Travelling frequently for work and not feeling quite as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as you're used to? Business travel can take its toll on your health if you don't take care to reduce the impact of frequent journeys on your body. Here are a few of the common pitfalls you can avoid with proper planning and dedication to a healthy lifestyle.
If you’re away from home due to business travel engagements frequently, it can take a toll on your relationship or marriage, especially if your spouse or partner has to take care of the brunt of the domestic responsibilities while you are away. The best way to lessen the emotional impact on your relationship is to give your partner as much advance notice regarding your trip as possible, assist them in streamlining home operations while you’re away and to check in with them frequently while you’re on the road. TOP TIP: Keep copies of your travel itinerary, vital documents, contact numbers for your accommodation etc. in a shared Dropbox folder that you can both access.
Airline food, processed snacks, poor quality sleep, a little more booze than usual and and less time at the gym all add up to weight gain and the risk of developing obesity in the long run. Research shows that travellers who spend more than 20 days per year on the road for work have significantly higher blood pressure than those that travel less than 6 days or not at all. The best way to counteract this is to make a point of moving as much as possible while you're abroad. Use the gym at the hotel, walk around the airport instead of waiting at the gate, or go for a walk in a park at lunchtime between meetings if possible.
Travelling can take a toll on your immune system for a variety of reasons - you’re in a confined, pressurised space with other people for extended periods of time, your sleep pattern is erratic and you’re often sharing public facilities. The best way to boost your immune system is to take a good multivitamin consistently, use hand-sanitiser often, wash your hands frequently and to make healthy food choices - whole, fresh foods instead of refined carbohydrates and processed foods - whenever possible. Getting as much sleep as you possibly can will also serve to boost your natural immunity. TOP TIP: Consult a travel clinic whenever you’re headed to a new territory to find out whether there are shots you should be getting before you go.
If you can manage to avoid these common health pitfalls you should be golden. Keep your eye on the blog in coming months, as we share more advice on making the most of your work trips. Contact TravelManor for all your business travel needs and take advantage of the unique skill set of a group of highly skilled coordinators who’s greatest wish is for your expertly-planned corporate trip to yield some serious ROI.
