrition/PDFs/NutritionalBrochure.pdf
McDonalds https://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controler.nutrition.index.1html
Wendy’s https://www.wendys.com/food/pdf/us/nutrition.pdf
KFC https://www.yum.com/nutrition/documents/kfc_nutrition.pdf
Taco Bell https://www.yum.com/nutritional/documents/tb_nutrition.pdf
Practice portion control. Business dinners and tourist attractions can really sidetrack your healthy eating choices. You don’t always have control of where you will be eating or what you will be served when traveling. But you can control how much you eat.
Rest your digestive system. Try and give your digestive system 12 hours not digesting, for example, no food after 8 pm if you plan to breakfast at 8 am.
THE WAITING GAME
Here is my favorite way to kill time while waiting in an airport. Take advantage of the massage chairs. The cost is reasonable, the benefits to be loose and relaxed before you are crammed into those tiny seats is priceless. This is a great stress reliever and a wonderful treat for your muscles.
SLEEP
Get a good night’s sleep. This can be hard to do when you travel but research has shown that sleep deprivation increases appetite. And evidence is starting to mount that sleep loss is a risk factor for obesity. So pack your own pillow, get the temperature in your room between 60 -65 degrees, make it dark and quiet, and get the rest you need.
Armed with some of these ideas you may be able to keep your exercise and healthy eating continuing when you hit the road.
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