How to stay fit despite hectic travel

The world is literally shrinking as we zip across the globe with hectic travel schedules. While travel expands the mind, exposes us to new cultures and cuisines, and allows us a break from the humdrum routine, it can play a heavy toll on our health and wellness needs.

Our normal routines get totally tossed out the window, while food choices have to be compromised. Similarly, travelling across time zones, as well as early or late flights can wreak havoc on our sleep schedule.

However, all is not lost, staying fit while travelling ought not to be complicated. All we need is to have a healthy attitude and keep things simple.

Here are five tips to stay fit and healthy while enjoying a trip:

1. Carry healthy snacks

Whether travelling by car, train or plane you can still settle for healthy choices. Carry some healthy and simple snacks that are all easy to store and carry and stuffed with healthy nutrients. This way you can avoid snacking on unhealthy options when feeling hungry.

2. Make healthy eating choices while dining out

Eating at a restaurant should not have to sabotage your healthy routine. Before you go out to eat, if possible, consider where you will eat and what you will eat. Consider the menu and choose foods carefully. Most restaurants offer choices of side orders of greens, soups, salads and grilled meats, which are always a healthier option as opposed to their heavier variants of pastas, pizzas, or Indian breads. 

3. Carry a water bottle

Travelling by air, long road trips, and staying in hotels leads to dehydration. Exposing your body to germs, different temperatures, and changing heights incur significant damage on your skin and general body water levels. Carry a water bottle with you in cabs, meetings, and everywhere else.

4. Simple exercises that can be done in the hotel room

Travelling sometimes could imply a busy and hectic schedule, and you may not be able to plan ahead and choose a hotel that has a fitness centre. All we need is 30 minutes to get the blood pumping and the metabolism going. Pack in a jump rope. Look for some sights from where you are staying within the walking distance. Yoga, functional training, simple lunges and squats, or even a walk are great ways to pack in some exercise.

5. Get enough sleep

Getting enough sleep makes it easier to deal with stress. Sleep is as important as what we eat or how much we exercise. When we get enough rest, it supports our creativity and helps us deal with our moods. It can help balance our digestive system, boost our immune system, and even improve our cardiovascular health. Keep a calming bedtime ritual and routine that you can use to lull your body to sleep, even if the time zone is different.

On a regular day, we can stick to a routine pretty effectively, however, when we are travelling, even the smallest change can be sufficient to spoil things. Additionally, we are "too busy" to exercise, and we allow ourselves to eat anything we want "because we are travelling".

We can pay a visit to a health and wellness coach who can help us make a plan. Once we have that, our journey, and that includes the one to better health as well, gets much easier.

Also read - Take nutrition-based research with a pinch of salt