Johannesburg – It is well known that travelling can impact diet and exercise. Disrupted routines, jetlag, and back-to-back meetings make it difficult to maintain the healthy habits many commit to in January.
Corporate Traveller has teamed up with Healthwise Global to pick the top seven tips for travellers who want to protect their health and wellbeing when flying.
“Business travellers are definitely prioritising their health this year,” says Herman Heunes, GM Corporate Traveller South Africa. “But the reality of early flights, back-to-back meetings and room service can quickly derail even the strongest resolutions, making it particularly difficult to stick to the promises you made yourself on New Year’s Eve!”
As Heunes explains, the Flight Centre Travel Group makes use of the services of Healthwise Global – an in-house employee wellness programme – to motivate, inspire and assist their staff to live their happiest and healthiest lives.
Healthwise’s Global Business Leader, Tod Horton, says: “Healthwise is proud to look after the health and well-being of Corporate Traveller employees, especially when they are on the road at home and abroad.”
For Heunes, Healthwise Global are the perfect people to go to for advice.
“As our corporate travel teams benefit from the support and insights of Healthwise Global, we decided to ask them for a list of easy and practical ways travellers can keep their health and fitness levels in check,” says Heunes. “And when it comes to your well-being, every little step helps.”
- Hydrate early. It is so important to rehydrate your body after a few weeks of Christmas and New Year’s cheer before travelling. Aiming for your eight glasses of water each day will help you feel better, think more clearly, aid digestion, improve your skin, and help prevent headaches. Yes, you may need to go to the bathroom a bit more often, but your body will thank you for it once you land.
- Perfect your pre-airport routine. Use the night before your flight to prepare for the hustle and bustle of airport check-in and security. Pack yourself a healthy snack for the flight, have a quick but balanced breakfast, such as Bircher muesli or egg white frittata, ready for the morning, and get an early night’s sleep. It is also worth checking your journey to the airport the night before in case there are scheduled roadworks on your route. These extra steps will help reduce unplanned stress ahead of departure.
- Use seat selection to your advantage. Once you have made it on board, it is easy to sink into your seat and settle in until landing time. However, remaining immobile for several hours on your flight will cause your body to work harder to pump blood from your legs back to your heart. By selecting an aisle seat at the time of booking, you will ensure you can get up as you please (when safe to do so) and use the aisles to stretch your legs.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Alcoholic and caffeinated drinks are a tempting option when travelling; it’s common to feel the need for a few cups of coffee after an early start or a glass of wine on the flight home to decompress. Their diuretic nature, combined with the humidity levels on planes, however, increases the risk of dehydration. It’s best to stick to bottled water when flying, and if you’re travelling on a long-haul flight, consider taking a hydration tablet with electrolytes to help with water absorption.
- Eat balanced meals, in moderation. It’s easy to slip into unhealthy food habits when travelling, with the enticement of hotel breakfast buffetsand restaurant meals on offer. Foods with processed sugars, such as pastries, energy drinks, and chocolate cake, can cause our energy levels to peak and crash, so they are best avoided if you want to optimise your energy levels. In addition, moderation is key. If you’ve had a meal of lean protein, vegetables, and wholegrains, and aren’t completely satisfied, a scoop of ice cream won’t hurt and may help to curb the cravings.
- Stay on the move when on the move. There is no reason to pause your exercise routinewhen travelling and staying active can help your body acclimatise to your new location. Consider going for a walk after you check in to get the blood circulating before your flight, or consider packing compact fitness items, such as resistance bands, that you can use in your hotel room. Simple exercises such as squats, burpees and bicycle crunches can all be performed in small indoor spaces.
- Sleep well. It is super important that you use the travel time to catch up on some sleep or at least try to adjust to new time zones, so you feel fresh and more focused upon arrival. Use eye masks and earplugs and try to avoid screens right before sleeping.
-ENDS-
MEDIA CONTACT
For more information about Corporate Traveller, or to interview Corporate Traveller South Africa GM Herman Heunes, call Sonnette Fourie on 081 072 2869 or email sonnette@bigambitions.co.za.
About Corporate Traveller
Corporate Traveller is a division of the Flight Centre Travel Group, dedicated to saving businesses across Southern Africa time and money. Corporate Traveller has the benefit of being part of the world’s third-largest travel retailer, leveraging its global negotiating strength. It has access to over 50 of the world’s leading airlines and deals with more than 100 000 hotels around the world to guarantee savings for clients. Corporate Traveller provides clear, consolidated reporting of all its clients’ travel activities, helping them to control travel spend and identify opportunities to save costs.
Issued by:
Big Ambitions
Sonnette Fourie
+27 81 072 2869
