Health Tips Every Businessman Should Use

Work takes its toll on our bodies. Business means long hours, little sleep, frequent travel, high stress and never forget we are all constantly battling ageing too. We at Harum-Scarum are no strangers to these potential potholes in our health. It’s all too easy to slide into a poor diet, low exercise lifestyle with mountains of stress also piled on for good measure.

So we’re giving you our favourite tips for how every businessman should stay healthy.

Travel

When it comes to traveling, whether you are doing so for work or for personal enjoyment for that matter, it can be taxing on your body. Extended hours on a plane, manic schedules, and long days can all put stress on the mind and the body. Staying healthy when traveling is incredibly important just as important as remembering your passport. Ill health far from home is never a great situation.

Remaining healthy does in fact involve a bit more than just preventing illness; it also means eating a well-balanced diet. This avoids both wandering energy levels and the dreaded travellers stomach upset. When we all travel no matter what it is for, we are all far more relaxed about our routines and it’s easy to slide into a downward spiral of overindulgence.

The answer is to eat as close to your home cuisine as possible, this sounds very dull when you’re surrounded by new smells and foods, but you really need to be A1 fit when you go into that meeting room the next morning. It also allows you to recognise your portion and calorie intake.

Hygiene

It’s shocking how bad some people are at this, almost to a medieval level. One of the biggest challenges when it comes to business is the number of public places, spaces, work areas etc we have to utilise on a daily basis. So whether it is taking the train or being stuck in a lift surrounded by a bunch of people who may be coughing and sneezing.

The workplace is one of the most unhygienic spaces, so to combat this and stay healthy, simply wash your hands frequently and pack a small bottle of hand gel. Also take opportunities to wash your face with a gentle soap, many germs are transferred from the hands to the face resulting in illness. On average we touch our faces 100 times an hour, so whatever was on your hands is now near your eyes, nose and mouth. A small block of soap is all that’s needed to keep hands and face surgically clean.

Eat Healthy

Ok, no great shocker that this made our top tips. It’s an advice we all know, but that so few follow. Whether it’s eating at the office or on the road, businessmen still seem to head for the fast food or high carb offerings at service stations. It’s very understandable, time is short, cravings are high and stress makes us hungrier.

There are ways to combat this. Pack healthy snacks such as granola bars, nuts, dark chocolate, fruit, protein bars or Jerky. All of these snacks are great for on the road, at the airport or for during a busy day being desk bound. Try to have at least one healthy meal per day, the key is to eat everything (even junk) in moderation and commit to making at least one healthy meal a day.

Staying Hydrated

We all need fluids to stay healthy, yet last year kidney stones as the result of dehydration had risen by 32% in the UK. Simply, we aren’t drinking enough water.

If you don’t stay hydrated throughout the day you can suffer minor symptoms such as headaches, making you stressed, inefficient and lethargic. It is very important to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water. If plain water bores you, add a slice of fruit to it or a drop of sugar free fruit cordial.

Avoid binging on coffee, tea or sports drinks. The stimulants play havoc with your natural energy levels and then trigger stress hormone production. Also heavy stimulant drinks have diuretic effects, meaning you’re peeing out most of the fluid you put in minus the sugar.

Practice Politeness

Although this may sound odd, practicing politeness at work can calm you down and defuse stressful situations. The simple act of being polite triggers a mini high in the brain this in turn lowers stress and cortisol levels.

In short you get a health kick every time you do a good deed. Pushing your way to the photocopier or being rude to the check in assistant will do nothing but make you ill and leave them thinking you’re less than gentlemanly.

So say “thank you”, help others and everyone will benefit.