Staying Healthy on the Road

- By Virginia Thomas

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle at home is hard enough ... but it's even worse while on a business trip. You face a series of long luncheons and dinners with clients, not to mention the temptation to sink into bed at the end of a busy day and watch TV.

Here are a few suggestions that will help you lower the stress on your body while on the road:

1. Travel can dehydrate you, so make it a point to drink plenty of bottled water.

2. Make sensible choices when ordering in restaurants: yogurt with fruit for breakfast, a piece of grilled chicken or fish with steamed vegetables for lunch, and a large salad for dinner. And, of course, limit your alcohol intake. This will keep your calories down and energy levels high.

3. Try to avoid sugar and caffeine. Although both may give you instant energy, the "high" is only temporary and not worth the lethargic low that follows.

4. You may not be able to follow your regular exercise routine, but find a way to do something. Pack a pair of walking shoes and get out and walk between appointments. Take advantage of your hotel's exercise room or swimming pool.

5. Plan ahead and stick with the plan. When you return home, you'll feel great - and maybe even find that you've dropped a few pounds.

[Ed Note: Virginia Thomas is a fitness trainer and Pilates instructor. She'll be at ETR's Info Marketing Bootcamp: "Making a Fast Fortune on the Information Revolution," where she'll help attendees stay fit and healthy with massage, exercise, and stretching techniques.]