Travel Vitality: "Does This Hotel Have A Gym?"

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Travel Vitality: "Does This Hotel Have A Gym?"

by Michael D. Hume, MS

We live stressful lives in a stressed-out world. Your parents may have felt like they were always going "a mile a minute;" today, it feels more like a mile a second. And if you're spending a good chunk of your life on airplanes, this is literally the case.

You travel all over the world, sleep a lot of nights out of your own bed, and work long hours trying to impress customers, clients, colleagues, everybody. You are "on" for hours and hours, every day. Your "program" tells you where, when, and what to eat, and every meal's a "working meal" with clients. You do this every day, week, or month... but it's a special event for your clients, so every night is a "celebration" where the treats (like alcohol) are flowing. And it would be rude, and maybe career-limiting, to decline! You have to sleep fast, and you don't sleep well. Yes, from the time you step off the plane in a jet-lagged stupor to the time you drag your luggage to the car in the long-term lot at your home airport, your vitality is under attack. After weeks, months, or years of this lifestyle, "vitality" will seem elusive (at best), or even impossible. You feel weak, soft, even sick. You're like the overworked horse the old cowboy would refer to as "rode-hard, and put up wet."
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Are you sick and tired of being sick, and tired?

The bad news is that it will take self-discipline to regain control of your vitality. If you want to recapture a true sense of well-being, it'll take quite a bit. The good news is that, if you start now, and make firm commitments to one little change at a time, you can do it. You can go from "rode hard" to something more like "road hard." And here are the eight best practices to help you get started.

Nutrition

It's hard not to eat just whatever they put in front of you at a hotel or conference center. You need a plan. It's a lot easier to keep yourself healthy if you have some simple rules on what you can and can't have. Counting calories and "just trying to eat a balanced diet" is particularly difficult with a traveling lifestyle, because you need more rules. You have to focus on impressing clients, so get a dietary framework that does the thinking for you when it's time to eat. And everyone's different; what works for me might not for you. Because it's easiest to understand and stick to both at home and on the road, I recommend a low-carb approach... but do the research and find the approach that you can stick to and enjoy.

Exercise

Yes, that hotel probably has a gym. Find it. But don't just wander in after work and before cocktails... have a plan, and stick to it. There are several good exercise regimens out there; the best one is the one you will enjoy enough to do regularly. I recommend alternating interval aerobics (like on a treadmill), say, Monday-Wednesday-Friday, with strength training (weight lifting) on the alternate days. Start tomorrow, and start each day with a workout (it's much more effective in jump-starting your metabolism if you do it first thing). Limit it to 45 minutes, but do it every single day you're on the road (and at least 3-4 times a week when you're home). By the second week, you'll find it much easier to get up and just get it done.

Those are the two biggies! If you could do just those, you will feel better in a short time. These next practices, though, will really help; and if you have the discipline to change your nutrition and exercise habits, these are easy:

Water

Drink two liters a day, or 64 ounces. Spread it out over the day. This is a no-brainer. And while we're on the subject of drinking, you need to set a limit on caffeine and alcohol. One neat trick is to make yourself drink a 16-ounce bottle of water for every cup of coffee or glass of wine you allow yourself.

Supplements

Based on what's available in a place like a hotel restaurant, you simply can't get everything your body needs to maximize your health. Take at least a good multi-vitamin every day (or with every meal). I recommend the liquid "nutraceuticals,' which are much easier for your body to absorb and use.

Sleep

Most people need at least eight hours' sleep every night. No, you should not assume you are one of the minority who needs less! Do what it takes to get your Zs. Take an herbal sleep aid (like Valerian), turn off the electronics in your room, make it dark, and truly let yourself relax.

Breathing

Believe it or not, you are not breathing right. Your lifestyle doesn't let you catch your breath! Find a 10-minute break (ideally mid-morning, but any time is better than none) to do a breathing exercise. Sit comfortably with your spine straight. Close your eyes. Try not to think about anything. Inhale slowly through your nose and exhale even more slowly; a good rule of thumb is to take a full four seconds to inhale and eight to exhale smoothly. With practice, you can do this without counting. Set a timer to "wake" you after, say, seven minutes. Do this daily, and you'll be amazed at the reduction in your stress. You'll become a more patient, easy-going person. Clients will love you even more!

Cleansing
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Once every six months (I recommend at the change of the seasons in the spring and fall), cleanse your system. The best method is to fast (in a controlled way, with organic juices) for at least three straight days. If you really want to cleanse, consider colon hydrotherapy. There are also some good cleansing supplements out there.

Checking

I recommend you check your "vitals" periodically. It's a good idea to go to a chiropractor who can check your energy and adjust your frame - I do it monthly. Check your blood pressure when you pass by a free machine at the grocery store. Every quarter, get some lab work done to check your cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. Meanwhile, resist the temptation to check your weight all the time. Your goal is vitality, not an arbitrary weight number; and if you stick to your healthy habits, your body will optimize its weight anyway. Finally, to keep a "check" on yourself, keep a journal. I give myself a "score" on each of these eight practices, every week. I routinely stick to 80% or better on my personal goals on each practice, and in a short time, you'll find it reasonably easy to do the same.

Finally: don't get overwhelmed! Eventually, if you want to live a long and healthy life, you need to do all of these things. But for now, just start with nutrition and exercise. Read up on some programs, pick a plan, and start right away! At a mile a second, you don't have time to wait.

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