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Healthy Traveler Report - Taking wellness on the road

Travel benefits your well-being in many ways. A significant amount of scientific research suggests that exploring new places can do wonders for your mental and emotional health.

16 May 2023 3 min to read

What about traveling for business?

Can well-being and business travel go hand in hand? Studies show that employees consider corporate travel an important workplace perk. Work travel enables employees to build new relationships and progress their careers, while being trusted to represent their organization can also boost self-esteem. For many, business travel is more than just getting work done in a new location; it's an opportunity to discover the world. But business travel may sometimes also have an impact on employee well-being, ranging from tiredness and stress to loneliness and anxiety. The extent to which they impact a traveler depends on multiple factors.

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Tips on taking wellness on the road

We have selected for you some of the best tips from the 'Healthy Traveler Report'. Read the report for more valuable insights and tips on how to stay healthy while traveling.

1. Beat jet lag before you board your flight

You may not be able to avoid jet lag entirely, but you may be able to reduce its effects by gradually moving mealtimes and bedtime closer to the schedule of your destination. For example, if you're traveling east, go to bed a half-hour earlier than usual for several nights. If you'll be traveling west, stay up a half-hour later on several consecutive nights. Also, drink plenty of water, as being dehydrated worsens the physical symptoms of jet lag. And go easy on coffee and alcohol, as both can disturb your sleep.

2. Stay healthy while travelling

Drink plenty of water to help counteract the low relative humidity while flying, and if you've had breathing problems in the past or noticed a sense of breathlessness while flying, ask your doctor whether you may need oxygen when travelling by air. Get up and move around the cabin as often as possible to reduce the risk of deep-vein thrombosis, or blood clots in your legs. If you experience motion sickness, try travelling on an empty stomach, getting plenty of fresh air, and keeping your gaze fixed on something stationary, like the horizon.

3. Ease tension

Invoke calm en route by checking your body for tension, like this: relax your facial muscles and allow your jaw to fall open slightly. Let your shoulders drop. Let your arms fall to your sides. Allow your hands to loosen so there are spaces between your fingers. Uncross your legs or ankles. Feel your thighs sink into your chair, letting your legs fall comfortably apart. Feel your shins and calves become heavier and your feet grow roots into the floor. Now breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly. Each time you breathe out, try to relax even more.

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4. Sharpen your mind

These four habits can help boost your memory:

Get at least seven hours of sleep to help the body rest and help enhance attention, problem-solving, and creativity.
Eat a healthy diet. For example, following a Mediterranean-style diet has been tied to lower risks for cognitive decline.
Stress makes it harder to retrieve information stored in your brain; manage it by practicing mindfulness, or a type of meditation that helps you learn to control your focus by observing the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings you're experiencing.
Exercise regularly to increase blood flow to your brain and promote the release of a powerful molecule that helps repair brain cells and strengthen their connections for better retrieval of memories.

5. During meetings and events

Conferences can be exhausting. Try to avoid overscheduling yourself and seek out quiet spaces with plenty of natural light, which can help regulate your circadian rhythm and boost your energy levels.

6. Take advantage of "bleisure travel"

Rather than dashing straight to the airport the moment your conference ends, consider extending your trip with bleisure travel. A mixture of 'business' and 'leisure', this type of travel is an attractive way to make the most of your business trips. After all, if taking a few personal days to destress helps you return to the office feeling refreshed and recharged, that's a win-win for both you and your boss.

'Radisson Hotel Group welcomes millions of business travelers at our hotels every year, so we know that corporate travel can be both rewarding and stressful. Our goal is to create the ideal conditions to foster productivity and good health when you're on the road, from investing in healthy dining options and fitness facilities to opening convenient locations, to focusing on perfecting the ideal sleep environment to help make every moment of your trip feel rewarding', says Eric De Neef, Executive Vice President & Global Chief Branding and Commercial Officer at Radisson Hotel Group.