With the turn of the calendar page comes the annual ritual of making New Year's resolutions. Weigh less, exercise more, spend time relaxing--all are typical proposals of willpower that fall by the wayside (or weighside) by February. There's always a reason--the kids, work, travel. Well, ladies, Jane is not going to let you use travel as an excuse for losing resolve. Indeed, even if you are traveling for business....especially if you are traveling for business....keeping the above-mentioned resolutions can actually be easier than if you are staying at home.
Impossible, you say? Well, let's start with weighing less. When you are at home, you may be tempted by all of that junk food you buy for everyone else. Yes, Jane knows you try to feed the family right. But let's face it, a Twinkie does surface now and then, doesn't it, ladies? And it's not placed in the kitchen cabinet by a traitorous Keebler Elf, is it? Now, Jane is not trying to hector you about your shopping habits. Rather, her point is that temptation is less omnipresent at a hotel than at home, unless you are faced with the dreaded mini-bar. But then again, when a Milky Way costs $6, it's a bit easier to resist the sugar siren's call.
Furthermore, when traveling, you actually may have more healthy eating choices. At breakfast, nibble on Wyndham's new Fields and Sun breakfast items (that's assuming you are staying at a Wyndham. And if you aren't, what's the problem, girlfriend?). F & S, as Jane, in her usual hip fashion, dubs said menu, is filled with goodies made of higher quality, healthier ingredients. The menu incorporates greater use of local produce and items like freshly-made smoothies, organic cereals, and granola containing no refined sugar and no trans fats. No matter the restaurant at which you dine for lunch and dinner, it's easy enough to have a salad or a piece of broiled fish. And with no free snacks at the ready in your hotel room, the tendency to nosh at night is taken away.* However, if you do like to nibble (and who doesn't, Jane queries), go to a store at home before you travel and stock up on healthy snacks like nuts and dried fruit.
On to exercise. Girlfriend, nearly every hotel has a fitness center. True, the range and quality of equipment varies. But there's usually a treadmill or a stationary bike around. If that doesn't work for you, you can run up and down hallways or stairs; do yoga or pilates in your room; or work the arms by packing light-weight resistance pulleys or inflatable (with water) dumbbells. With all of these options, there is simply no excuse for not exercising at your hotel.
Hotels are also tailor-made for relaxing. Take a bubble bath. Sit in bed and channel surf. Drink a cup of chamomile tea. For a bit more R & R, consider extending your business trip a day or two and take a mini-vacation. Airfare is already taken care of by your company. So pay for that extra hotel night, especially if you are in a fabulous city like Chicago. You can stay at Wyndham's Windy City property in the heart of the Magnificent Mile and do some upscale shopping or pay a visit to the magnificent Art Institute. Or if you are staying at a resort property in California, Arizona, or Florida, take an extra day to lounge around the pool (after working out in the fitness center, of course). If you spend the time exercising, eating right, and easing off, you'll see how simple resolve on the road can truly be.
*If you are a member of Wyndham By Request, you actually can have a free snack. Upon arrival at a Wyndham property, members can select a healthy choice like fruit with water or a seltzer. Of course, you can go the alternate route and choose a candy bar and glass of wine, but that's hardly in the spirit of this treatise, is it?
