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Tips for Staying Healthy on the Road

Round up of tips from our members for staying healthy while working the crazy hours we do in live production.

Rachelle: For me, I schedule my workouts weeks in advance so that if I work in the evening one day I’ll work out in the morning, or just on my days off and I’ll only workout 2-3 days per week. Sometimes if its absolutely necessary I’ll try to go for a jog or a quick workout during my breaks, it’s hard to stay motivated when we don’t have a set schedule for working but there’s always little gaps of time that are available, and take advantage of hotel gyms.

Cynthia:  When you have a day off, make good food, get a dozen Tupperware you can freeze them in. Instant healthy food. Also, have easy to grab fruits and vegetables.
I find walking and lifting on the job is sometimes quite enough for me as far as physical exertion goes. I need to watch my intake and make sure I have enough water and sleep.
I’m trying to think of food as fuel, and giving myself reasonable fuel for my day. It means I have a lot of hummus, nuts, apples, and other fruit, “good” bread, PB & J, and other odd ingredients that I can grab when I need something quick.

Pamela: Yoga! It energizes not tires out. Also REALLY good for sanity on the road & yoga you can do it just about anywhere.

Allie: If you like yoga, try the YouTube channel “yoga with Adrienne.” She has a video for every body part, mood, tone schedule, etc.  I am a huge fan. Even if the hotel doesn’t have a gym, you can make space in the room.

Judy: A lotta water. Keep hydrated.

Kelli: I just changed my diet. I stay full longer, so I have more energy.. I eat protein, usually chicken or fish, and veggies. I snack on fruits and veggies.. granola bars are helpful. I drink water and tea mixed half sweet. I still eat whatever I want when I can.. but the last few weeks I have slimmed down feel good too.

Holley:  Make it a point to rest/relax on your days off and drink plenty of water and foods to keep you hydrated. Eat foods with healthy and good amounts of protein and iron. Wear a hat and sunscreen when outdoors for long periods of time. I tend to do emergen-C every morning as well as Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with water, a teaspoon of honey, half a lemon, a couple shakes of powdered ginger, cinnamon, clove, cayenne pepper, and turmeric. Go in for a massage at least once a month if possible or a few times a year.

Cailey: Supplements, superfood intake, and smoothies! Lots of water too. If you want recipes/ideas look into my Instagram, usually helps others get some yummy and fun ideas. @caileenwa

Marina:  Hello, I believe that when you exercise frequently, it adds energy. Think of it like it is a bank account the more you work out, the more money you are putting in for when you need to spend it. In this case, you will spend that energy at work. You are adding resistance. You will become powerful. Buy training items that you can do at work. Also, get up every hour or so and walk around. It pays.

Kip:  As tempting as it is, the donut table is a do not table.

Elaine: When I get breaks, I find a place and do some exercises. I try to make it a habit rather than sitting around and eating or doing something else… gotta integrate the movement into the crazy hours. Otherwise, there’s no way to live a healthy functioning life.

Becca: This isn’t exactly a workout, but I routinely remind myself to step outside and walk if I get a chance. Wakes me up, gets my legs moving, and does wonders for my mental well-being. Even a lap of a block or two can really help!

Melissa:  Yoga is great keeps you balanced, and flexible reduces back pain, and can be done anywhere You can do a quick 2-minute stretch or a 45 min session

Jen: My friend Andrea just started a blog/Instagram called Fit On Tour – worth checking out! http://www.fitontour.com

Terry: Take some 5lb dumbbells with you or a 10lb kettlebell. You can do the exercises .. during downtime..on the bus..etc. It’s light enough weight not to strain you, and the multiple reps will tone you. You can work all of your upper body this way

Robin: Yoga, water, breathing deeply, all the above… I love yoga because you can do it anywhere. I love mindfulness breathing counting my breaths and letting thoughts come and go gently while I was returning to my breath. You can do this (almost) anywhere too.

MH: I second the yoga! Make sure you are doing the right type of yoga. There is yoga that is more active, and there’s yoga that is more about meditation. I found a lot of relief in finding yoga routines that were stretching-oriented, but you know your body the best, and you should know what routine is best for you! But if Yoga turns you off, basic stretching and light ab workouts will really help your core and your posture which is the most important!

Alexandria: Hikes in days off so you can get cardio without having to fill on also run def yoga. Yoga=life

Randya:  I also second the “do not” table reference. Diet is essential when you don’t have the time/energy to exercise properly! Esp for weight maintenance!

More Resources:

Health and wellness on the road. Why you owe it to yourself.

The Tour Life is Hard — Homeopathy Can Help

Rock ‘n’ Roll Yogi

A Red and Sensitive Topic

Fit on Tour

Let’s Talk About Mental Health

Dealing with Burnout as a Musician

 

Live Fast, Stay Young!

A former reprobate’s guide to getting healthier on the road

Being a professional gypsy can be a lot of fun, but let’s face it, it’s not always conducive to optimum health. I lived an unhealthy life when I first started touring – in fact I had every bad habit available – but over the years I’ve figured out ways to love life on the road and look after myself at the same time. Here are the good-living tricks I’ve picked up along the way – I hope they give you some ideas if you’re trying to take better care of yourself!

Drink and drugs

Let’s start with the obvious. A lot of us drink more than is wise – it’s all too easy to get on the bus and have a few beers after a long day, and Roadie Friday can get messy as we all know. But even if you don’t get wasted on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to give your body a rest and have a few alcohol-free-days a week. It’s easier if there’s something healthy on hand that you like to drink instead – coconut water, kombucha, decaf and herbal teas are good, and I’m also a fan of alcohol-free beers. Sometimes you just want that ‘job well done’ feeling of a nice cold one, and there are more and more coming on the market these days.

As for cigarettes and drugs? There’s no middle ground really – you know what to do if you and your body want to stay friends. I found Allen Carr’s ‘Easy Way’ book a massive help in stopping smoking, and his stopping drinking one also altered my habits without me even trying. A great incentive to change bad habits is stashing the money you would have spent and treat yourself to something cool as an end-of-tour present instead!

Food

It’s usually relatively easy to eat well if you have tour catering, but it can be hit and miss if you don’t. Even with catering there are great and less-great options, so just be mindful and make the best choices you can – it’s never going to be perfect, but go for the most nutritious thing on offer. Juicers make frequent appearances in catering these days, so take advantage – use plenty of vegetables and not too much fruit to keep the sugar down. (I like to compete with myself to make the ultimate disgusto-juice – greens, beetroot, ginger, the hardcore stuff – the worse it tastes, the better it must be for you, right?!) If you’re at the mercy of local catering, which can be good and can be awful, then it’s helpful to have an emergency stash of healthy stuff. I keep things like nuts, protein bars, oatcakes, etc. in my tool drawers for bad-catering days – and in my suitcase as well, to stop me from monstering the overpriced hotel Pringles when I check in, and I’m ravenous!

I’m always hungry after load-out, and it can be hard to resist the temptation of stuffing my face with whatever’s going. I learnt a great healthy touring trick on a bus where some people wanted the usual load-out pizzas, and some wanted a change. We had a chat with production, and they agreed that we could halve the amount of pizza, and use the remainder of the budget for different things that we would put on the runner’s list. That worked brilliantly. We had a selection of items like vegetable crudites, hummus, nuts, crispbreads, dips, avocados, dark chocolate, etc.; whatever we fancied within reason and budget, and everyone was happy – it’s much easier to resist the siren call of cheesy carbs when there’s an alternative! If that’s not an option, you could buy your stash of healthier load-out snacks for the bus. Another favourite trick is eating light before the show and boxing up some of my dinner – sure, eating late at night isn’t ideal, but being realistic I know I’ll always want something, and it’s a better option than piling into the junk food at midnight!

Probiotic /vitamins

I take a multivitamin and supplements as an insurance policy, and I’m a big fan of taking a probiotic tablet each day, particularly when you’re traveling in far-flung places – it can help keep your digestion happy.

Exercise

Loading in and out is a workout in itself, and as we’re on our feet all day the general activity levels on the road are pretty high. Maximise the good work by taking advantage of hotel gyms on days off to get the cardio happening, or if that doesn’t appeal there are lots of online fitness classes, you can stream or download to do in your hotel room. Rubber resistance bands make a great portable alternative to weights, and a skipping rope takes up minimal room in your luggage. Alternatively, take yourself out for a brisk walk around the city, or if you’re near countryside you can join forces with a few others, rent a car and get out into nature!

My yoga practice has been a huge blessing – it’s free, I can do it just about anywhere, and all I need is my mat. I like to do an hour before work, or in the pre or post soundcheck pause. A dressing room is an ideal place, but I get creative – there’s almost always somewhere I can find a quiet spot, even if that’s a stairwell or a corner of the loading bay behind some stacked cases! The key is to remember that anything is better than nothing, and you’ll feel so much better afterwards.

Hide!

Part of the fun of touring is going out for dinner with the gang on a day off, but once in a while, it’s a treat to hibernate. Find a supermarket and get yourself a roadie buffet, or have some room service, watch a movie or box-set, chill out and have a luxurious early night!

And relax….

Guided relaxations are a lovely way to help you fall asleep and are a great entry point for meditation with all the associated benefits of stress reduction and improved sleep. You could try one of the many Youtube guided relaxations or podcasts that are available for free or download an app that you can listen to on headphones in your bunk. (This has the bonus of drowning out the collective farting and snoring.)

Overall, be inventive and experiment! Rome wasn’t built in a day, but just making one or two changes can make a big difference to how you feel every day, and help you to live fast and stay young!

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