How to Stay Healthy & Fit on the Road, by Joanne V. Lichten, Ph.D, RC


The cumulative effect of muscles stiff and sore from driving, fatigue, and poor eating habits can adversely affect the joy and fun of any road trip. Dr. Joanne Lichten's How to Stay Healthy & Fit on the Road offers a remarkable collection of tips and suggestions that can improve any traveler's experience on the open road. The author, a veteran business traveler who holds an advanced degree in human nutrition, offers a wealth of keen insights about living and working on the road.

Weight gain caused by eating unfamiliar foods coupled with infrequent exercise is a common phenomenon for new road trippers. Dr. Jo provides key information about proper nutrition and ways to eat both sensibly and well on the road. She has also developed a "Hotel Room Workout" exercise program that is easy to do and can be performed just about anywhere. Her company produces portable, lightweight "tubes" for doing strength-enhancing resistance exercises. Adjustable to varying levels of strength, we have found the tubes to be an effective and easy way to get exercise. The book also provides some very clever tips for getting a good night's sleep and also explains how to use "powernapping" to improve alertness on long trips.

Among the most useful sections of the book are the very detailed suggestions for products and clothes that can be used to ease some of the stress often associated with travel. Even though we've spent nearly seven years living on the road, a number of Dr. Jo's recommendations were new to us, like the ultra-light TravelSmith raincoat and the versatile Swiss Army briefcase. There is also an extensive listing of tips for personal security in urban areas, at airports, and in foreign countries. A superb Web resources list rounds out the reference section.

How to Stay Healthy & Fit on the Road is written in an easy-to-read manner and offers valuable advice for all travelers, whether they are on an international business trip or a weekend escape. We are already using some of Dr. Jo's exercises and stress reduction tips, and we think you will find a number of methods and ideas that work for you, too.

Mark Sedenquist
2/03