How to Stay Healthy While Traveling for Business
For many people, a business trip can mean leaving reality behind. That often includes healthy eating and exercise habits.
Travelers with a relaxed mindset while on a work trip tend to gain weight and feel unhealthy when they return home.
Unfortunately, what many don’t realize is that their diet and exercise routines don’t have to suffer. Many of their healthy habits at home can go anywhere.
Below are some tips to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay fit while traveling for work:
Drink Plenty of Bottled Water
Water will keep you hydrated and prevent dehydration, especially when traveling to a warmer location. It may also be the key to getting rid of unhealthy toxins. When traveling, that can include the delicious food you are eating or different particles in the environment.
The drink may also be your solution to eating less during the trip. Downing some water before your meal will fill up the stomach, creating less desire to overeat.
Bottled water is necessary due to the unsafe water conditions in many parts of the world. If filtered water is not available where you are staying, consider purchasing a self-filtering water bottle to use while traveling.
Walk as Much as Possible
Walking or hiking is already the exercise of choice for many people. When visiting a place that’s known for sightseeing, you probably already expect to walk quite a bit. But, it can be beneficial for your trip and health to skip that cab-ride for an excursion through the city.
The aerobic workout can affect many different areas of the body, helping build core and leg strength.
Eat Yogurt
Yogurt is full of nutrition, especially Greek yogurt. Not only is it higher in calcium than other yogurts, but it’s an excellent source of probiotics. These can boost your immune system and keep the digestive system on track while abroad.
A stable food like yogurt can help ease the diet in foreign countries. Even while eating carefully, travelers’ diarrhea and other illnesses are common.
The affect on your digestion system may be reason enough. It’s very common to have stomach issues when abroad and yogurt is a great way to maintain your digestion.
Exercise in Your Hotel Room
Many hotels have a gym, but eventually you’ll stay somewhere without the amenity.
No matter what kind of exercises you do in your hotel room, the point is that you’re moving your body and reaping the rewards.
Some simple excercises like sit-ups, crunches, squats and lunges can keep your metabolism going and help build energy. If you have a chair in the room, you can even try dips, push-ups or leg raises.
This is also another solution to avoid the strange affects on your body that frequently happen while on the road. It’s important to stay as close to your normal routine as possible while on a business trip.
Know What You’re Eating
This is very important because not all the foods in those Michelin-starred restaurants are healthy.
For example, that gorgeous salad may be smothered in cheeses, meats and dressings that are high in fats and calories. One of the best ways to know what you’re eating is to ask your server what is in the meal.
You may also want to purchase your food from a local market. Even for a short business trip, some fresh fruit or vegetables can make a world of difference. Not only will you get a more authentic travel experience, but local markets will appreciate the business.
When trying to stay healthy on a business trip, the most important part is preparation. Passport Health offers a variety of health services to help business travelers. Check out our occupational vaccines page to keep your business healthy when traveling.
Looking for more ways to stay healthy while traveling for work? Call Passport Health at or fill out a contact form and speak to a representative.
Written for Passport Health by Sabrina Cortes. Sabrina is a freelance writer with a Bachelor’s Degree from Georgian Court University. She currently lives in the Smokey Mountains of western North Carolina.
