This last week I traveled for work. I tend to travel every few months and I have yet to figure out how to strike that perfect balance with fasting and yoga while I’m away. I have however, gotten better with practice (ha! another practice!) so I thought I’d share some of my tips with you if/when you have to get on the road for work or leisure.
I have a second eye mask that I leave in my travel bag. That way it’s never forgotten and I can sleep better in the hotel room not staring at the microwave clock or the fire sprinkler above me blicking. This is such a simple investment but it makes a huge difference in my sleep quality. If I’m more rested, I’m able to get up and do a little yoga with in my room or the hotel fitness center. When I’m rested, I can resist all of the horrific breakfast choices that are often easily accessible either in the hotel or once I get to a meeting. Donuts are cryptonite for me. I can restrain from cookies, bagels, lots of other stuff, but if donuts are within my reach I have to really check in with myself and often have an internal dialogue of why I shouldn’t eat a donut. And, it’s never one donut, if I open that floodgate I justify to myself, well, might as well eat 3. Absolute fucking kryptonite. So, how do I succeed in such a challenging situation? I make sure I’ve slept and moved. I remind myself that I am smarter than this one choice and it’s not worth feeling horrible later. I don’t have celiac disease but I am gluten sensitive. I don’t know if it’s the gluten or the crap oil or the insane amount of sugar that wreaks havoc on my gut but I will somehow pay for the poor decision of eating the donut(s).
Ok, so I didn’t eat any donuts this time while I was gone. I also took my magnesium supplement before bed and Tuesday I double dosed the mag by taking capsules add an effervescent tablet in a few ounces of water and I slept amazing. For just $5 bucks, trace minerals makes mag tabs in a little travel container. These are also in my travel bag side pocket so I always have them on hand in a pinch.
If the hotel has a pool or jacuzzi, I’ll often grab a pool towel and take it to my room to use for a make shift yoga mat. It feels incredible to lay of the floor, breathe and move a little before my shower. I often do this is I don’t have to time to get dressed and hit the fitness room. Hands down, I would rather get my sleep than crunch my schedule and try and get the fitness center in before an early morning meeting. If I just stay in my room and move on a towel, I often stay in my pajamas 🙂
If you’re traveling for just a few days, I think it’s better to focus on sleep and rejuvenation with a little movement rather than add extra stress to your body by getting up even earlier for a longer workout.
I really believe that because I was rested and I moved, when I arrived at my meeting I was able to withstand the complete assortment of shit that many others were ingesting. At least if I can wait to open my eating window and fast in the morning, I feel SO much better.
It’s not uncommon for my work travel to have an insane amount of sitting in the day. Literally, I think I sit at least 9 hours. To offset the lack of movement, I will often fast the day of travel and only have one meal, usually dinner. Disclaimer, if you are new to fasting, please take the appropriate amount of time to allow your body to adjust before attempting this. If you are not metabolically flexible, it can feel incredibly difficult to not eat for 20-22 hours. If you are a seasoned intermittent faster, I find travel days the perfect opportunity to throw in a 24hr fast. I’ll often not eat until I have reached my destination. I try and arrive and then have an early dinner and then close my eating window. No good can come from airport food and processed crappy airplane snacks, so I avoid it all together and just drink water while I’m traveling. I’ve often stood in the starbucks line for 35 minutes just so I can grab a Venti hot water before my flight. If you haven’t tried drinking plain hot water, you should. I find it really relaxing and it changes things up a bit from my regular water bottle.
I have yet to figure out how to eat as clean as I’d like when I’m with a group of people and I’m at the mercy of the group on restaurant selections. I feel like I cannot completely avoid some exposure to bad oils or inorganic foods, but if it’s only a few days of travel, I can back on track as soon as I’m home.
To wrap up, a sleep mask, a travel magnesium supplement and a makeshift yoga mat can set you up for a better daily existence while you’re on the road.
safe travels!
Alli