Business trips

Fit on business trips

It is especially important on business trips to leave your business associates with a fit and dynamic impression. Make sure you get exercise, plenty of sleep, lots of water, and a healthy diet, then you'll sail through it!

New York, Rio, Tokyo – in an increasingly networked business world, it is vital for companies to maintain good relationships with key accounts, business associates and suppliers. This is why, statistically speaking, business trips are a completely normal part of working life for one in four employees (according to Association of German Travel Management e.V.). Grabbing a quick bite to eat is part of the everyday routine for business travellers. After all, the body needs plenty of energy. To avoid being overweight, having high blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels, you can also do something for your health while you're away on a business trip.

Eat healthy

Business trips are often more stressful than a normal day at the office. It's also more tempting to grab a pizza or fast food. To stay energised throughout the day, you should avoid heavy, greasy meals. Instead, eat several smaller bites spread out over the day. Take a wholemeal roll instead of a white roll, have an apple instead of a chocolate bar and keep an eye on the quality of the food and the hygiene conditions in the restaurant.

Fluid intake

It is particularly important to supply the body with adequate fluids to stay physically and mentally fit. This helps with your circulation thus overcoming any energy slumps. Drink about two to three litres of water every day. When you travel by plane, the cabin attendants do hand out drinks – but not enough. So we recommend you buy another bottle of water at the gate. A sip of Champagne or beer is tempting – but you should avoid alcohol. It dries out the body even more.

Arrive relaxed at the meeting

Unusual working hours, new surroundings, hotel beds – some business travellers are plagued by a lack of sleep. But it's especially important on business trips to be well rested, in order to achieve good results. It's a good idea to go well prepared: for instance, pack some earplugs, an eye mask and a pillow for your neck.

You should also make sure that the hotel room is no warmer than 20 degrees. Avoid stodgy food and alcohol in the evening. On the other hand, a short evening stroll or a cup of valerian tea can make it easier to get to sleep.

Say goodbye to jet lag

Laos instead of London – If your business associate is located on a different continent, you have another challenge to face: jet lag. This is when the body cannot immediately get used to the new day and night rhythm. Typical symptoms: fatigue, loss of concentration, headache, dizziness and nausea. But there are some tricks that work. Sleep as much as possible while flying east. Use earplugs and wear your eye mask. By contrast, when flying west, try to sleep as little as possible and catch up on your sleep the first night you arrive.

Make sure you move around!

Have you also had the experience that your legs hurt or your ankles become swollen after sitting for long periods in trains, planes or conference rooms? This is usually due to blood pooling in the veins: the reason: the muscle pump – which pumps low oxygen blood from the feet to the heart – cannot work efficiently when you are sitting down. This increases the risk of thrombosis.

You can prevent this by wearing compression or travel socks from medi. With their controlled pressure gradient decreasing up to the knee, they activate the muscle pump and thus the blood circulation. Another important preventive measure is movement: do vein exercises for your feet. You can rock your feet to and fro and turn your feet in circles on a plane too! Some airline companies now show short video clips with instructions on how to do these exercises. Once you reach your destination, you should exercise your whole body to increase your well-being. Trainers and shorts fit in every holdall. Go for a run or a swim whenever possible. Or take a brisk walk to explore the surroundings. If you really can't find any time for training, you can also move around more during the day by taking every opportunity to be active: take the stairs instead of the lift, walk instead of driving.