Business Travel and health/fitness

[smit0847]

Sitting in the QF dom J lounge yesterday afternoon I couldn't help noticing the common themes of business travellers there. Yes they may have been travelling for leisure but arriving at 3 or 4pm in a suit with a briefcase and pulling out a laptop to send emails suggested they were likely business travellers. Most of them were tucking into the more unhealthy food options in the lounge (opting for the roast beef and gravy rather than a salad) and almost all were having a glass of wine or a beer or three. I enjoy a drink on weekends and when I'm on holidays but there is no way I would knock back a few beers at 3pm on a Tuesday if I had just finished work!

Most of them also looked quite out of shape. This made me think about the lifestyles of people who travel regularly - it seems like it would be quite unhealthy. While airport lounges do have some healthy options, there are usually more unhealthy items on offer and there is unlimited free booze. I imagine the same would be true for hotels (room service etc). While some business travellers may exercise daily and take the time and effort to seek out healthy food options it seems like many don't and their health and weight suffer as a result.

For those of you who travel regularly for business, is this the case? Is the lifestyle geared towards bad food and regular alcohol? Do you make an effort to stay in shape/eat properly or is it a lost cause?

 

[RooFlyer]

What you saw and described in the lounge is me - but without the suit; and wine instead of beer .

Business flying is a slippery slope to an unhealthy lifestyle - but I can't blame it entirely for the state I'm in. After all, the reds in the lounges aren't that good!

 

[get me outta here]

I seem to remember a previous foreign minister stating that it's an unhealthy lifestyle too. And, spending so much time in planes, jarmies are important too.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I seem to remember a previous foreign minister stating that it's an unhealthy lifestyle too. And, spending so much time in planes, jarmies are important too.

Former ALP minister for Transport & Communications Bob Collins once said "If you are what you eat, I suppose I am Ansett inflight catering incarnate."

 

[Steady]

What you saw and described in the lounge is me - but without the suit; and wine instead of beer .

Business flying is a slippery slope to an unhealthy lifestyle - but I can't blame it entirely for the state I'm in. After all, the reds in the lounges aren't that good!

I too am in this boat - staying in hotels with early starts and long days just adds to it.

 

[browski]

The problem with travel (and putting on weight) is not the alcohol consumption, that pretty much stays the same (ie. Heavy).
The issue is the lack of daily scheduled excercise and home meals.

So when travelling (and exercise and eating well must take a backward seat), here is a tried and true approach to weight management.
To maintain a 33 inch waistline and continue copious alcohol consumption is often a struggle but entirely achievable if one applies themselves to the task.
eg. Drinking neat Scotch whisky or neat vodka/gin is great for keeping the calories down......
or
You can drink 10 pots of beer a day and lose weight as long as you don't eat anything at all - try it, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

 

[Isochronous]

The problem with travel (and putting on weight) is not the alcohol consumption, that pretty much stays the same (ie. Heavy).
The issue is the lack of daily scheduled excercise and home meals.

So when travelling (and exercise and eating well must take a backward seat), here is a tried and true approach to weight management.
To maintain a 33 inch waistline and continue copious alcohol consumption is often a struggle but entirely achievable if one applies themselves to the task.
eg. Drinking neat Scotch whisky or neat vodka/gin is great for keeping the calories down......
or
You can drink 10 pots of beer a day and lose weight as long as you don't eat anything at all - try it, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

So I should stick to gin and tonic then?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

You can drink 10 pots of beer a day and lose weight as long as you don't eat anything at all - try it, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Pleasantly surprised? I'm not how many people would consider death pleasant and I'm not too sure how many people would not die drinking 10 pots a day with no food! I do understand that there is a steak sandwich in every pot........but c'mon, you're pulling my leg, right?

 

[browski]

Pleasantly surprised? I'm not how many people would consider death pleasant and I'm not too sure how many people would not die drinking 10 pots a day with no food! I do understand that there is a steak sandwich in every pot........but c'mon, you're pulling my leg, right?

For the beginner, perhaps 9 pots per day and 2 apples.

 

[Anna]

There's been plenty of times I've preferred to spend time walking in the airport terminal rather than sit, eat and drink. Not the ideal cardio regime but better than no exercise at all.

 

[pauly7]

Airlines don't force feed you on board. The lounge staff don't hold you down and force high carb cough or alcohol down your throat. The hotel doesn't stop you getting up 30 mins earlier to do a HIT session.

My boss, the AU/NZ/PAC CEO of one of the worlds largest FMCG companies travels non stop, far more than 99% of people on this forum and indeed Australia I'm sure! - and he is a inspiration to me as he stays healthier and can bench more and run further than most guys half his age. I follow his lead - energy in energy out and no whining excuses.

 

[browski]

Airlines don't force feed you on board. The lounge staff don't hold you down and force high carb cough or alcohol down your throat. The hotel doesn't stop you getting up 30 mins earlier to do a HIT session.

My boss, the AU/NZ/PAC CEO of one of the worlds largest FMCG companies travels non stop, far more than 99% of people on this forum and indeed Australia I'm sure! - and he is a inspiration to me as he stays healthier and can bench more and run further than most guys half his age. I follow his lead - energy in energy out and no whining excuses.

Pauly, anybody can do what your boss does. The real test is whether he can do all that as well as drink his bodyweight in booze and consume an 8-ball of cocaine on a daily basis. That's the new high-water mark of which to aspire. You've got time on your side to achieve these great things, so we'll be watching your progress with interest.

 

[Denali]

There's been plenty of times I've preferred to spend time walking in the airport terminal rather than sit, eat and drink. Not the ideal cardio regime but better than no exercise at all.

One of our favourite things to do at Changi is walk all the terminals. Having already sat for hours and having more to come, its nice just to walk around - which is the peak of my exercise capabilities.

I have/had a few GMs that their personal rule is to go jogging as soon as they either check in or finish their work day, I noticed the hotels gyms in china seem very busy.

 

[clazman]

Before i get on a flight i will go for a "bog lap" around the terminal and when in transit.... like Denali walk around the terminals

 

[bismarck]

I definitely find it difficult and have noticed that I put on weight when travelling vs. doing projects in SYD.

This is despite the fact that I probably exercise more when travelling due to the easy proximity of the gym (pretty easy to just get the lift downstairs).

Some things I have noticed that I think contribute to my unhealthiness:
- Much larger portion sizes in hotels/restaurants than what I would typically have at home (I am a fan of Hyatt's healthy choices menu to offset)
- Much more likely to order sides (which can be as large as a meal themselves) when someone else is paying
- Everything seems drowned in oil/butter

For me, it's the food that contributes more than the exercise. I don't really think the couple of hundred calories burned from exercise can really offset the (probably) thousand extra I inadvertently consume due to the above.

I also try to stay at hotels with 24 hour gyms. While the professional/consumer oriented ones (like at the Grand Hyatt in MEL) are great....they are a great way to ensure I skip my workout as I often won't make it back to the hotel until after 9pm and you can be damn sure I can't be assed getting up in the morning to exercise.

 

[get me outta here]

Travelling F from one F lounge to an F seat to an F lounge to an F seat to another F lounge and one more F seat before reaching destination is definitely a health hazard. Fortunately, I will only do it 2 or 3 times comps of AFF and USDM.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Having spent 60+ nights in hotels in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore last year I believe Asia is the best place to maintain health for a business traveler. First, I found myself walking km's every day being someone who takes public transport. Second, the portions sizes are much smaller and generally more healthy. In Shanghai I spent $1 on lunch each day buying dumplings and soup at a local stall outside the ICC. In Hong Kong, I would walk from The Landmark to the IFC most days and can definitely recommend Open Kitchen in the IFC or local food stores one level above Hong Kong Airport Express station for reasonably priced healthy food in HK.

One of our favourite things to do at Changi is walk all the terminals. Having already sat for hours and having more to come, its nice just to walk around - which is the peak of my exercise capabilities.

+1
The flight from BNE usually lands at Gate A21 so I walk rather than take Shuttle Skytrain to the main area and then Skytrain it to T2 and walk back. A good 15 min circuit and interesting plane and people spotting. Had a chuckle last time after spending so long in China and looking at the familiar mayhem of a Chinese tour group on a China bound flight.

 

[vetrade]

Here are my random thoughts on this discussion:
1. Many people eat/drink their fill in the lounge then board their flight and eat and drink their fill again as soon as the seat belt sign goes off. Then it’s back to the lounge before the connecting flight to hastily cram in another all-you-can-eat session……..and on it goes. The net result is a carb intake that is more than should really be eaten in a week, and the huge bellies so increasingly common among business travellers (more so, men).

I cannot fathom why so many people afford airport lounges seemingly mythical status given the mediocrity of the offerings. Surely it must be the fact it’s free which explains why gluttony has become de rigueur. Although I regularly eat and drink (in moderation) in lounges the main benefit for me is not stuffing my face but in having a comfy chair in which to avoid the unwashed masses inhabiting the terminal in their hoodies, camo pants and thongs +/- wailing kids.

2. The only real benefit of walking around a terminal etc. is that it’s less time you are eating. The minor fat burning response walking creates is more wishful thinking than anything else and only persists for a minimal time after the walk. Jogging is not much better. Weight sessions on the other hand produce fat burning for up to 48 hrs after a session. And that doesn’t require heavy lifting. More people should give that a try.

3. IMHO there should be a law against hotels advertising “fully equipped gym” because they are almost universally anything but.

4. Plan ahead and incorporate some exercise into your travel. E.g. last time I spent time in the US I bought a 30 day visitor’s pass online before I left with Golds Gym for only about $30 IIRC, which gave me access to any of their gyms (of which there are many). All had an extensive range of quality equipment and I enjoyed seeking them out in each new city.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Yep there's no real health upside and the only antidote is extreme discipline, as practiced by our current foreign minister.

I've worked with guys who either swim or run when they travel that will assist matters of course. Eating an entree instead of the main and try to limit the alcohol. (Somehow)

 

[toowongman]

There's been plenty of times I've preferred to spend time walking in the airport terminal rather than sit, eat and drink. Not the ideal cardio regime but better than no exercise at all.

This. Espresso and soda water (not together) at the lounge then walk up and down the terminal. Wife got me a "fitbit" so she can check my exercise :/ Starting to hate those five little LED dots...