Business trips can upset your usual schedule and impact your well-being. For example, lengthy travel time, long days in meetings or a foreign office can lead to a lack of sleep, fast food meals and mental exhaustion. However, with some planning, you can stay healthy on your business trips. Here’s some suggestions about how.
Add a Leisure Trip
Your mental health gets a boost when you break out of your ordinary routine and travel to a destination you’ve always wanted to visit. If your business trip is in or near a desirable vacation spot, take a few extra days to enjoy some leisure time. Going beforehand gets you over your jet lag and acclimates you to the destination. Staying afterward helps you unwind and relax before returning home.
Make Medical Preparations
Pack enough of your prescription medications and health supplements in your carry-on bag. Bring your medical insurance card so you are prepared should you get injured or sick while traveling. Thankfully, reliable medical care is available to you through virtual visits. Online doctor appointments usually cost less than office visits, give you various care and treatment choices and make it easy to get a prescription. They also provide more flexibility in appointment dates and times and involve less wait time to be seen.
Prepare to Exercise
Ideally, your hotel offers a fitness room you can use for a workout. However, you never know if it will be busy when you have the time to use it. An easy solution is to pack portable and light resistance bands. These workout wonders enable you to get the same resistance as weights at any time of day, right in your hotel room.
Additionally, download some fitness apps to your phone. HIIT workouts from Seven or routines from Freeletics Bodyweight can help break the monotony of your usual routine. With hundreds of workouts between the two apps, you’re sure to find something that strikes your fancy.
Stay Hydrated
Business travel often keeps you busy with meetings and other activities. Dehydration can cause fatigue and headaches, interfering with your ability to focus and think clearly. That’s why it’s essential to stay hydrated when traveling. Bring your reusable water bottle and make it a goal to regularly drink from it. In addition, increase your intake of water-rich fruit and vegetables, such as berries, peaches, pineapple, cucumbers, zucchini and lettuce.
Bring Sleep Aids
Medical experts advise sleep deprivation can cause anxiety, brain fog and irritability, all symptoms you don’t want on a business trip. Lack of sleep also reduces your body’s immune system and increases your cravings for starchy, sugary and salty foods. To increase your chances of getting a quiet hotel room, ask for a room on a high floor away from elevators and vending machines. Pack some ear plugs and a white noise machine to help buffer any excess sounds. Lavender pillow spray and your favorite pair of comfy socks can help you relax and fall asleep quicker.
Take Your Pup Along
More hotels are dog-friendly these days, allowing you to take your beloved pup on your trip. Having your dog along is a great way to maintain your mental health, and regular walks also keep up your physical health. Keep Fido happy and safe while traveling with products such as an airline-approved pet carrier, travel harness, travel grooming wipes and collapsible food and water bowls. Before purchasing any of these products, check out detailed product reviews written by unbiased sources.
Maintain Health at Home
Focusing on your health during your trip may not do much if your home environment is stressing you out. Make sure your home is a place where you can relax and recharge. Add some indoor plants and more natural light to your home. Setting up a meditation space can be useful as well. Meditation offers many benefits to both mental and physical health.
Following one or more of these ideas can help you stay healthy on your next business trip. In addition, they keep your mind sharp so you can be more productive as well.
