How can you maintain your fitness routine while traveling for work?

Maintaining a fitness routine while traveling for work can be challenging, but there are several ways to stay active and healthy. One option is to schedule workouts into your day, whether it's a quick trip to the hotel gym or a run before bed. Walking is also a great exercise that can be done anywhere, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator can add some extra effort. Resistance bands and TRX suspension trainers are portable and easy to carry in your luggage, making them great options for on-the-go workouts. Resistance bands are affordable, versatile, and can be used to stretch and warm up muscles, while TRX suspension training can improve total-body strength, stability, and heart health.

When I travel, I carry my sneakers and my resistance bands. I can also use the water bottles in my room as weights. For my meals, I remind myself to fill up with salad and fruits first before I take the protein and the carbs. I wake up early and get my workout in.

Life and work are always going to happen. If you're traveling, check if the hotel has a gym where you can do your workout. If the gym is limited, adjust your workout accordingly. If a gym isn't accessible or too limited, consider rearranging your training schedule for the week to incorporate your workout. If you're traveling for an entire week and this isn't possible, consider modifying your workout. Alternatively, engage in an easy activity that doesn't require much thought, like spending 30 minutes on the stairmaster, if available.

Treat your workout like an important meeting: Prepare ahead by packing your mat (my travel mat weighs less than 500 g and folds the size of a sheet of paper) and workout clothes. Then show up and get things done. No excuses.

There are so many different ways you can exercise on the go. Your own body weight or water bottles are very popular. You can put the water bottles in a cloth bag, tie them tightly and do your exercises with them. Of course, the bottles should be full so that you can somewhat feel the weight. Or there are also a lot of utensils such as a sandbag that you can fill with sand on a business trip (you can buy it at any hardware store) or there is also a kettlebell that you can fill with water and do your workouts.

If daily movement is crucial for you, consider taking a few resistance bands (therabands) and doing your planned routine with them. You can also add fun challenges throughout the day, such as doing 10 air squats every time you use the restroom or 10 push-ups while waiting for the kettle to boil. If you're sitting all day, try to move as much as you can. If possible, start your day with a 30-minute resistance band session.

It's very difficult to carry on with your routine on business trips, especially if you can't cook or decide what to eat. It is very important to avoid junk food and very fatty foods so as not to put additional strain on your organism. The general rule is to eat enough three times a day, with lots of protein, fiber and complex, long-chain carbohydrates. Don't skip a meal and don't replace a meal with a so-called energy bar. In addition, it is important to drink enough. There is a very good trick: simply buy a large bottle of 1 liters and fill it up. Drink one in the morning and one in the afternoon, then you're good to go and have enough fluids. With these tips, you can do sports without any problems and you still have enough energy for it.

Hydration is crucial for maintaining good health throughout the day. The fluid balance in our bodies influences not only our brain function but also our muscle activity. Ensuring a proper fluid balance can prevent fatigue during the day, especially when paired with adequate sleep. Remember to consume electrolytes during the day. When it comes to diet, prioritize protein and try to avoid ultra-processed foods or foods known to have negative effects on your health. Consuming complex carbohydrates can also be beneficial. If this is not feasible, limit what you can, but always prioritize protein.

My job involves 95% travel. It is difficult to keep nutrition and hydration in mind when you are exhausted and constantly on the move. I am exercising discipline; Adjusting & adapting no matter where in the world I am. Buy electrolyte water in bulk in the beginning of the week to keep handy so that Starbies isn't as tempting in the morning. Buy healthy snacks to avoid DoorDashing just because it's convenient. Pilates is an amazing workout that can be done just about ANYWHERE. Throw in some small weights - it makes ALL the difference! Utilize online resources like recorded group fitness classes to keep you motivated and pushing yourself. Your body and mind will thank you.

It’s been my experience that you we need to stop telling ourselves it’s difficult to eat and stay hydrated while traveling for work. Instead you just need to be aware that it requires planning just like the travel itself requires. My clients focus on eating quality protein and fiber as the main part of their diet. We determine how much protein they require based on current lean mass(muscle mass) and goal weight. If they are shooting for the protein goal and 30g of fiber they are satisfied and have good energy. The rest comes down to managing emotional eating.

If driving, plan ahead and pack a cooler as I tell my kids “set yourself up for success” the night before. If traveling to another state call your hotel and ask what grocery store is around and schedule a visit straight away. When I travel for a week long conference I go and fill my room with water and fruit so that I have healthy snacks to grab. Plan for late night munchies by having good healthy food already in the room. When dining out really consider what your diet that day had consisted of and order accordingly. Work travel for some is a vacation from their disciplined ways but then they pay for it. Be good to your vessel and indulge with intention not full abandonment. Namaste

If you're completely knackered after a long day of travelling, maybe woke up in a different time zone, don't overdo it. Let your body recover instead of rushing into a heavy workout - unless you truly feel like it, then do it but add extra consideration as you may be more tired than you think (and thus more prone to injury). If you feel weak, try a soft workout instead. Stretch or do breath work. Go for a swim or use the sauna (if your hotel offers it). Take a walk to give your muscles some gentle excercise. Make sure you get enough sleep. This will help your body adjust and give you the energy and motivation to continue your routine soon. A break of a day or two is fine. Remember that you're working out for no one else but yourself.

I always take my kettlebell with me on business trips. If I'm traveling by car or train, that's no problem; if I'm traveling by plane, I have my fillable kettlebell with me. You can fill this with water, depending on how heavy you want it to be, and then use it to do your workouts. In general, when I travel on business, I always do my workouts in the morning, get up earlier and then complete my exercise program. Since it's difficult to plan in the evening when there's an evening event with colleagues or the meeting lasts longer, I can go to bed feeling confident because I've already done my workout in the morning. And it's enough if I do a 10-minute workout every day to just keep my routine going.

When travelling, you'd think access to training is the hard part. It’s not. You can run, swim, stretch, do strength training anywhere. Turns out the hard part is recovery. Because quality sleep, nutrition and other recovery tools generally aren't as accessible as they are at home. And we can't have training without recovery. Otherwise we risk injury, fatigue and burnout. So if we’re travelling we might have to pull our training back a nudge. So our training and recovery are balanced. I call it "recovery matching". Something to think about when travelling and as we move through the seasons of life.