Below is a guest post from Mike Manning, a fitness and health blogger.
Changes in routine that come with travel can make fitness and other aspects of a healthy lifestyle difficult to maintain. Research indicates that individuals who are away from home 20 days or more each month struggle with greater health concerns than others. The rigors of the road, including unfamiliar surroundings, time changes, demanding schedules and dietary changes can take a toll on any person’s health. Fortunately, these stressors are not completely out of your control. By planning ahead and maintaining a degree of self-awareness, you can successfully maintain your healthy habits on the road as well as at home.
Before you leave, do some research about your planned destination. Locate a good health market where you can pick up healthy snacks to keep in your room and fuel your daily activities. Check out accommodations and look for a hotel with convenient fitness amenities. On a recent trip to San Francisco I was able to book a hotel with a great 24-hour gym by doing some research on a travel reviews site. This site gave me a list of San Francisco hotels and from there I was able to click through and see different fitness amenities. If you belong to a health club, discover if you can gain access to a local gym during your stay.
En route to your destination, take time to stretch and perform simple exercises in your seat. Whether you fly or drive, moving and stretching during travel will help you avoid many of the discomforts associated with spending long hours sitting in cramped quarter. Stretch your back, roll your shoulders, do a few knee lifts, point and flex your feet and so on. During layovers or rest stops, take the opportunity to walk and stretch.
At your hotel, familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Locate the fitness center and various amenities. Before going to meetings or activities, take the time to settle into your room. Do a little stretching or move through some basic yoga poses to help you center yourself.
During your stay, maintain realistic expectations. While your exercise time may be limited, you can take the opportunities that come and make the most of them. Little things like taking the stairs or walking instead of driving or riding to restaurants or meetings will make a big impact on your overall fitness. Implementing these simple tricks will help you feel better throughout your trip and arrive home more refreshed.
The Green Cursor 
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