How Do I Stay in Shape While Traveling?

Travel nurses enjoy a multidimensional career with twists in every corner, working in hospitals and clinics across the nation. It is rewarding, yet can present many challenges especially when it comes to traveling. In order to stay in optimum shape (just like you hope your patients to be), following a cool and calm diet and exercise plan is essential.

Seasoned travel nurses will prep you to think ahead. This means grabbing every bit of information you can find on the cuisine in the community you'll be working in. Scout out the top restaurants, diet-friendly establishments, and look for specialty locations like seafood and barbecue restaurants through the Internet and local newspapers. Because the cost of living varies from city to city, jotting down the price range for food is important as well. Keep a tight itinerary and record all information on menus and area restaurants.

Once you have your "cuisine plan" ready, keep yourself in shape with a solid breakfast meal everyday. Breakfast should consist of a variety of foods, including grains (breads and cereals), fruits and vegetables, and milk, cheese, or yogurt. If breakfast is a hassle to make before work, prepare a meal the night before that consists of a serving of low sugar cereal, a trail mix of nuts and crackers, or an Ensure shake to maintain calories. If you'll be trekking from hotel to hotel, look for the ones that offer free continental breakfasts.

Any traveling nurse will tell you not to eat irregularly. Eat 5 to 6 light meals throughout the day if possible. This will maintain energy and keep your calorie levels high. Never neglect your hunger and opt for more frequent eating instead of waiting for one big meal. Keep your body full of healthy snacks like granola bars between breakfast-lunch-dinner intervals, and always drink plenty of water. Thirst should always be avoided, as that's a surefire sign of early dehydration.

The second installment of staying in shape while on the road is following through with an exercise plan. Any fitness expert will tell you a steady diet comes before exercise, but combining the two makes travel nurses even fitter for work. Start with mild exercise that may include twenty minutes of walking every day. Each week, increase this number by five minutes until you are regularly exercising anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, three times a week. Another suggestion is to perform some cardiovascular exercise. Swimming in hotel pools, jumping rope on Daytona Beach sands (pump those calves!), or pumping light iron at your hotel's gym is enough for this requirement.

To impress your patients and your ego, a toning regimen is strongly recommended. You don't necessarily have to follow the book for this one. Perform sit-ups and crunches three days a week; morning and night to maintain shape. If you'd like a routine, check out articles on websites on how to start one. If your RV does not accommodate weight training equipment, use everyday items like stools and books. When lifting with proper form, they have the same effect!

Always keep focused on your diet and exercise goals. Sculpt those calves, chisel those abs, and be on your way to becoming a fit travel nurse your patients will be proud of.