Is travelling with work set to sabotage ‘new year, healthy you’ resolutions?
New Year’s resolutions are easy to make but even easier to break. With the new year comes a rise in people joining the gym, cutting down on their intake of foods perceived as ‘unhealthy’, and as many as 4 million of us are expected to embark on dry January, in a bid to get healthier!
While it can be easy to stock fridges full of health-rich foods, ditch all the alcohol from the house and pencil time in for a gym date, 1/3 of our lives are spent at work, and this can add complications when trying to stick with a health kick.
It has been reported that business travellers are picking up unhealthy habits, counterintuitive to achieving a ‘healthy you’; in many cases, this is understandable. For sales people, travelling up and down the country on prospect visits can make finding time to eat regular planned meals tough. While frequent business travellers might find themselves frustrated with overnight stays away from home disrupting their gym schedules; it was reported last year that 54% of business travellers are less likely to exercise on a work trip, and to make matters worse, are also more likely to eat unhealthily on such trips!
It doesn’t have to be this way. Good intention, will-power and following the below advice, are a recipe for success and will help you to stick to your ‘new year, healthy you’ resolution, even when travelling with work:
Avoid flights early in the morning or late at night– This will eliminate fast food dashes, as healthy dining destinations are more likely to be open during the day.
Look for a hotel equipped with a gym – Many hotels, such as The Grand Hotel offer gym facilities, making it harder to come up with an excuse for not sticking to your plan!
Pack healthy snacks – It can be just as unhealthy to eat nothing as it is to eat junk. If you find yourself on the road for a long period of time, or in back-to-back meetings, pack healthy snacks to tide you over until your next meal time.
Have a sneak peak at the menu – If you’re wining and dining clients, or sitting down for a meal for one, look at the menu before making a reservation to ensure there are suitable choices.
Limit alcohol– Switch off auto-pilot and think whether you really want that pre-dinner drink. Although it can be hard breaking the norm, actively reminding yourself of your goals can be a great way to engage your will-power and will help you to politely decline.
De-stress– Business travel can be stressful, especially if compounded with minimal sleep. Take the time to look after yourself; stress management and mindfulness applications are a great way to look after your mental wellbeing and help dial back the stress after a long, hard days’ work.
Business travel doesn’t have to get in the way of your 2019 health kick; with a little will-power and a couple of proactive measures, you’ll soon start reaching your goals while also improving your longer-term health outlook.
Poppy Watt