Stand More

Six Ways to Take an Energy-Giving Break on the Road

Terra is a hard driver. She’s up early and at it late. She never takes breaks and actually prides herself because of it.

During every possible break given in a meeting or conference, she’s working. Her brain is always engaged, and her legs are never moving while she’s sitting in those conferences.

Her philosophy is “who has time for a break?!” and she actually looks down on those who do. She would never say they are lazy but she does question their work ethic. Is Terra right? After all, you’re on the road to work and crank out as much work as possible.

Or is there a reason to take a break?
This is a major pushback for road warriors: the topic of a break. Terra is not alone in this area. But Terra, give it a break already!

I know what you’re thinking: “I barely have time to go to the bathroom let alone pause for lunch. How could I ever have time for a break?” Well, you never “have time.” You “make time” for things that are important. Believe it or not, breaks are important and they matter.

Four Natural Pushbacks To Taking A Break

1. I don’t have time to take a break.

I’m behind before I even start my day and will only fall further behind if I stop and take a break.
I will literally lose more time if I stop. I have TOO much to do and NOT enough time to do it. How could I even consider stopping for a break?

2. I feel fine, why take a break?

Those of us who are locked in and get “in the zone” can easily push back on this one. This is especially true for those of us who love what we do.

3. I forget to even take a break.

If it’s not something we do regularly, especially when traveling, it’s easier to just do a drive-by and miss a break, even if we want or need to take one.

4. My travel schedule does not allow me to take a break.

This used to be me. I never took a break on the road, and the main reason was I never scheduled it. When I started padding my schedule by just 15 – 30 minutes once or twice a day, the results were outstanding.
The problem is, most road warriors rarely take a break, and IF they do, they do it wrong. How do you screw up a break? Let’s start with what a break is first.

I define a break as: MOVE THE BODY/REST THE MIND.

If people choose to take a break at all, they do the opposite – they rest the body and move the mind.
They stay seated and move from one screen to another (computer to phone for social media or personal email). Aka: they screw it up. They’re not moving because they remain seated and their mind is not resting; it is engaged in something else.

They miss an opportunity to leverage the energy that a break can give you IF it’s done correctly.
A true break is designed to move the body – stand/stretch/walk – MOVE! Resting the mind means stop concentrating and let it roam free. Breaks mean running the car, but on idle.

I agree with what The Huffington Post says on breaks: “It is difficult to see things from a new perspective or find new insights when we come at it the same way all the time. Taking a step away — literally or figuratively — might be just what we need to recharge.”

A break is productive only when you disconnect from the work you are doing and indulge in any other activity that takes your mind off the task at hand. The reality is, we have to see the benefit of a break if we’re going to gain anything out of a break.

Benefits of a Break

1. Your mind gets to rest

I don’t know about most people, but the moment I begin my day, my mind is going, and I don’t want to admit it, but it doesn’t stay sharp all day. The reality is my mind begins to fade, especially being around people on the road all day unless I do something about it. That’s exactly why taking a break to give your mind a rest is so vitally important.

It’s good to push your mind, but if your goal is to stay sharp and productive, we need to consider a mental break. We can only focus for so long before quality begins to decrease. If we’re honest, we’ll admit this truth. Resting the mind is exactly what is needed to become more effective and to increase productivity.
What does resting the mind look like? Well, it doesn’t look like moving from one computer tab to another, from CRM to Twitter, from computer to phone. It means allowing your mind time to roam and not concentrate so it is free to engage in something else without intense focus.

2. Your body gets to move.

One of our biggest unknown challenges is being sedentary. Most of us sit almost the entire day, especially when we travel. We’re in a rental car or rideshare, then to the conference room to dinner and then we crash on the bed.

We are not designed to sit around all day, and it’s definitely not helpful for your creativity or productivity. Getting up for a few minutes gets our blood flowing and oxygen to the brain.

We NEED to get our blood flowing and oxygen to the brain to be at our best. Often times, since you’re naturally sitting most of the day, you just have to take the initiative. How many times have you been in a situation where someone said, “Can we take a quick break? I need to… (Get coffee, go to the bathroom, make a quick call or return some messages)”?

This is the timeout in sports you’ve been looking for but use it wisely. Often, people just sit there and completely waste the break. They stay seated on their can and check social media or talk about absolutely nothing.

Not you, road warrior. Exit stage left and go for a walk. Change locations. Move the body and rest the mind. Leave the building if you can. At least, walk around within the building. Often, I take a few stairs and at least step outside. In this way, I’ve moved and taken in some fresh air and scenery.

3. You come back more focused.

This is where taking a break actually increases your productivity. We don’t want to just do our work; we want to do our best work, and that’s what happens when we’re focused and creative. When blood is flowing through my body and oxygen is getting to my brain, both have had the break they need to come back more focused.

It’s amazing how people can screw up a break and are worse off after a break. Not you, road warrior. You’ll come back sharp and ready to knock out the rest of the time.

So, we’ve given excuses of why we can’t or don’t take a break. And we learned the benefits of taking a break. Now, let’s get very practical on how to actually take a break while on a business trip.

Here are Six Ways to Take an Energy-Giving Break on the Road

According to the book Rest, a true break from work – the kind that allows what sociologists call detachment, the ability to put work completely out of your mind and attend to other things – turns out to be tremendously important as a source of mental and physical recovery from work.

I realize breaks may be a change of mindset for you, but if you begin to simply change how you view a break, whether given or self-imposed, you will experience the benefits of moving your body and resting your mind as you get the full benefits of a break. Take a short walk and change your environment for a few moments to catch your breath with the goal of coming back refreshed and ready for another round.

Some break ideas are:

Breath Break
Stand Break
Stretch Break
Bathroom Break
Snack Break
Walk Break

These may seem obvious, but so often, we’re simply not doing them.
We’ll choose six excuses. Think creatively about how you could add them to your travel day. If you think you don’t have ANY time for a break, consider the following with examples of how to use the six different types of breaks.

Your goal: Be an overachiever and combine break types.

Three types of breaks on the road:

1. MICRO – Think Seconds/Small Length
We may not have time for anything longer at the moment or we just need a quick energy boost, and that’s exactly why we should take micro-breaks throughout the day.
Here’s a stat for you: a 30-second micro-break can increase your productivity up to 13% and a 15-second break from staring at your computer screen every ten minutes can reduce your fatigue by 50%.

Here are three different types of micro-breaks:

Breathe break – Take in oxygen to the brain.
Stand break – Simply standing and walking a sedentary body will do more for you than you think, even with such little effort
Stretch break – take that stand and move it to a stretch to get some additional blood flowing. You’d be surprised what a simple, calculated stretch will do for your energy.

EVERYONE on the road has time for MICRO breaks. They don’t affect your time but definitely affect your energy!

2. MINI – Think Minutes/Medium Length
Micro is seconds; mini is minutes. You can sneak a little break in with only a few minutes.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) research reveals that taking mini-breaks that range up to 5 minutes can improve mental acuity by about 13 percent. That’s GREAT ROI for just five minutes!

Bathroom break – This can be a mini-break. If you’re drinking water, this is a natural by-product of your hydration donation. Most on the road have time for mini-breaks either from your meeting that gives you a break, in-between meetings, or self-appointed mini-breaks.
Snack break – There’s no shame in getting a snack throughout the day. In fact, it’s probably a good idea to get some other sources of energy to your body so that you can work most effectively. Just remember to put good food into your body to help this mini-break be effective.

3. MAX – Think Unplug/Large Length
This type of break is harder to come by and is either granted during a long meeting or you just have to take it.

Water break – Again, if you’re drinking water, you’re going to need a refill, and this is the time to do it.

This couple of minutes’ break does more than you realize and is worth the quick stop. Often, this is a natural upgrade from the micro and mini breaks.

If you’ve been concentrating for a while, at some point in your morning and/or especially in your afternoon, you need a max break. How often have you found yourself pushing through the mid-to-late-afternoon and everything just seems to take you twice as long and the quality is half as good? The solution? A max break. This is a true un-plug.

I’m not talking an hour or even 45 minutes; 15 minutes is a great place to start with a max break.

Breaks are all over for you on the road if you just begin to look for them then learn to leverage them.
The ultimate goal is maximizing that break for all it’s worth to gain the energy you need for your day on the road.

How an Unexpected Surgery Has Exposed Struggles in my Life

This article will be unusual for a few reasons:
1. It discusses my off-road life
2. It’s personal
3. It’s something I’ve never experienced and challenges the six energy habits

I’m known as a very healthy guy and work hard to keep this elite status both on the road and at home.
Then 2020 hit. If Covid-19 wasn’t disruptive enough in every area of life, 2020 was brutal on the health side in the Buck Fam.

In May, my 9-year old was severely burned and it was one of the scariest moments of my life as I wondered if my son would have skin damage for the remainder of his life. He’s come a long way amidst this scare and time will tell on the long-term scarring.

Then I had a colonoscopy and a scope done due to unknown stomach issues. Another rough health stretch that required going in-and-out of the hospital.

Over the summer, I severely bruised my rib and pulled some muscles playing with the kids that required X-rays and an MRI and dramatically affected my summer. #RoughHealthStretch

Until….
I had the mother of all falls. And due to the severely bruised rib and pulled muscles, I instantly protected my ribs at the cost of my shoulder. For weeks, I just pushed through it and it kept getting worse. Then… my 4-year old flew through the air with the greatest of ease from a retaining wall and absolutely finished the job on my left shoulder.

The next day something pops and a few days later, I’m getting an MRI. If the technician’s face had words, it was “you have no idea what you’re in for buddy.” 24 hours later I’m seeing a specialist at Northwestern Medicine in the Chicago land area who told me I had multiple tears in my rotator cuff. Within 36 hours, I meet with the surgeon, and my surgery was made for the next possible surgery slot.

Now, if you’ve ever had “one of those surgeries” everyone has a story for, you know what I’m talking about and this is definitely in that category. At this point, I listen, smile, or read the text, and just say thank you.

Surgery happened a few days ago,

Exposed Struggle #1 – I’m getting little to no movement

Movement creates energy.

First taken away was my ability to lift any weights after the initial injury which was an immediate red flag that something was wrong. After the 2nd blow, I lost the ability to do any cardio due to the pounding on the shoulder.

This has left me to standing and walking which as you know, “something, anything is better than nothing.”

But I’m feeling the loss of Run More and Lift More in Energy Habit One: MOVE.

Post-surgery, I’m having to spend a ton of time icing so my stand time has decreased as well.

Physical therapy starts soon and it will be three months of intensity – bring it on.

I know this will be the longest of my exposed struggles due to the nature of the injury but each day feels like a month at this point.

Word to Myself: Walk Away – I need to increase my walk time every chance I get every single day and no matter what the weather

Exposed Struggle #2 – I’m unstructured and unproductive

I was able to get work done pre-surgery up until the back-to-back tests and doctor appointments but I had no idea how much I would be scattered and unmotivated post-surgery.

My pain has been higher than planned and for the first time I’m balancing lack of meds and pain with clarity or more meds, less pain, and cloudy. #NotAFan

I don’t have my normal morning routines because my nights are absolutely brutal. Even though I took off work and I’m playing it day-by-day, each day just feels like a meandering of nothing really getting done.

And for someone who is a high achiever and loves seeing results, there is more pain than just my shoulder shooting pains!

I get it. I’m days after a surgery that majorly affects my day-to-day life. But I’m already done with feeling like I’m wasting hours and now, days.

Word to Myself: Get a Plan – I need to start with my morning routine to begin my day with structure and then choose one major thing I can accomplish every single day.

Exposed Struggle #3 – I’m a night owl again

By nature, I come alive in the evening especially if I stay up past 10:00 pm. Something in my body ignites and I’m ready to go another round or two.

I used to stay up late all the time. I can blame the NBA and MLB playoffs which usually are my fall mistress but it’s far more than just some games that I don’t have a dog in the fight. My family goes to bed and I’m clocking hour after hour of awake time which I used to be “that guy.”

Word to Myself: Sleep with your wife! I need to go to bed with my wife no matter what even if it takes me forever to crash. I need to put a “kibosh” on this loose bedtime which is never good.

Exposed Struggle #4 – I’m lazy on my eating

My meds have affected my appetite so I’m all over the place of what and when I’m eating.

Then you add the exposed struggle of becoming a night owl again. And what did I do when I stayed up late before? Trashed a perfectly good eating day in a matter of moments with the late-night cravings.

I cannot depend on those around me to make good choices for me. Unfortunately, when I’m not working out, I’m lazier on my diet but I cannot let this one go especially with being down for three months of intense physical therapy.

I know better and need to get a new hot streak going in the right direction eating healthier.

Word to Myself: MTHC (Make the Healthiest Choice) – I need to continually hydrate more along with eat cleaner and greener

Exposed Struggle #5 – I’m not sleeping

Between us girls, the roughest part of my post-surgery recovery has been sleeping (or the lack thereof). I’m like a pet taking multiple short naps through the night. And it’s absolutely killing me. It affects my early morning routine which I mentioned, and then it affects my structure and productivity, already mentioned.

I have this gadget called the “ultra sling” which keeps my arm in a certain position for my rotator cuff to heal after multiple tears that had to be re-attached. I get it and understand it but I struggle so much during the night time.

It was recommended to sleep in a recliner but again, that’s the nap spot and I’m just not comfortable there all night every night. I prefer my bed.

And as a result, I may be in my own bed, then the recliner, then the guest bed all in one night and it’s killing me, smalls!

Word to Myself: Don’t make it worse – I need to make the best of the rest I get knowing it will eventually get better

Exposed Struggle #6 – I’m drinking at home like I’m entertaining on the road

This one has been already in the works with Covid and all of the changes that have challenged my family and especially me the past six months.

But I’ve succumbed to drinking to make me feel better and this is a slippery slope at best. I’m not in a good place and drinking all the time like I’m entertaining on the road is not the answer.

I’m drinking less amounts but the frequency needs to be addressed.

I’m not a good example in this area for my kids and this needs to matter to me more especially right now since everyone is home all of the time.

Word to Myself: Lay off the Sauce – I need to “be dried out” during the week. No excuses.

These side exposed struggles have exposed three primary emotions I’m experiencing on a consistent basis:

Frustration – I can’t move as I’ve always done. I literally cannot move my arm and it’s paralyzing and frustrating to need so much help and struggle on so many simple tasks like taking a shower, getting dressed, really anything that requires two hands
Anxiety – I’ve never had a limb so damaged and affect my life and it’s created this rare emotion in me. I’m anxious around people. I feel trapped in the sling especially at night and it’s revealed a level of anxiousness that is concerning to me.
Depression – I’ve not been one to stay discouraged or depressed for long but all of the financial and health blows my family and I have suffered this year have put me in a place where I’m fighting this demon. It’s also feeding some of these struggles such as not eating well, not wanting to go for a walk, not caring if I’m structured or productive, and definitely drinking too often.

I need to be honest, I hate admitting these struggles but I want to be real to you in the good and the bad. This unexpected injury and now surgery exposed these struggles and deep emotions that are overwhelming but part of my journey right now especially being off the road.

I hope you found my vulnerability sincere and refreshing. As my brother has taught me for decades, “this too shall pass.” I’ve been through worse and will choose to grow through it not just go through it.

I’m blessed to have close friends and a counselor to process these struggles and emotions which is absolutely critical right now in my life. I want to help you become and remain an Elite Road Warriar today to eliminate burnout and exceed results.

You Got This!

References

10 Business Travel Hacks Guide

7 Early Warning Signs for Companies to Avoid Business Travel Burnout

Four Ways to MOVE More at Home to Prepare for the Road

Many of us as business travelers are grounded, literally. It’s been weeks, now months since we’ve traveled due to the current health pandemic.

I’ve heard from many a business traveler who is just buying their time until they can get back to Road Life. But a common thread is sadly very few road warriors are using this time to their advantage to get them ready for Road Life.

This got me thinking and concerned. Are we missing an opportunity here? As I’ve mentioned often, my mentor and friend Jonathan Milligan asks often when things change that are out of our control: “What does this make possible?”

With this question, could we begin to leverage the here-and-now of home with the sole purpose of preparing us for the road?

Let me say that again. My Dad used to say, “Son, if I take the time to say it twice, it better be twice as important to you!”

Could we begin to leverage the here-and-now of home with the sole purpose of preparing us for the road?

This is a different mindset for most road warriors but it’s critically important to make the most of “this time,” ideal or not, in light of “when not if” we’re back on the road.

You and I will be back on the road. It may be an ease-in process and look different than we’re used to, but we will travel again. So, how do we make the most of right now?!

The focus of this episode is the 1st of our physical energy habits: MOVE.

Movement creates energy, and energy is what we need more than anything on the road to do our best work, but also to do our best work when we’re not on the road. Many of us are more exhausted by the battle of always being on a video call, and having everyone else home. It’s more tiring than we realize and energy is the one vital resource we’re lacking right now.

Three words you MUST remember with the energy habit MOVE. Movement Creates Energy!

Four Ways to MOVE More at Home to Prepare for the Road:

MOVEMENT ONE – Stand More

Key Phrase: Think Up On Your Feet Not Down On Your Butt

It’s just SO natural to sit, especially when we’re working in an office or even a home office. We’re going to use the context of working from home and ask, “How can you Stand More within your day?”

Many business travelers work from home when they’re not traveling, but not all. And right now, almost everybody is working from home, including possibly your significant other and kids.

So, you may have a designated work spot or maybe it’s been compromised or crashed by other people in your house for a time.

Stand More is looking for creative ways to add “being a stand-up guy or stand-up girl” into your workday.

Let me offer two suggestions:

Stand-up Desk – there are two main options – a standing desk that is just that, a standing desk. It stays in one place and that’s your only option. Secondly, you could create a stand-up desk with an existing desk or table.

Personally, I have a dining table I bought from IKEA years ago. It’s rectangular in size and a light birch color. When I was moving into the stand-up desk concept, I didn’t want to put a ton of money into something I wasn’t sure I would like or even use long-term, so I noticed the desk I was already using had legs that could be heightened or lowered. Brilliant! I moved it to fit my height at 6 foot and “voila!”, I have a stand-up desk.

But I also have other people in my house who want to use that location so I need to get creative in other places in my house to create a stand-up desk so I get creative using resources around the house to make a temporary stand-up desk. There are a ton of solutions on Amazon from full stand-up desks to stand-up desk converters that raise and lower on an existing desk. Prices mostly range from $100 – $300.

Find what’s best for you and factor in if this is a short-term or long-term solution for you working from home.

Standing Mat – Depending on your floor, standing for hours may be more difficult than you realize and hard on your feet and legs, or for me, my lower back. I found a standing mat that not only provides a cushion for my feet but also allows me to stretch my calves, massage my feet, etc.

The one I use is a CUBEFIT Terramat with the description of an Anti-Fatigue Mat and Standing Desk Mat with Built-in Massage Mounds, Acupuncture Balance Bar, and Power Wedge To Stretch, Support, and Stimulate Your Feet and Legs.

The point is finding something on the floor that encourages standing. For me, $70 was more than worth the investment since I’m working from home anyway when I’m not on the road.
Caution: Ease into becoming a Stand-up Guy or Stand-up Girl. It’s harder on your body than you realize, so ease into it. When I first started, I went “all in” and my back hurt for days. Alternate between sitting and standing at first and work your way from minutes to hours to half-day to a full day.

MOVEMENT TWO – Walk More

Key Phrase: Think Forward Not Just Still

Standing is good, but we also want to move the still motion to forward motion throughout the day.
And nothing is more motivating than a house full of people and noise to stimulate creativity and motivation to walk more!

Let me offer two suggestions:

Take Your Calls on a Walk – Every chance I can “exit stage left” and get outside, especially now that spring in Chicago is officially “a thing” – I’m out. Literally. My Fam knows if the phone rings, Dad will be outside and down the street in mere moments. My neighbors even know that if I’m walking during the day around the community, I’m on a call, so they’ll just wave and smile.

Take a Relational Walk – one of the gifts of this current “Stay at Home Act” is every night after dinner, the Buck Fam goes for a walk (of course the Buck dog, ironically named Bucky, is part of the relational walk). It’s no longer an option. The kids don’t have to go “the entire time” but once everyone is out and getting their “Walk On”, they’re glad they did. My wife loves this time to talk about the challenges of the day, what tomorrow looks like, etc.

Caution: Start small and experiment. I make sure I have my AirPods by my phone so I’m ready to go if I get an impromptu call, but most of the time my calls are at set times, so a minute or two before the call, I’m already outside and starting my walk. I also record my walk on my Apple Watch and BioStrap. I’m surprised how much ground I can cover (literally) in a 30-60 minute call.

MOVEMENT Three – Run More

Key Phrase: Think Get Your Heart Rate Up Often

This is the one that gets ignored the most and gets the most pushback.

Why? People misunderstand Run More and/or they just don’t like to get sweaty.

People claim they aren’t runners or they argue that the last time they ran they were in gym class in high school or were chased. It’s just “not them” anymore.

But we need to change how we look at Run More and the purpose here.

Remember the key phrase: Think Get Your Heart Rate Up Often

On the road, this could be as simple as choosing a higher floor at your hotel and taking the stairs.

But at home, we need to get creative.

Here are a couple of suggestions:

Turn a walk into a jog or a sprint – Now, I don’t suggest doing this during one of your work calls but any other walking time is ideal. My wife and I will do this on our walk after dinner.

The kids are usually on their bikes and love seeing the competition come out with my wife and me.

We’ll kick this gear in and walk until the next tree then sprint until the light pole then jog until the stop sign. You get the point. Remember the goal here is to get your heart rate up and you’ll have instant feedback when you meet this goal.

Try doing burpees – Come again, did you say a burpee? Some of us do burpees all the time – it’s called a belch.

We want an instant return-on-our-investment and there’s no better way than doing a good old fashioned burpee.

Here are two video links for male/female examples of burpees, and worth a couple of minutes to see the proper form and how to maximize a burpee.

Caution: Start slow! If you don’t normally get your heart rate up, you’ll know it quickly. But that’s good! Instant feedback. Or you may just want to run in place with a light jog for 15 seconds then sprint for 15 seconds – this is how I started when it was cold outside. I then increased to 15 seconds of jog and 30 seconds of a sprint. Remember, no matter what the point of Run More is not what you do but that you get your heart rate up often.

MOVEMENT Four – Lift More

Key Phrase: Think Strength Training

This is one I had to re-adjust to big time with always being home. Why? On the road, I leverage the hotel fitness center or local gym, and at home, I leverage my local gym to workout and supplement what I do differently on the road.

But right now, neither are available. No traveling and all local gyms are closed.

So what do you do?

Well, between us girls, the 1st two weeks I used it as an excuse and did… absolutely nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

But once I knew I would be grounded by more than just my wife, I needed to make the best of what I had available to me.

Ironically, my biggest motivator was cleaning out the garage and finding my weight set – a bench with a barbell, pull-down machine, chin-up and dip machine, and leg press.

Here are some suggestions (and note, these are all suggestions I already do in a limited hotel fitness center):

Body Weight – It’s been a while since I’ve done pushups and I didn’t even have to wait until the next morning to feel the fruit of my labor. It’s amazing how much a simple pushup works on your body and you’ll feel body parts and almost muscles you didn’t remember you had.

You can also do leg squats, lunges, tricep dips with a chair. A simple YouTube search can bring up so many options for a home workout with body weight. Look for a style and length that’s of interest to you, then just try it. Get your MOVE on!

Dumbbells – I have dumbbells (along with some free weights) that I’ve pulled out and used most days now. If you have them, or even just a couple of them, find them, dust them off, and start using them. I use a large stability ball and work my chest, shoulders, back, arms, and legs. It’s a surprisingly good workout. If you have them, find them, and use them. If not, the 3rd option can do the trick for you…

Bands – I have resistance bands that I travel with and have chosen to incorporate them into my workout for variety. They’re great to implement, especially after using bodyweight or dumbbells.
The point of the bands is in the name: resistance. I can find the resistance I want and get in a good workout for strength training with the needed tension for my chest, shoulders, arms, back, and legs.

Here are the resistance bands I use.

Two other ideas to implement Run More and Lift More:

TV Workout Programs – I have road warrior friends who found their old P90X DVDs or Insanity DVDs from “back in the day” and are getting back in shape by using these programs. They’re using them as a kickstarter at home to gain some momentum for the road. Mad Kudos to them.

Others are leveraging Beach Body on Demand to find a workout program that is best for them that may either encompass just Run More (think cardio) or just Lift More (think strength training), but many offer both. Here’s a link to Beach Body on Demand in the show notes. Les Mills on Demand is another option and less expensive. Other similar on-demand workout programs are available, but this is just one idea.

Hiring a Virtual Coach – Some of us simply need accountability and someone pushing us. This is where hiring a virtual coach is key. Jeff McMahon, the subject matter expert for MOVE energy habit and on my ERW team, offers virtual coaching. I would highly encourage you to check out his packages.

Caution: No matter what you choose, start slow! If you’ve not done these types of workouts in a while, you’re going to feel it. The idea here is not destroying your body in one day and not being able to work out the rest of the week.

Our goal with MOVE is to prepare your body now for the road. And if you can gain some momentum now by building healthy MOVE energy habits, you’ll be surprised how much easier it is to carry them with you on the road.

Remember the 3 words for the energy MOVE: Movement Creates Energy!

So get your MOVE ON today.

Six Simple Ways to Becoming a Stand-Up Guy or Stand-Up Girl on the Road

Jen is a weekly business traveler. She has a territory in the Midwest. She covers Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.

Jen has a company car and finds herself constantly in a car driving from one state to another, one city to another to the next rep she needs to visit. This is her road life every quarter as she does the same rounds.

Stan is also a weekly business traveler. He has a territory in North America. He lives on a plane and his company car is rented from National Car Rental. In fact, Stan has a bumper sticker that says, “My other car is a rental car.” This is his road life every quarter with a ton of variety.

Jen and Stan don’t have a lot in common except one major thing: lack of movement and specifically sitting almost ALL their travel day. What they get at the end of the day is far from energy but a numb butt and lower back pain.

How can they possibly change anything with their environment lending to sitting?

According to Tom Rath’s research in Eat Move Sleep, on average, we now spend more time sitting (9.3 hours) than sleeping on a given day.

CONSIDER A PERSON’S AVERAGE DAY

Sit for breakfast
Sit commuting to work (national average, one-way daily commute is 25.5 minutes)
Sit a majority of the workday at their desk or in a meeting (minus a bathroom break)
Sit commuting back from work
Sit at dinner

IF YOU’RE ON THE ROAD, YOUR STORY MAY LOOK LIKE THIS:

Sit watching TV in the evening
Sit for the drive to the airport
Sit at the gate waiting for a flight
Sit on the plane the entire flight
Sit in a rental car or rideshare to your first meeting
Sit at lunch
Sit for your afternoon meetings
Sit at dinner with your laptop open, alone or eating with clients
Sit at the hotel or nearby bar until bed

Do you see a theme?

The point is we sit most of the time and far more than we even realize, which makes movement a rare event. So, how do you compare? Do you sit with the average or move more than the average?

I CHALLENGE YOU TO CONSIDER BECOMING A STAND-UP GUY OR A STAND-UP GIRL!

SIX WAYS TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST SITTING DURING TRAVEL

I obviously don’t know your location and your travel arrangement— if it’s short or long, by car or plane. I do know it’s possible to take a stand against sitting if you’re willing to be creative and look for options to increase standing, the first of Increase M4X.

As you read through these suggestions, I encourage you to think about how you can adapt them to your travel situation.

1. STAND AT THE AIRPORT GATE

I see people standing as an absolute last resort because they don’t want to sit in between someone at the gate. This is a perfect opportunity to stand before getting on the plane. Why? Because you’re going to be sitting for the next couple hours or far more, depending on the distance of your flight.

This is a massive change of behavior for frequent flyers. They’re so ingrained to see a seat and sit in it, especially when you get to your gate. It’s a sense of relief. “Ah, I made it, and now I can relax until I need to board.”

I challenge you to gain some energy before you even get on your flight. This small habit change will become a catalyst for the remaining ways to take a stand against sitting during travel.

2. STAND DURING THE FLIGHT

Do you ever notice that one guy who stands a lot during the flight? How annoying, right?

Yup, I’m that guy. I’ll stand during a flight. I’m happy to make you feel awkward and uncomfortable. I want to increase blood flow through my body to increase my energy, which is the whole point! Now I can hear the pushback:

The seatbelt light is almost always on.

What if we hit turbulence while I’m standing?

Here are my responses:

I don’t want to bother those around me.
The seatbelt light is on often but more at selected times – pay attention and you’ll be surprised.
You’ll know about the turbulence long before it forces you into the arms of another woman.
Do you really care THAT much what someone thinks whom you will never see again?

PRO TIP:

I don’t rely on my memory to remind me to stand, especially if I’m in a time-block session (you’ll learn more about time blocks in the Perform Habit under Block & Tackle).

But I do rely on an alert. I first started with a timer. I would set it for a certain amount of time, and when the alarm would go off, I would stand. Currently, my Apple watch lets me know an hour into sitting without standing. I love the alert, especially if I’m locked into work, writing, reading, etc. I need that trigger to get me off my can and onto my feet.

3. STOP AT A REST AREA OR GAS STATION TO STAND

Some road warriors rarely, if ever, step foot in an airport or a plane. They’re literal road warriors, driving from place to place. Other road warriors may fly to one central location, and then drive around from that spot, often for hours.

If this is the case, leverage the potential stops to get some standing in and move! This may take the form of a rest area off the interstate. It may be a fuel stop at a gas station or a bathroom break.

Take these times, whether planned or necessary, to take a stand. You’ll be surprised how much more movement you can get in when you look for these natural stops while driving.

4. STAND DURING MEETINGS

Oh, the joy of meetings on the road. They definitely cannot be avoided because chances are, that’s exactly why you’re on business travel most of the time in the first place!

Meetings are a perfect opportunity to stand, even just for a few minutes. Here’s a slick way of pulling it off: I stand to stretch then just remain standing for a minute or two. Often, nobody cares, and I stand for as long as I can get away with it. Each meeting is different, so you need to feel that one out.

I’m now known as a stand-up guy, especially if I come back to the same location with the same people and they just know I’m “that guy.” Simply embrace it. If you’re getting into the habit of standing during meetings, then the fifth way is a natural transition…

5. CREATE A STAND-UP DESK

Create a stand-up desk any time you can. It’s possible on business travel, but it may take some creativity. When you’re on a mission to have a stand-up desk, you’ll make it work.

If I’m in a meeting, I’ll look around and find a way to move my laptop or even a notebook to accommodate standing and create a makeshift stand-up desk. It may be a ledge or bar-height table.

PRO TIP:

I often stay and even stop at a Courtyard Marriott or Embassy Suites just to work for an hour or so between meetings, etc. Starbucks is another option if you don’t mind the transient environment, which can be highly stimulating.

The overall point of stand more is learning to make it a priority and looking for opportunities to add more standing within a business travel day. If you truly made a concerted effort on the six suggested ways, you’ll be amazed at the difference you’ll feel in your body and in your energy.

6. STRETCH WHILE YOU STAND

You’re up, man, so why not stretch out that tight and inflexible body? I’m serious. Most road warriors are VERY inflexible (in more ways than one).

This is such a freebie that when you stand you stretch your legs, your back, your neck. In mere seconds, that tight body of yours gets a free stretch that comes with simply taking a stand. A beautiful thing, Road Warriors!

BONUS TIP:

Another way to increase standing time is to not sit while you’re waiting for the rental car bus or Ride Share on one of those very convenient (and very uncomfortable) benches.

Take a stand! You’ve been on a flight, so stretch your legs and get some blood flowing to regain some energy. If you’re on the rental car bus, stand there as well. You’ll be the gentleman giving up your seat for a lady. See how standing can make you a hero as well? All the perks!

If I’m really honest, I don’t want to be the person seated at the back of the bus having to wait on EVERYONE to get his or her bag off the bus. I like to keep my carry-on and computer bag assembled, to get a few more minutes of stand time on, and be the first off the bus.

Land This Plane…

I realize the road fights you on this one, with a comfortable chair and the pressure to sit since “everyone else is.” This can be a tough play but not impossible.

So, choose one of the ways to stand more that will be the easiest for you to integrate into your day on the road. Does it need to be one you’ll remember the easiest? Or one that is the least obvious?

For me, it was standing at the gate at the airport. Once I started this standing location, I found myself more conscious of other standing opportunities within my day.

So, become a stand-up guy or stand-up girl on the road today!

Mastering Posture For More Energy And Better Health on the Road

When we think about posture, most people think about sitting or standing up straight. They do it for about 10 seconds then that thought of good posture leaves as quickly as it comes when someone else mentions posture.

Unless you were in the military, competed in dance or had a strict mom growing up, correct posture is never taught. It is just not natural for people to do it on their own because we live in a flexion dominant society, meaning everything we do is in front of us. There is very little that we do that is behind us. We are flexed forward all day, every day.

Poor posture is an epidemic that no one is talking about but chiropractors. Chiropractors are the only healing profession that place a tremendous amount of importance on posture, because we understand its intimate connection with the spine, brain and the body‘s overall health.

My intention for this article is to give you the big picture of posture and understand the details of it.

I would strongly recommend seeing a chiropractor firstbefore you start to do anything I recommend in this article on your own. You want to make sure it is safe for you and that you don’t have anything serious going on in your spine that would contradict a posture program. Plus, if you haven’t been adjusted recently or never, these exercises can be uncomfortable or even painful. You may need a combination of adjustments and the chiropractor can show you these exercises.

Let’s get started.

If we were to strip away all the flesh, connective tissue and muscles of our body, the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and occiput would be perfectly level as we stand. But the connective tissue and muscles have the ability to contract. Contraction causes postural distortions and lead to health challenges if not corrected. When it comes to posture, think about balancing your muscle in length and strength not only from side to side but also front to back. This is the key to correcting posture.

I want to break posture into two halves. An upper cross syndrome involves the head, neck, shoulders, chest and mid back. The lower cross syndrome involves the core, low back, pelvis and legs. Being flexion dominant, there are certain muscles that become tight and others that become weak or inhibited.

To correct this, we have to stretch (lengthen) the tight muscles and strengthen the weak or inhibited ones. To correct one’s posture, there has to be a balance between stretching AND strengthening. Some people will only stretch and their muscles don’t have the strength to hold the corrected posture. Likewise, some people will only strengthen and have little flexibility. This is why there has to be a balance and focus on doing both.

Upper cross syndrome involves forward head posture (FHP) and rounded shoulders. Research shows that FHP can lead to up to 30 pounds of abnormal leverage on the spine1, reducing lung capacity by as much as 30% (1), increase heart and blood vascular disease1, can affect blood pressure & heart rate (2), increases airway resistance that can negatively effect asthma (3), increases fatigue and decreases mental state (4) and height loss increases risk of heart attacks (5). Rounded shoulders in combination with FHP leads to a hyperkyphotic thoracic spine or an increase forward curve. Hyperkyphosis can be a predictor of early mortality in older men and women (6).

To correct FHP, stretch the muscles in your neck and strengthen your deep neck flexors and the muscles on the sides of your cervical spine. To correct the rounded shoulders, stretch your chest, upper traps and strengthen the middle-lower traps and serratus anterior muscles (scapula stabilizers).

Here are some interesting facts about low back pain:

● Worldwide, back pain is the single leading cause of disability, preventing many people from engaging in work as well as other everyday activities. (7)

● Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year. (8)

● Back pain accounts for more than 264 million lost work days in one year—that’s two work days for every full-time worker in the country. (9)

● Experts estimate that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some time in their lives. (10)

● Back pain is the third most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, behind skin disorders and osteoarthritis/joint disorders. (11)

● Most people with low back pain recover, however reoccurrence is common and for small percentage of people the condition will become chronic and disabling. (12)

● Worldwide, years lived with disability caused by low back pain have increased by 54% between 1990 and 2015. (12)

A majority of lower back pain can be resolved with chiropractic care and prevented by correcting the lower cross syndrome. The lower cross syndrome involves a weak core and glutes, tight quadriceps, hamstrings, external hip rotators and hip flexors.

These muscular imbalances tilt the pelvis anteriorly and puts more strain on your low back muscles. A weak core and glutes and relying only on your low back muscles is how people “throw” their low back out. Lower cross syndrome can lead to low back pain (13) and chronic low back pain can decrease gray matter in your brain (14).

The key to keeping the low back loose is by stretching your legs. The muscles you want to stretch are quadriceps, hamstrings, hip rotators, hip flexors, groin and calves. The muscles you want to strengthen are your core and glutes.

To put this all together, looking at someone from the side with correct posture, a straight line should pass through your ear, tip of your shoulder, hip and ankle. The pelvis should be tilted under so it is level, abdominals tight, shoulders pulled back and down with the head retracted over the shoulders. Again, this can be painful for people to get into this position, go see a chiropractor first.

Creating the habit of good posture takes a lot of mental awareness and repetition to re-wire your muscle memory in the brain neurologically. Give yourself 3-6 months of really working on it. The more you work on your posture consciously, eventually the more unconscious and easier it becomes once you have re-wired your muscles and brain. Then you will naturally be in the right position without having to think about it.

How correct posture can give you more energy.

Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Roger Sperry says that the spine is the motor that drives the brain. According to his research “90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine.” Only 10% of our brain’s energy goes into thinking, metabolism, immunity, and healing. Sperry demonstrated that 90% of brain energy goes into processing and maintaining the body’s relationship with gravity.

Re-read that last sentence again and think about it.

The human body was designed flawlessly and built for high performance. The habit of poor posture burns more energy and fatigues your muscles faster which can make you more tired, physically and mentally. If you have a desk job and sit at the computer all day, which most of us do in the 21stcentury, you can utilize great posture to your advantage for better energy and mental alertness.

A common remark I hear from my patients when they start getting adjusted regularly is that other people comment to them about how good their posture is. My patients who have desk jobs as their posture improves, they have more energy at the end of the day.

The take home message here is that someone with poor posture will have poor health. There is an intimate connection between the spine and brain that cannot be denied. The spine is the gateway that can make or break your overall health. We are taught from birth about flossing and brushing your teeth twice a day and is good oral hygiene to practice. You wouldn’t go a week or a month without brushing your teeth, would you? What about spinal hygiene?

Some people still have never been to a chiropractor or been adjusted. A healthy habit that healthy people have includes great posture and getting adjusted. Great posture and getting adjusted regularly will support your body well in doing what it was designed to do = express health. And if our spine was on our face, we would take better care of it. Now it is the beginning for you to take this information and implement it. The ball is in your court.

About the Article Author…

Dr. Keith Giaquinto has an abundance of knowledge about the human body, stress, digestion and specializes in enzyme nutrition and chronic unresolved health challenges.

Dr. Keith is a graduate from National University of Health Sciences with a Doctorate of Chiropractic and an Internal Health Specialist Certification from Logan University.

He is a published author, writing articles for national chiropractic and local health magazines. He has helped thousands of people all over North America go from a chronic condition to a near normal or perfect health in a matter of weeks to months.

He loves to connect with business travelers to help them understand how their body works and what they can do to heal themselves.

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