Extensive travelers are 260 times more likely to rate their health as fair to poor, according to a Columbia University study quoted in The Economist.
That's right, 260 times more likely.
It gets worse.
Among my fellow road warriors obesity is 92% more common than for light travelers. Blood pressure and cholesterol don't look much better.
Is this a surprise? Not to me, and not to any business traveler who's lived the life for more than a few months.
Staying healthy on the road doesn't happen by chance. Without planning we'll fall to the bad-health trifecta of inadequate nutrition, exercise, and sleep.
We CAN maintain our health on the road, if we want to.
Nutrition:
Carol Margolis posted a video yesterday showing all the healthy foods she packs for a 7-day trip. She's motivated me to add protein shake mix and some baggies of nuts to my suitcase.
I already pack a few meal bars and a bag of my favorite teas from Adagio. I try to eat salads at least every other day, and stopped drinking alcohol entirely a few years ago. (Yes, it is possible to be successful in sales while drinking club soda.)
There's a slew of opportunities to eat sugar and grease on the road: just say no.
Exercise:
Business travelers who exercise consistently don't rely on well-stocked gyms. Some own a membership to a Y or a gym chain, but we know better than to assume those gyms will be available.
I've tried using the exercises in Mark Lauren's You Are Your Own Gym. It's a good workout, though I have challenges performing some of the exercises in my room.
I also subscribe to My Yoga Online: I can stream a variety yoga videos (from relaxing to vigorous) to my laptop and iPhone.
Sleep:
Of the three, I find sleep the toughest. My goal is seven hours sleep a night. When traveling I probably average five.
- Planes arrive late.
- Time zones steal away hours.
- Customer dinners run long.
- Project tasks go awry.
- Email stacks up
I haven't found a good answer for this one, except to continuously remind myself I'm aiming for seven hours. If someone has some suggestions I'd love to hear them.
Fellow road warriors, what are your stay-healthy tricks?
[exercise image from Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net]
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