LET’S FACE IT. We are all on the go, leading busy lives between work, family and social commitments. 

In my last article, I touched on how our lifestyles have changed drastically in the last two decades and, in particular, how we are working longer days because of longer commutes, or now spend more time on the road for work.

For many of my clients, work can interfere with their normal routine, and this can often lead to poor food choices, missed workouts, less quality sleep and quite often eating and drinking out. 

Interference in these areas can throw us off track but it’s how you plan and deal with these obstacles that will determine how well you stay on track.

Being out of a routine can be challenging, so what are my best tips if you are someone who can often be on the road or find yourself with a changing schedule?

Healthy food on the go

One of the biggest obstacles I hear from clients is that they haven’t got the time to prepare their meals and secondly the options on the road or in work are really limited.

Let’s start with the time barrier. I hear this quite a lot and my answer to this is always the same — if it’s important to you, then you will make it happen.

A really simple breakfast smoothie won’t take you five minutes to make and ticks all the boxes with all the right nutrients you need.

It’s also really important around this time of the year to be well stocked up on your vitamins and minerals as this is going to help you stay in good health especially while on the go — fresh smoothies, multivitamin drinks are ideal.

As for the food options on the road. Firstly, I would say making healthy food choices on the road requires real mindfulness and planning.

Sure it’s far easier to reach for the junk food, caffeinated drinks and quick fast-food option to keep us going over a busy day.

However, if you plan in advance you can work around this barrier. In most cities there really is healthy choices everywhere and all it takes is a little bit of research to find where is the best option for you.

If you are truly stuck then think about preparing your own snacks to keep you ticking over nicely. Here are 6 great snack ideas to keep you on track when those cravings do hit.

Hotel workout

Most hotel gyms nowadays really are very basic and outdated.

They all tend to have the same equipment — a handful of cardio machines, a couple of exercise mats, one or two resistance machines that look fairly confusing to use and a light set of dumbbells if you’re lucky.

If you do find yourself using hotel gyms and really aren’t sure what to do then make the most of what’s on offer. You really can do a lot with a simple set of dumbbells and your own bodyweight.

If you are stuck for time and only have 15-20 minutes to get a sweat on then give this workout below a shot.

If the hotel gym is not for you then pack the trainers. I am huge fan of seeing new destinations while on foot while getting a light jog in.

Equipment to carry on the road

Anyone who has trained with me knows how I love simple pieces that are easy to carry while on go and very versatile when it comes to the amount of exercises you can execute with the tool.

This is where simple fitness equipment like resistance bands, power bands or even a suspension trainer can come in handy.

The best thing about the bands is that they are relatively cheap, easy to pop into the gym bag and you can do so much with them — from mobility drills to challenging strength and core movements.

Do 15 mins of body maintenance every day

I regularly highlight the importance of working on your mobility. It’s an area that most people neglect as we don’t see the importance of it while others don’t know what to do.

One of the main reasons we are experiencing issues with our joints when we train is simply because the lack of time, effort or value we put into doing some mobility or even body maintenance work.

One of the biggest issues with travelling on the road is the long periods of time in the seated position. Sitting down travelling can really bring on issues down the line with your mobility, posture and perhaps even the onset of joint pain.

I suggest doing 15 minutes of daily body maintenance, especially those of you who find themselves in poor positions for long extended periods in their day.

I recommend that people make use of mobility tools like resistance bands, foam rollers and lacrosse balls in and around their travel plans and training sessions.

Simple exercises like banded pull-aparts, x-band walks, or doing movements like the couch stretch and pigeon stretch daily will help keep you on top of the areas that need attention.

Here are 5 simple tools that will come in handy for you and that could be easily added to your travel bag.

David Last is a personal trainer based in Dublin. For more information you can follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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