Traveling for business always sounds so exotic. A week in Paris! An overnight layover in New York City! A trade show in San Francisco! But after just a few business trips during your career, the allure starts to wear off. Your business trip to Paris goes from seeing the Eiffel Tower and drinking good wine to being crammed on a plane for 8+ hours and being jet-lagged. Your plans to check out a trendy new fitness studio in NYC are foiled by flight delays. Your picturesque view of the Golden Gate that you’ve always wanted to see is shrouded in darkness by the time you get off the trade show floor.
It happens. Business trips can be crazy-busy and despite your best attempts at getting some leisurely sightseeing in, fitting in any kind of non-work time is tough, let alone working out or relaxing. However, combining business and leisure during a trip is possible. And it doesn’t have to be exhausting to have your business trip and enjoy it, too.
Below are seven ways to get your business done, have some leisure time AND not miss a workout. Amazing, right? Read on for the business-leisure-fitness Holy Grail!
1. Do Some Research. Before you travel, scout out the Embassy Suites you’ll be staying at and its nearby attractions. Is it near a beautiful park? Within walking distance of a museum with later evening hours? How about close to a trendy fitness center where you can buy a guest pass? Try to find fun activities that you can do that are within a few miles of your hotel. This helps reduce travel time (time is hard to come by while away on business). It also encourages you to walk there, which helps you get some exercise. If you’re not Internet-savvy or if you’re in a time crunch, call the Embassy Suites directly and their concierge will be able to help you out.
Doing some research before your trip helps you make the most of a free hour or two. Before you travel, create a list of at least three spots to hit for fun. That way, when you do have some free time, you have a plan-instead of being at your boss’s mercy for dinner and drinks to continue discussing work.
2. Park It. Whenever I stay in New York City, I always try to nab a hotel near a major park for both a break from the city (I’m a Midwest girl at heart) and to squeeze in a run. During a recent trip, I stayed at the Embassy Suites in the financial district (just south of the World Trade Center site) and despite my craving for running in Central Park, I was happily satiated with the running paths along the Hudson River. Running along the water is always refreshing and calming, and there is no better way to see the city and get your cardio in.
3. Hit a Museum. Walking through a museum isn’t exactly a workout, but it is definitely non-work leisure time. Because you may not have a lot of time, be realistic about how much you can cover. For example, if you’re in Washington, D.C., pick just one part of the Smithsonian to explore-otherwise you’ll just sprint from room to room and barely see anything!
4. Ask a Local. Whenever I travel anywhere, business or not, I always want to try the local cuisine. From crab cakes in Baltimore to zinfandel in Sonoma County, I like to eat and drink what’s fresh. However, this eating doesn’t always bode well with my fitness and healthy eating plans. My remedy for this? I ask a local for independently owned healthy eating joints. Not every city has “health food,” but almost all of the major cities have vegetarian, vegan or raw food cuisine that’s offered. These types of restaurants usually choose foods that are locally produced, so you really are eating the food of the area. And, for those of you who can’t imagine a meal without meat, I promise that vegan food really can be super tasty. Give yourself bonus points if you run or walk to the restaurant.
5. Find a Gym. If you’ve got my luck, you can expect that at least a day or two of your business or leisure trip will be rainy, cold or less than perfect weather-wise. For days like that, turn your workout indoors to either the hotel fitness center (when I was at the Embassy Suites New York, I worked out at the accompanying New York Sports Club that was niiiiiice and allowed full access to Embassy Suites’ guests) or at a specialty fitness center or studio. Many health clubs even offer a free week-long pass that you can use for your entire stay.
And if you really need some leisure time and it’s raining cats and dogs, hit the gym or hotel for a Swedish or deep-tissue massage. It may be pricey, but it’s worth it (especially for those feet that you’ve been standing on your entire trip). Plus, nothing says leisure more than spa services.
6. Get Fit to Save Time. If you have a few extra hours at the end of the work day and are torn between working out or relaxing, try this everyone-wins approach: Find a one- to three-mile route (or more if you’re a regular runner or walker) to the museum, restaurant or other attraction of your choosing and power walk or run there. Pick a place that doesn’t have a dress code, and you’ll save time getting ready, too.
7. Add On. When all else fails, extend your business trip a day or two to really see the area and relax. Last year, I made the most of my business travels to Orlando by inviting my husband down for a long weekend after my meetings were over. We spent three full days hitting amusement parks and lying by the pool. It was the perfect way to wind down from my work trip, and because my later flight home was cheaper than if I’d flown home with the rest of the staff, I was even praised for saving money for the company.
Yes, traveling for work and making it both productive and relaxing is tough, but it is possible. Share your business and leisure traveling tips with us in the comments below. Be sure to tell us how you squeeze in your workouts, too!
