From nutrition tips to making the most of your hotel's gym, here's how to keep your gains while on the road
While travelling is a necessity for many, it can be disruptive to your fitness regime. But it’s also no excuse to fall off track. Instead, we must be proactive and creative with our planning to ensure it’s not a case of three steps forward, two steps back.
If you’re someone who travels regularly, don’t use it as an excuse to go backwards. Focus on what you can do, and set a goal to at least maintain your progress thus far so that you can push on further when you return.
On the flight
There are three things you need to be wary of when flying: hydration, airplane food and alcohol. The humidity is significantly lower in a plane, making dehydration a real issue. To combat this, aim to drink approximately 250ml of fluid every hour.
Most business executives are used to having a few cocktails at the airport lounge, followed by a few glasses of wine on the plane to relax and kill time. This is probably the worst way to start your trip, from both a body composition standpoint (think dehydration, empty calories, and increased likelihood of poor food choices) and in terms of business. Many of our successful clients recommend that their employees avoid all alcohol when flying in order to maintain focus, productivity and performance.
When it comes to airplane food, pack your own meals, or to buy the right food at the airport (ideally, something like a selection of cold meats or fish with a bag of salad from home). If you do choose to eat at the airport restaurants, opt for lean cuts of protein with vegetables.