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Seven Things I Do On Every Flight

Most business travelers have one thing in common and that is they’re on an airplane. But how they use their time on the flight is where things change.

How we use our time is a very personal thing. Not convinced?

Tell someone they’re not using their time wisely and just wait for THAT response.

I suggest stepping back or ready for the inner defense attorney in them to come pouring out.

And since I’m a student of road warriors as a business travel performance expert, I’m always watching, listening, and learning how they spend their time.

One of the best labs for this observation is the airplane, imagine that.

You can tell who is on the plane for business travel and who is there for leisure. The ones that stand out as the business traveler use their time doing three primary things:

  • Work
  • Watch Something
  • Sleep

They sleep because they’re exhausted before they even land to their destination on the very 1st day of the trip.

We know how THAT story goes and not the ideal way to start your Anchor Day.

I’m often either asked how I spend my time on a plane and/or those around me comment on my use of time on the flight.

Let me give you a money PRO TIP this early in the article.

Create Your Flight Plan.

A pilot has a flight plan and so should you. Both take you from one place to the other.

This is the exact opposite of most road warriors.

Again, what do they do?

  • Work
  • Watch Something
  • Sleep

Some multi-task and somehow able to do all three at the same time and doing none of them well.

Have you seen that guy or girl? Is that you?

If it’s an early flight, they’re knocked out before the flight even takes off.

When they awaken from their coma nap with award mocking, I mean marvelous hair, they crack open their laptop and randomly go at it.

Then they get bored and start to watch something.

That’s more of a Flight C’mon Man than a Flight Plan.

There are four arguments going on with business travelers on “who’s time” it really is on a flight:

1.  The company time and no matter what time you’re on a flight (I’ve worked for companies like that and despised it by the way)
2.  The company’s time during normal business hours (and is there such a thing on the road?)
3.  The company and your time as long as you get your work done
4.  YOUR time and only your time unless you choose to use YOUR time for work – after all, business and personal hours are easily blurred on the road

No matter where you stand on the four arguments, the point is you need a plan and I propose…

The Elite Road Warrior Flight Plan which has the following three elements:

1.  What you’re going to do
2.  The order you’re going to do it
3.  Approximate times

The moral of the story here, Road Warriors, is whatever you do, you do on purpose.

If you work, you know…

  • What you’re going to do
  • The order you’re going to do it
  • Approximate times

If it’s a blend (between work and your time), you know…

  • What you’re going to do
  • The order you’re going to do it
  • Approximate times

If it’s only your time…

  • What you’re going to do
  • The order you’re going to do it
  • Approximate times

Why is this so important? Because how we use our time is how we spend our lives and this includes a flight especially if you fly a ton as I do.

Elite Road Warriors use their time wisely in their Work, their Health, and their Home Life, the three focus areas of Elite Road Warrior.

And it starts with one of my favorite locations to do Focus Work.

It’s where the phone doesn’t ring.

Someone can’t swing by my office.

I can choose to be online or offline.

And that my fellow road warriors, is the gift of the plane.

 

Seven Things I Do On Every Flight

The following things everyone can do on every single flight no matter if it’s an hour, across the country, or across the ocean.

What changes? The length and frequency.

The longer the flight, the longer each of the following may occur and just how often I chose to do them. The important point here is what they are.

And remember, our Flight Plan exists of:
1.  What you’re going to do
2.  The order you’re going to do it
3.  Approximate times

It’s asking this very critical question:

Where Do I Want This Time to Take Me in the End?

When you land, how did you use your time?

So learn to ask:

Where Do I Want This Time to Take Me in the End?

  1. Read / Listen

The 1st thing I do every single time is read/listen to a book.

Why first?

Personally, I just can’t get any work done because of all the interruptions of people boarding the plane, getting by me since I prefer the aisle to get up to stand, stretch, and walk.

So, through the years, I’ve learned that if I don’t read the first thing, I rarely get to it later on, but that’s just me.

I find it also calms my mind and puts me in a place of personal or professional development which is energy habit #5.

Prioritize the important not urgent first.

To be clear, my reading time is boarding time after I find my set and get situated until once I reach 10K feet is my goal is my read/listen time.

It always happens and 100% predictable that I choose my seat and get set, we take off and the announcement of 10K feet.

So, leverage this predictable time to get your “read/listen on”.

Challenge:  If you’ve not read the Elite Road Warrior book, I challenge you to get it, and dedicate this boarding to 10K time to read the book.

 

2.  Drink Water

Most people avoid water on the plane for a couple of reasons:

  • They say they don’t want to have to get up to go to the bathroom but then will have two cokes or an adult beverage or three.
  • They just don’t drink water normally when they’re on the ground and it’s just not part of their Road Routine.

But the reality is you should double your amount of water on the plane. Huh? Why?

When you are on a plane, you’re basically flying in a sky desert, according to Life Hacker, where the humidity hovers around 10- 20%, which is less than the Sahara Desert, crazy enough.

This is due to the plane’s air circulation, or lack thereof.

Compare that to normal humidity, which is between 30-60%, and it’s no wonder you’re more dehydrated on a plane, which is why you often feel a little more fatigued, have headaches, and nausea when flying.

On a plane, if you were to bring a soaking wet washcloth on to the plane, within 90 minutes, it will be completely dry!

The last thing I do before boarding the plane is head to the bathroom and try and go (I hear my father say, “Son, just push and try anyway!”), then I fill up my water bottle.

It’s the times when I don’t and rely on drink service that we hit turbulence for six hours on a two-hour flight and the flight attendant can’t get up – or can they? Hmm.

And did you know every airline has at least this one thing in common? Free Refills on water.

So, I chug water often and let it do its magic.

Challenge: Drink about 8 ounces of water for every hour you’re in the air, According to Dr. Peter Hackett, the director of the Institute for Altitude MedicineSo just plan on drinking twice as much water on a plane when you’re flying.

 

3.  Think Space

What is Think Space? Taking time to think and put your thoughts on paper.

It’s the key element of Process the Thoughts which is the 2nd part of the Invest in You Formula of energy habit 5, develop.

Why take time for Think Space?

Personally, my brain is always and I mean always going. I need time to get what’s in there, out of there.

I’ve always been good at the 1st part of the Invest in You Formula of Sharpening the Mind by putting things in but not getting things out.

And hence the need for Think Space.

What do I use?

The Elite Road Warrior Journal which has two sections: one for Think Space (process the thoughts) and one for Road Life journaling. (monitor the heart).

How long do I take?  It depends on the flight but anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes.

What do I think about?

You name it.

Sometimes it’s just free form. I just open it up and go wherever my mind takes me.

And since it’s scary in there, what I think or write about maybe all over the place.

But usually 5 minutes or so into Think Space, my mind starts to settle and I think about something specific and process it.

Ideas:

  • Your trip
  • Follow-up
  • Your goals
  • How to connect with fam/friends

The point here is leveraging the peace and quiet in the air and create time to think.

I have a blog post about Think Space along with an entire chapter in the Elite Road Warrior book for more details and examples.

Challenge: make just 5 minutes to do nothing but think on your next flight and write it down, preferably in the Elite Road Warrior branded journal (just sayin’ man).

 

4. Stand and Stretch

Believe it or not, you’re actually not completely at the mercy of the seat belt light or everyone else’s sedentary behavior.

30-60 seconds to stand and stretch makes a huge difference every 30 minutes.

Why?

Your body gets tight especially the older you are.

And your mind gets tired.

I define a break as Move the Body and Rest the Mind. And a break can be a micro-break of 30-60 seconds. Perfect time to stand and stretch.

If you don’t stand and stretch consistently, you’ll be surprised and quickly of just how much this one act will do for you on a flight to go back and do whatever you’re doing.

Challenge: commit and take just one stand and stretch break during your next flight

 

5.  Work

This one goes back to the four arguments of who’s time is it really on a flight.

If and when I work, I try to leverage this unique time:

  • No phone calls
  • No work chat or texts
  • No stop by your office to chat
  • No WiFi if you want to – if I want to be officially “off the grid”, I can be and ain’t nobody can do anything about it

My guidelines for working on a plane:

  • Have Rules – how long
  • Have a Plan – high leverage tasks
  • Have focus – drill down on only one task

This can be Deep Work time. If you abide by the guidelines, you can knock out this Time Block of focused, deep work time to make some serious progress.

Challenge: Choose one high leverage task at a time and focus on that one task for a set period of time

 

6.  Walk

Every hour or more I get up and am “free to move about the cabin” as they say.

My water I drink (from Drink Water, 2nd on the list of things I do on every flight) kicks in and it’s Go Time and I mean literally.

It’s a great reminder to stand, stretch, and walk.

I always choose the bathroom in the furthest direction. Why? Get more walking and potentially stand and stretch time if I have to wait.

Again, going back to the definition of a break, Move the Body and Rest the Mind, a walk no matter where you walk is a great catalyst to do both and then come back even more refreshed to get back to the task at hand.

Challenge: commit and take at least one stroll down the aisle during your next flight (if you did #2, drink water, this may just be your trigger reminder)

 

7.  Meditate

Once we’re about to land and the cabin is getting cleaned/ seat trays in their full and upright position, I use this time as a trigger to meditate.

I don’t get down in a lotus position and make a scene to go Zen on everyone.  But I do take a few moments to meditate after I put all my gear away.

Why? Get in the right headspace.

I want to get where I’m going prepared, focused, and in the right state of mind.

And this is done by mindfulness.

You can hear more about it on the Elite Road Warrior Podcast episode #27 on why meditation didn’t work for me on the road… (which is a hook title, FYI) so I’m a big believer in the benefits of taking time on a flight to meditate and get my head in the right place.

Why? Because, at least for me, once that plane lands and I stand, it’s Go Time. To Work or head home.

Either way I want to be mindful.

Challenge: take just one minute to try and meditate once your flight begins to ascend to become mindful of what’s next after the flight

 

Honorable Mentions…

A. Watch Something

The default and the top two tasks by far most do on a plane.

If and when I watch something, this is my binge-watch something. Breaking Bad was my show and now it’s Bosch from Amazon Prime.

Sometimes, especially on a late flight on the way home, it’s nice to zone out to a show or a movie.

There’s nothing wrong with it but to me, it’s a reward once I get my Flight Plan high leveraged tasks complete.

 

B. Talk To Your Neighbor

The irony here is one of the unwritten rules of a business traveler on a flight is applying the DND international symbol – putting on the Do Not Disturb headphones then not making contact.

But sometimes it’s nice to talk to someone – you never know where it could lead. My last keynote came from someone I sat next to on a flight!

 

C. Develop

Learn something beyond a book/audiobook.

For this very reason, I’m creating an online course called The Kickstart Road Course which is the “video how-to” of the Elite Road Warrior book.

This is definitely “ELITE” Road Warrior status but a great use of focused time.

 

Let’s Land This Plane

I want to prove to you the power of a Flight Plan in action with focused work.

The Elite Road Warrior book was written over a nine-month period of time by committing to this very plan of the seven things I do on every flight. I prepared myself with reading, drinking water, and standing/stretching/walking to stay sharp to write flight after flight after flight.

This can be done Road Warriors and if you’ve read or listened to my book, you’ve benefited from it too!

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.

 

References:
1.   Cailliet R & Gross L, (1987) Rejuvenation Strategy. New York, Doubleday Co.
2.   Deuchars, J., Edwards, I. (2007). Bad posture could raise your blood pressure.
Journal of Neuroscience 0638-07.
3.   Lopes, E. et al. (2006) Assessment of muscle shortening and static posture in
children with persistent asthma. European Journal of Pediatrics, 166(7) 715-
721.
4.   Goldstein, L & Makofsky H. (2005) TMD/Facial Pain and Forward Head Posture.
Pract Pain Manag. Jul/Aug 2005. 5(5) 36-39.
5.   Wannamethee, S., Shaper, A., Lennon, L. & Whincup, P. (2006) Height loss in
older men: associations with total mortality and incidence of cardiovascular
disease. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166 (22) 25462552.
6.   Kado, D., Huang, M., Barrett-Connor, E., & Greendale, G. (2005) Hyperkyphotic
Posture and Poor Physical Functional Ability in Older Community-Dwelling Men
and Women: The Rancho Bernardo Study. Journals of Gerontology: Biological
Sciences. 60(5), 633-637.
7.   Hoy D, March L, Brooks P, et al The global burden of low back pain: estimates
from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study Annals of the Rheumatic
Diseases Published Online First: 24 March 2014. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis
2013-20442
8.   Vallfors B. Acute, Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Clinical Symptoms,
Absenteeism and Working Environment. Scan J Rehab Med Suppl 1985; 11: 1
98.
9.   The Hidden Impact of Musculoskeletal Disorders on Americans, United State
Bone and Joint Initiative, 2018.
10. Rubin Dl. Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Spine Pain. Neurol Clin. 2007;
May;25(2):353-71.
11. Sauver, JL et al. Why patients visit their doctors: Assessing the most prevalent
conditions in a defined American population. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Volume
88, Issue 1, 56–67.
12. Hartvigsen J et al. Low Back Pain Series: What Low Back Pain Is and Why We
Need to Pay Attention. Lancet, June 2018; Volume 391, Issue 10137; p2356
2367.
13. O’Sullivan et al. (2002) Posture and Low Back Pain Spine 27 12381244.
14. Apkarian, A. et al. (2004) Chronic back pain is associated with decreased
prefrontal and thalamic gray matter density. Journal of Neuroscience 24(46).

018 – How to Workout in a Hotel Room – Interview with Jeff McMahon

 

 

Welcome to the show notes for Episode 018 of the Elite Road Warrior Podcast! This week we talk with Jeff McMahon about working out in the hotel room while on the road.

 

 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

2:15 – Jeff McMahon introduction

4:20 – Do you need a fitness center or gym to get a good workout?

5:20 – How long does it take to get in a good workout that gets your heart rate up and/or builds body strength?

6:30 – Breakdown to build up

8:25 – What is in a hotel room that we can leverage to get a good workout?

11:45 – Leg exercises

14:50 – Why exercise in the morning

15:20 – Jump start metabolism!

21:00 – proper way to walk

22:20 – Any post workout suggestions we could do and how long should it take?

24:20 – Stretch post-workout

24:40 – Closing thoughts

27:40 – Episode Wrap Up

28:15 – Road Warrior Recharge

Links and Resources:

Road Warrior Assessment

Elite Road Warrior Book

Jeff McMahon’s Website
More Virtual Training