Let’s face it. Conferences are fun, educational, and provide incredible networking opportunities, but they are exhausting! Days spent packing, preparing for a keynote, checking into flights, tracking down an Uber. We throw a lot of behavior at these events, not to mention all the variables that promote physical inactivity and poor food choices.

You need a few more days, just to recover from the long trip. You come home feeling a little burned out; a lot of activity just to survive with little reinforcement, apart from making it home.

And that’s not counting whether you have travel delays or even entire flight cancellations.

I went on the road this fall and presented at a couple of state-level conferences — Hawai’i and South Carolina. Following the South Carolina state conference, I drove from Charleston, SC to Columbia, SC (thank you for the ride Kristi!) and spent a day on campus at the University of South Carolina with the Dean of Public Health and her amazing crew of faculty and students.

Yes, I love presenting in person, but conferences, let’s say, are not health promoters. The ironic thing about conferencing is that the process is yet a series of environmental events that counters my main message: sedentary behavior is bad for our health. I purposefully put myself in more sedentary positions, longer than normal, to speak about the harms of physical inactivity.

Oh, the irony…

Physical inactivity quickly adds up when we spend:

• Hours in a car on the way to the airport.
• Hours spent on the plane.
• Hours spent at a conference, sitting, watching presenters and computer screens.
  

All this time not moving, in unhealthy, stiff positions.

And think about our eating habits, we have:

• Irregular meal and times on travel days.
• Set meal and snack times on conference days that may align with our regular eating routines.
• Limits to food choices based on the airport restaurant map, the hotel’s menu and which restaurants are close by the convention center.
  

How do we overcome conference barriers?

Unless someone creates a standing car or hires a personal chef to take on the road with me, then we need an action plan, of course.

These tips are not exhaustive by any means, but are a few core guiding concepts that you can take, adapt, and make them your own.

Tip 1. Standing breaks during my presentations.

I prompt the audience to break the sitting pattern about 25 minutes into my presentation — perfectly placed, right after I discuss how too much sitting is bad for our long-term health.

This only happens once during the conference, but think if you did this during EVERY 1-hour presentation? Good for your health? Check! Socially awkward? Also, check!

Tip 2. Stand in the back during a talk or two each day.

I will alternate sitting for one presentation and standing for the next. This may not sound like a big deal, but that time adds up if you easily slide to a round table set for 8. Hang out with the Audio/Visual tech teams in the back. They always like meeting new people!

Tip 3. Follow your regular exercise schedule as much as possible.

After you check in to your room, find the hotel gym. Do you need your room card for access? What are the gym hours? I find that most have 24-hour access.

Even if I cannot engage in my preferred exercise regimen, I will stick to the same days and times as much as possible. If I lift on Mondays and run on Tuesdays, I will maintain that schedule. Why start a new behavior on the road when the conditions will change again once you return home?

Do you run or walk? Are you going to use the hotel gym treadmill? Or will you plan to be outside? Is there a safe and accessible path right outside the hotel lobby?

The eating routine is an entirely different animal, but consider these strategies:

Tip 4. Pack or purchase healthy snacks.

Protein bars are a staple in my carry-on bag. The sugary and carb-heavy snacks are easy to come by on the airplane, but they won’t help you in the long run. If you didn’t pack any healthy snacks, and there is one close by, visit a local grocery store close to the conference hotel.

I lucked out in Charleston and saw a Publix right outside my hotel room window. For the next three days, I loaded up on hard-boiled eggs and ready-to-drink protein shakes!

(Think about the money you will save. Grocery store prices are always lower than hotel convenience store prices).

Tip 5. Eat Based on Your Normal Schedule.

Even though there are 10:30 am and 2:00 pm planned snack and coffee breaks, I ask myself, “Would I normally eat or drink at this time?” If not, then I will skip that meal or snack.

Nothing revolutionary about this one, or a secret nutritional agenda, but I have a lot of behavioral history with eating at certain times of the day.

Tip 6. Prioritize Protein Consumption First.

Personally, ensure that I start my day off with a protein-heavy breakfast or shake. Depending on when I present at a conference, I try to time my breakfast or protein snack best so that I have the right amount of energy while I speak. I don’t want to “bonk” and lose my train of thought. Presenting is hard enough, and ignoring my meal timings would set me up for failure.