Staying Healthy While Travelling on Business
Today’s high paced, globally shrinking business market has put new demands on businesses and their employees. It is not uncommon for employees to travel around the globe several times a year for work-related reasons, as well as partaking in many business trips within the home country.
Travelling is exciting, but can also be taxing on our body and our routine. Eating healthy while travelling is a difficult task in itself -- add to that meetings and working out of a hotel room, and any healthy diet is bound to suffer. It is easy to slip out of our exercise routine and have that extra glass of wine and tantalizing dessert with dinner. We arrive home feeling sluggish, unable to get back into our healthy routine, and we blame it all on jet lag. We have to remember that being healthy still applies when travelling.
A severe mistake many people make is skipping meals, thinking a big supper will fill the void. A large meal at the end of the day stretches the stomach leading to that bloated and uncomfortable feeling. We need to feed our body at least every 3 hours to keep our metabolism functioning at a higher level. Our body then knows that it will be fed and will continue to burn calories, rather than storing fat. Remember to eat a meal slowly, as it takes 20 minutes for the brain to realize the stomach is full.
Three of the four food groups should be included at every meal. Many people are not aware of proper portion sizes – a fist equals 1 cup, a palm equals a serving of meat, fish or poultry, and two thumbs equals a serving of most cheeses.
While travelling, we tend to find ourselves spending significant amounts of time in airports, or on trains, buses, or cars. Most airports now have healthier choices available such as granola bars, fruits and veggies, or mixed nuts and yogurt. We can easily avoid purchasing high-calorie snacks like donuts and chips by packing healthy snacks.
Many hotel rooms offer a mini fridge by request -- take advantage of this option to stock up on healthy snacks and water (lots of water!). Most hotels also offer continental breakfasts where healthier choices such as all-bran cereals, fruit, yogurt, whole wheat toast, and bran muffins are offered.
The temptation to over-indulge in alcohol and caffeine is ever present while travelling. As tempted as we may be, we should remember that in large amounts these items can make us restless at night and less productive the next day.
Restaurant eating can be a challenge, no matter what the time zone. Asking for gravies, sauces, and dressings on the side can help avoid smothering food in empty calories. Choosing baked, broiled, grilled, poached, steamed, or stir-fried versus fried is an excellent healthy option. To avoid high-calorie side dishes, ask to substitute with a salad, extra veggies, or a whole grain roll. When menu items are foreign, don’t be afraid to ask what is in the food you are ordering.
While travelling internationally, you will find many different dishes available. For the frequent traveller who is comfortable trying different foods, enjoy the opportunity, but remember- Be Smart! For those who are not experienced travellers, this may not the best time to experiment. With meetings and clients the last thing you need is an upset stomach! Choose foods with familiar ingredients, ask questions about the food preparation methods, and ask for foods to be well cooked to prevent illness. Always drink purified water or commercially bottled beverages and pasteurized milk. Things that should be avoided include ice, re-heated foods, uncooked shellfish, fruit that isn’t peeled, and food from street vendors. Be sure to carry your antacids and a natural laxative for those days when you really need it.
Travelling can be stressful: there are important meetings, the pressure of impressing potential clients, and delayed planes. Since we receive 80% or our energy through breathing, a trick to keeping calm is practicing deep breathing. Close your eyes, breathe in slowly through the nose, and breathe out slowly through pursed lips. This will facilitate relaxation and calm the mind, helping you to focus more clearly.
Sitting for extended periods of time can lead to circulatory problems such as blood clots, better known as DVTs (deep vein thrombosis). When sitting without moving our legs and feet, blood in our lower limbs becomes sluggish. We need movement in our lower extremities to help move the blood from our feet back to our heart. Alternating sitting with periods of walking and stretching every couple of hours to increase circulation is important, especially when flying for long periods. Also, consider your posture when sitting or standing. A simple exercise to help avoid back tension and to strengthen the abdominal area, is to gently pull the belly button towards the spine.
Stretching and exercising while on the road is just as important, if not more important, then when at home. The main areas to focus on are the shoulders, neck, ankles, legs, and spine. Below are a few simple exercises to use while travelling, whether you’re waiting in a train station or on a long international flight:
- Shoulders – Shrug your shoulders up & then push them down and slightly back, creating a “V” with your shoulder blades. Another exercise is to move your shoulders around in circles while keeping your arms at your sides.
- Neck – Keep your chin lifted forward. Slowly and carefully circle your head around back, being careful not to let your head fall, and circle down and back around front. Also, stretch from ear to ear.
- Ankles – When sitting, extend legs in front of you, slightly raised. Do small circles with big toe in the air (ankle rotation). Flex the ankles, pointing your toes away and then towards you. This helps to circulate the blood in your lower extremities.
- Legs – Sit down with feet flat on the floor. Lift leg to a 45 degree angle to hip. Keep body still without shifting the pelvis. Remember to keep spine elongated and do not change body positions as you lift the leg.
- Spine – Fold arms across the chest. Inhale deeply. Exhale and rotate your spine to the right, keeping hips and knees in place and not shifting the pelvis. Lengthen the spine and sit straight.
DO 10 REPETITIONS OF EACH EXERCISE.
For more information:
Public Health Agency of Canada: Information for Travellers
References:
Tanya Murphy, Registered Dietician & Taryn Wiebe, Pilates Instructor, Essential Pilates.
This article was prepared for Edwards Magazine by Innovative HealthwoRx, a workplace wellness company based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. For workshops and information on health and wellness for your workplace, contact Shauna Oakie at (902) 894-8994 or email shauna@innovativehealthworx.com.
