May was full of travel for me, which can be tough trying to stay on track with your health and fitness goals. I am going to share with you a few tips that help me. I traveled this past month for work and pleasure and those offer different challenges when staying on track.

When people travel for pleasure they tend to give in more to the tempting treats or ignore those workouts. I do my best to stay active and eat well. I went to visit family in Cincinnati and since my niece is just over a year old she offers a free workout! Just playing, chasing and walking with her can give me my activity for the day. Take time to go on walks in the morning or evening to keep you moving, plan to do an activity that will get your heart rate up and allow you to see the sights. We attended a wedding so dancing the night away on the dace floor counts. It all counts! You just want to stay active everyday.

Eating is the next thing that people really have a difficult time with, when traveling for pleasure I do allow myself a treat. At the wedding I enjoyed a piece of cake, but when it was meal time the buffet allowed me the opportunity to have some lean chicken and vegetables. Making balanced choices will allow you to get home and not feel like you over did it and have to start over, it should be a smooth transition back into you normal routine.

When traveling for work there are work dinners and team lunches and this can be tricky. A lot of people may not be making the healthiest choices around you so your will power needs to kick in here. I start my day with breakfast at the hotel, they usually have great options from eggs, lean meats, oatmeal and fruits, but will also offer bagels, cereal, waffles and sugary goodness. I never like to indulge at breakfast because then I am unhappy the rest of the day. I normally choose hard boiled eggs, fruit and oatmeal (always with coffee!) This allows me to feel full until lunch. When that times comes around I choose a salad, no dressing or lean meat and veggies. Another filling meal with flavor. Be careful with your salad choice, a salad with fried everything is not a good choice. My trick is I put my order in and then ask what other people are getting this way I don’t get pressured or swayed into something I will regret. At dinner I allow myself to have whatever I want because I don’t just say no all the time and I do like to try new things. I also enjoy a desert every once in a while but I normally choose the smaller item or ice cream option, this gives me my sweet fix but I am not eating an entire piece of cake and ice cream.

Staying in a hotel offers the opportunity to use the gym. I go at least 50% of the time I am staying in a hotel. Morning or evening, it just depends on what works with the daily schedule. I mark it in my calendar and make sure it is done like any other appointment I would have. This also helps me not feel too bad about that desert or dinner option I may choose. Staying active on a work trip is key to feel great when you return. It can be easy to stay out, not get up as early and totally ignore any activity. Make it a priority even a walk at lunch is a great choice.