I recently had the opportunity to speak at the A-Lign annual company conference in Orlando. My topic was to cover healthy habits on the road, and I titled my overall presentation Road Warriors: Work/Life Balance on the Road.

The employees at A-Lign are unique, in that they wake up every Monday, and fly to a client destination city, stay all week, and then fly home on Thursday. They may be in the same city, they may not. Although this is pretty rare, we all have found ourselves dealing with what they do on a weekly basis, as we travel occasionally for work, or vacation.

I started the talk off by mentioning my father, who, at 86, died last month. He too was a road warrior. From 1972 (my birth year) until 1993, he would leave the house Monday afternoon and drive to his territory, and return Thursday evening. It is a crazy lifestyle to lead, and one that is hard to master. He worked very hard for 21 years until he retired, and because he never embraced a healthy lifestyle on the road (or at home on the weekends), within 7 years of retiring, he had triple bypass surgery and an operation on his prostate to remove cancer. His quality of life was never the same, and I wonder that had he spent more time focusing on his health on the road, that he may have enjoyed retirement so much more.

If you are reading this newsletter, then chances are you care about your health and well-being, and that you are doing something about it on a regular basis. So, next time you are on the road, may I suggest the following workout plan? You can modify the days to fit your schedule based upon arrival and departure days.

MONDAY:                   Arrival Day                 Light Cardio

TUESDAY:                                                      Full Body Workout

WEDNESDAY:                                                Cardio

THURSDAY:                Departure Day          Full Body Workout

FRIDAY:                                                          Rest Day

SATURDAY:                In your Own Gym      Upper Body or Front Side

SUNDAY:                    In your Own Gym      Lower Body or Back Side

There are many different ways to do strength training on the road. Your destination may have a gym, either fully or poorly equipped, or you may have to do exercise in your room, but there is no excuse not to get them in. (For suggestions, check out my band/body weight exercise videos online).

When you are on the road, your nutrition app (Lose it, My Fitness pal, etc) is essential and definitely your best friend. It keeps you on track for making good choices when your “vacation” mode is in full force. Make sure you use it, and remember that it is never too late to start tracking (bad Monday, start Tuesday. Bad morning, start in the afternoon).

So next time you are ready to hit the road for whatever reason, embrace the thought of continuing your healthy lifestyle choices: watching what you eat, plenty of exercise and a good night sleep. Q