Healthy Travel Tips

Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, on vacation or company training, anybody would be hard pressed to say that they keep their routines intact. Fast food becomes normal while driving, late nights and early mornings reek havoc on circadian rhythms, and exercise tends to go right out the window. For those who are on the road a lot (such as our platinum priority club members... at least 50 stays a year!), routine-breaking travel is tough to digest.

A healthy lifestyle promotes eating right, sleeping right, exercising, and being productive. Being a frequent flyer doesn't mean you have to give these things up! Here are some tips for staying healthy on the road.

1. Plan in advance. Schedule workouts and meals just like business meetings.
2. Get up and stretch on flights. Take breaks on long car trips. Take a few minutes every hour or so to stretch and improve circulation while also combating fatigue.
3. Walk during meeting breaks. Take the stairs. Park farther away from entrances.
4. Stay hydrated. Six to eight glasses of water a day is recommended. Opt for the free water instead of soda during luncheons. Make use of the cups in your room and drink a glass in the morning and before bed.
5. Be conscious of your calories. Opt for fruit instead of fast food--it's just as easy to eat while driving. Pack healthy snacks in your suitcase to keep you away from the hotel snack shops at midnight when the cravings hit. Opt for the veggie sides in restaurants instead of the french fries.
6. Always pack your sneakers, a set of gym clothes, and a bathing suit--just in case. Swimming is a great exercise and walking around the hotel in heels or loafers isn't conducive to wanting to do it again.
7. Get a good night's sleep. Try to keep your sleep cycle the same during trips. If that is impossible, make sure you clear your head before heading to bed. Write things down instead of thinking them over and over in your mind.
8. Stay productive at a table or desk, not your bed. Don't bring your laptop into bed with you or read through those reports in your pajamas. Desks and tables are in your room for a reason. Not only will you be more productive, but you'll get a better night's rest.
9. Pick appropriate fitness activities for travel. Leave the dumbbells at home and opt for body weight exercise. Push-ups, crunches, and lunges are always a travel go-to, and they don't require a lot of space. And who said carrying your 40 pound suitcase up 3 flights of stairs can't be turned into an exercise?
10. Make it fun! Having a the same fitness routine and meal plans every day can become mundane and boring--travel becomes the excuse for routine-breaking instead of the reason. (Adapted from Lodging Magazine, April 2012)

And for those that staying active is more than a routine but a lifestyle, IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has launched a new brand, EVEN Hotels, to fill a void for healthy travelers. From their website, they state that "travel can be healthier, and we're here to prove it." From free and unlimited flavored water at check-in to a Wellness Board to showcase local club or fitness activities, the new brand exudes healthy lifestyle just by walking in the door. Round out their ventures with a best in-class gym, freshly prepared food, and a coat rack that doubles as a pull-up bar and work out bench, EVEN Hotels is a refreshing option for travelers with health on their minds.