In 2018, I spent more than 100 nights in a hotel room and likely another 75-100 more on friend’s couches, at my parent’s house or any other bed beside mine in Atlanta. It is safe to say that I travel quite a bit. This means packing and unpacking twice a week, facing airports, Ubers, and rental cars, not to mention eating out for every meal. To many, this sounds like a nightmare, but to me it is a grand adventure. I love that my job affords me the opportunity to travel to new places for business and leisure - I would not have otherwise been able to say yes to 80th birthday parties, family vacations, and weekend gals getaways. And, not to mention, the airline, hotel and Amex points are pretty great too. It sounds glamorous and not like real life, but as with anything, it presents it own set of challenges. Perhaps the most frequent questions that I get asked when explaining my job situation is “aren’t you always tired?” and “how do you stay healthy?”. I have developed a rhythm and loose guidelines for myself when I travel to stay relatively well-rested (I am also lucky enough to not need a ton of sleep!) and healthy.
Here are some of my top tips, with more to come. Keep in mind that I am in no way a health expert, these are just my thoughts based on my athletic background and experiences on the road! Whether you are a weekly traveler like myself or someone who is trying to maintain healthy habits while on vacation, I hope you find these ideas helpful.
Pack snacks - If you have met me, I have likely already shared my affinity for healthy snacks. There are few occasions on which I do not have a travel snack with me. I have Justin’s almond / peanut butter packets tucked in my purses and various bars at the bottom of my suitcase. I love to make jokes about being snack mom for my work team, but the truth is having healthy and filling snack options at the ready is a huge part of how I maintain my healthy lifestyle on the road. Generally, I try to stick to 3 real meals each day, full of protein, fat and veggies. But, there are mornings when I am catching a flight or running late after a workout and afternoons where the sweetgreen salad won’t fill me up until 7pm team dinner and I need something to tide me over. Cue ~snacks~. My recommendation for those of you that travel regularly is to stock up on a few staples at the beginning of the week - nut butter packets, low sugar / high protein bars, collagen packets, etc. - that will provide the blood sugar stabilizing snack you may find yourself needing. If you are a recreational traveller, bring food from home for the airport / flight to avoid overpriced packaged snacks from Hudson News or a breakfast sandwich from the McDonald’s. A few of my favorites are:
Justin’s Almond / Peanut Butter packets (I try to just get the plain ones with no sugar)
F Bomb packets (a new favorite!)
Simple Mills crackers (founded by Kaitlin Smith, who used to have my same job!)
My main criteria when it comes to any snack is to try and keep the carbohydrate and sugar content low. There is a time and a place for carbs and sugar (generally following a workout), but given the sedentary nature of my job, I try to avoid eating lots of carbs during the day.
Moderate alcohol consumption - Oh the free flowing alcohol at team dinners. The underminer of even the best intentions to stay healthy. It may seem like you have to drink at all work dinners (and if you are on vacation, you may feel like every meal should include a drink), but I am here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. If you do want to have a drink at every dinner, that is wonderful and I urge you to continue to do so. But, if you are drinking just because you feel that you have to, this one's for you (more to come on the pressure of social drinking in a later post!). If you have multiple team dinners in a week or a boss who likes to drink 3-4 drinks every night, I recommend that you pick one night to have a drink and opt for water the other nights. There are a number of reasons that I chose to turn down the bottle of wine or cocktail at dinner, including better sleep quality and healthier food choices, but I recommend that you do some self reflection to understand what alcohol arrangement works best for you. More to come on saying no below!
Bring a book (or Kindle) - Staying healthy on the road is more than just physical health, it is imperative to take care of your mental health as well. Traveling can cause stress and anxiety, regardless if it is for business or pleasure. Reading is a great way to calm the mind and find peace in the middle of the chaos. The reality of my job is that I am generally working right up until I go to sleep and so I try to read for at least 10-15 minutes every night after I shut my computer. If I take those few minutes to unwind and turn off the work brain, I find that I have a much easier time falling asleep and the quality is much better. Throw a book (or your Kindle / reader) in your bag and try to read instead of browsing the internet / social media / texting before you try to fall asleep.
Find a travel-friendly workout routine - Since being a collegiate athlete, exercise has been an integral part of my daily routine. But, as you could imagine, an unpredictable travel schedule and inconsistent access to equipment make this slightly more difficult. I am fortunate enough that my job provides us with a health / wellness budget while we are on the road, so I do not bear the cost of workout classes during the week. I have become a an avid OrangeTheory goer since starting my job last year. I can take classes in whatever city I am in and I know that I am going to get a great workout every time. I recognize that this isn’t an option for everyone for a variety of reasons like budget, location or physical ability. If you are unable to find a class that you like or it isn’t reasonable financially, I would recommend downloading Aaptiv from the iOS or Android app store. It is a $10/month or $50/year on demand virtual personal training platform that has workouts of all kinds, from treadmill to yoga to rowing. You can filter the workouts based on intensity, duration, music genre and trainer, which allows you to pick a workout that best matches your needs. The majority of the workouts require minimal equipment, which can be found in the average hotel gym, or you can select workouts that don’t require equipment at all. This app has been a life saver for me when I feel unmotivated and have minimal time. Check it out for yourself here (and make sure to do one of Meg’s tread workouts, she is the best!)
Be on the look out for the second installment coming soon!
Do you love to travel but hate how difficult it can be to stay healthy? What does “healthy” mean to you? Feel free to comment below and share your tips & tricks! I would love to hear how you all manage your lifestyle while on the go. From workouts to snacks to mindfulness, let the WJJ community on some of your secrets.