| We live stressful lives in a stressed-out world. | | | | exercise habits, these are easy: |
| Your parents may have felt like they were | | | | Water |
| always going "a mile a minute;" today, it feels | | | | Drink two liters a day, or 64 ounces. Spread it |
| more like a mile a second. And if you're spending | | | | out over the day. This is a no-brainer. And while |
| a good chunk of your life on airplanes, this is | | | | we're on the subject of drinking, you need to set |
| literally the case. | | | | a limit on caffeine and alcohol. One neat trick is to |
| You travel all over the world, sleep a lot of nights | | | | make yourself drink a 16-ounce bottle of water |
| out of your own bed, and work long hours trying | | | | for every cup of coffee or glass of wine you |
| to impress customers, clients, colleagues, | | | | allow yourself. |
| everybody. You are "on" for hours and hours, | | | | Supplements |
| every day. Your "program" tells you where, when, | | | | Based on what's available in a place like a hotel |
| and what to eat, and every meal's a "working | | | | restaurant, you simply can't get everything your |
| meal" with clients. You do this every day, week, | | | | body needs to maximize your health. Take at |
| or month... but it's a special event for your clients, | | | | least a good multi-vitamin every day (or with |
| so every night is a "celebration" where the treats | | | | every meal). I recommend the liquid |
| (like alcohol) are flowing. And it would be rude, and | | | | "nutraceuticals,' which are much easier for your |
| maybe career-limiting, to decline! You have to | | | | body to absorb and use. |
| sleep fast, and you don't sleep well. Yes, from the | | | | Sleep |
| time you step off the plane in a jet-lagged stupor | | | | Most people need at least eight hours' sleep every |
| to the time you drag your luggage to the car in | | | | night. No, you should not assume you are one of |
| the long-term lot at your home airport, your | | | | the minority who needs less! Do what it takes to |
| vitality is under attack. After weeks, months, or | | | | get your Zs. Take an herbal sleep aid (like |
| years of this lifestyle, "vitality" will seem elusive | | | | Valerian), turn off the electronics in your room, |
| (at best), or even impossible. You feel weak, soft, | | | | make it dark, and truly let yourself relax. |
| even sick. You're like the overworked horse the | | | | Breathing |
| old cowboy would refer to as "rode-hard, and put | | | | Believe it or not, you are not breathing right. Your |
| up wet." | | | | lifestyle doesn't let you catch your breath! Find a |
| Are you sick and tired of being sick, and tired? | | | | 10-minute break (ideally mid-morning, but any time |
| The bad news is that it will take self-discipline to | | | | is better than none) to do a breathing exercise. |
| regain control of your vitality. If you want to | | | | Sit comfortably with your spine straight. Close |
| recapture a true sense of well-being, it'll take quite | | | | your eyes. Try not to think about anything. Inhale |
| a bit. The good news is that, if you start now, | | | | slowly through your nose and exhale even more |
| and make firm commitments to one little change | | | | slowly; a good rule of thumb is to take a full four |
| at a time, you can do it. You can go from "rode | | | | seconds to inhale and eight to exhale smoothly. |
| hard" to something more like "road hard." And | | | | With practice, you can do this without counting. |
| here are the eight best practices to help you get | | | | Set a timer to "wake" you after, say, seven |
| started. | | | | minutes. Do this daily, and you'll be amazed at the |
| Nutrition | | | | reduction in your stress. You'll become a more |
| It's hard not to eat just whatever they put in | | | | patient, easy-going person. Clients will love you |
| front of you at a hotel or conference center. You | | | | even more! |
| need a plan. It's a lot easier to keep yourself | | | | Cleansing |
| healthy if you have some simple rules on what | | | | Once every six months (I recommend at the |
| you can and can't have. Counting calories and "just | | | | change of the seasons in the spring and fall), |
| trying to eat a balanced diet" is particularly difficult | | | | cleanse your system. The best method is to fast |
| with a traveling lifestyle, because you need more | | | | (in a controlled way, with organic juices) for at |
| rules. You have to focus on impressing clients, so | | | | least three straight days. If you really want to |
| get a dietary framework that does the thinking | | | | cleanse, consider colon hydrotherapy. There are |
| for you when it's time to eat. And everyone's | | | | also some good cleansing supplements out there. |
| different; what works for me might not for you. | | | | Checking |
| Because it's easiest to understand and stick to | | | | I recommend you check your "vitals" periodically. |
| both at home and on the road, I recommend a | | | | It's a good idea to go to a chiropractor who can |
| low-carb approach... but do the research and find | | | | check your energy and adjust your frame - I do |
| the approach that you can stick to and enjoy. | | | | it monthly. Check your blood pressure when you |
| Exercise | | | | pass by a free machine at the grocery store. |
| Yes, that hotel probably has a gym. Find it. But | | | | Every quarter, get some lab work done to check |
| don't just wander in after work and before | | | | your cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. Meanwhile, |
| cocktails... have a plan, and stick to it. There are | | | | resist the temptation to check your weight all the |
| several good exercise regimens out there; the | | | | time. Your goal is vitality, not an arbitrary weight |
| best one is the one you will enjoy enough to do | | | | number; and if you stick to your healthy habits, |
| regularly. I recommend alternating interval aerobics | | | | your body will optimize its weight anyway. Finally, |
| (like on a treadmill), say, | | | | to keep a "check" on yourself, keep a journal. I |
| Monday-Wednesday-Friday, with strength training | | | | give myself a "score" on each of these eight |
| (weight lifting) on the alternate days. Start | | | | practices, every week. I routinely stick to 80% or |
| tomorrow, and start each day with a workout | | | | better on my personal goals on each practice, and |
| (it's much more effective in jump-starting your | | | | in a short time, you'll find it reasonably easy to do |
| metabolism if you do it first thing). Limit it to 45 | | | | the same. |
| minutes, but do it every single day you're on the | | | | Finally: don't get overwhelmed! Eventually, if you |
| road (and at least 3-4 times a week when you're | | | | want to live a long and healthy life, you need to |
| home). By the second week, you'll find it much | | | | do all of these things. But for now, just start with |
| easier to get up and just get it done. | | | | nutrition and exercise. Read up on some |
| Those are the two biggies! If you could do just | | | | programs, pick a plan, and start right away! At a |
| those, you will feel better in a short time. These | | | | mile a second, you don't have time to wait.by |
| next practices, though, will really help; and if you | | | | Michael D. |
| have the discipline to change your nutrition and | | | | |