On a busy travel day, often the last thing I want to do is add another preparatory task. But in an interview, the founder of Allbirds revealed that his best travel tip is to exercise before flying. And his logic is sound:
There’s something about sitting for so long that I think is not always the nicest feeling, but if you’ve exercised or done something strenuous beforehand, it somehow feels better and you feel like you’re recovering, rather than getting antsy.
This tip won’t work for a 5am flight (unless you are a serious morning person) but otherwise, I like it. Work out beforehand, and enter the airport showered, relaxed, and ready to lounge around for a few hours because, hey, you’ve earned it.
The trick is that the workout should feel hard enough that you deserve some time to relax afterward. Stretching or light yoga is better than nothing, but doesn’t really fit the bill. Fortunately we’ve got a bunch of options for how to get a good workout in even if you’re far from home. Do a dumbbell workout in the hotel gym, go for a farewell run around the city you’re about to leave, or do one of the many bodyweight or portable-equipment workouts that just require a yoga mat’s worth of space in your hotel room. If that’s too much planning, you can power-walk the length of the airport for bragging rights. Then sit back and enjoy your rest.