How to bypass jet lag and actually feel good while on the road

Here in Seattle, we are known as the "rainy city" by most of the US, and for good reason.  Once it hits mid October we don't see much of the sun behind our cloud cover until the spring.  Because of this, many people living in the pacific north west get SAD.  Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Due to this, many of us like to travel to warm tropical locations during this time of year (Dru is in Hawaii as I'm writing this) to get a healthy dose of relaxation and vitamin D.  

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"David, how is the wind storm and power outage in Seattle?" - Dru

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While taking a vacation from your day to day is a great way to break up the monotony, our good habits tend to fall to the way side when we break away from the norm.  The first habit to go is almost always a regular exercise routine along with self control when it comes to food.  Good habits are hard to build and easy to break, especially when placed in new circumstances.  I'd like to take a minute to talk about some great strategies for still enjoying yourself on vacation but also getting in your healthy routines!

Now to pass up that jet Lag

As one of my favorite speakers says, "A flight from New York City to Zurich can throw off your body's internal clock and leave you sleepy and sluggish for days. But before you waste a day of your vacation battling jet lag, scheduled exercise before and during your trip might help you deal and keep your body running like a Swiss watch." (Tim Ferriss).  The importance of exercise cannot be overstated when it comes to making sure your body stays in optimal condition after sitting on a plane or in a car for 6 hours.  One of my favorite things to do when I travel somewhere and when I have access to a gym (sometimes I travel on the cheap and just use an AirBNB) is follow my regular workout routine as closely as I can with the equipment provided in the hotel.  This puts me in a good mental place as I'm surrounded by the familiar, while also giving me that boost of energy or workout high that I need to get my second wind after a tiring day of travel (sleeping on airplanes is hard work!)

Now, when I am doing my thrifty travel I often don't have the luxury of a full gym since I use services such as AirBnB, so a different program is in order.  I still recommend packing workout attire (or just use your birthday suit I guess since nobody will be watching) so that you can perform an "in-home" workout in your room. I have a few exercise programs I like to follow, so that I can still get a good workout and and start my day right, even if I don't have everything I would need.  Does this 100% make up for a scheduled routine? No, but it is infinitely better than skipping entirely; I promise you'll feel better even if you don't feel like doing it.

I'll be heading off to my annual tropical vacation in a few weeks myself; I'll be sure to post some pictures working out on vacation; maybe even with a pre-workout Margarita in hand! 

-David

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