Tips to help you stay on track when you're stuck at the airport.

The trap is set: You have a long layover between connecting flights or a horribly long flight delay. You're bored and cranky. You think of scarfing down some fast food. Maybe hitting the pub.

For a novice traveler, this may make sense. But savvy business travelers know how to turn travel downtime into an opportunity.

"I always look at long airport waits as a chance to either get in some interesting urban exercise or expand my brain instead of my gut," says David Rowell, publisher of The Travel Insider newsletter. "If you don't fill that time in an intelligent way, you'll end up in the airport bar out of boredom." Here are some ways to avoid that fate.

The trap is set: You have a long layover between connecting flights or a horribly long flight delay. You're bored and cranky. You think of scarfing down some fast food. Maybe hitting the pub.

For a novice traveler, this may make sense. But savvy business travelers know how to turn travel downtime into an opportunity.

"I always look at long airport waits as a chance to either get in some interesting urban exercise or expand my brain instead of my gut," says David Rowell, publisher of The Travel Insider newsletter. "If you don't fill that time in an intelligent way, you'll end up in the airport bar out of boredom." Here are some ways to avoid that fate.

Collect a mileage reward
Airports are huge, so turn their size into exercise. "A 200-pound man walking around a terminal with a 15-pound carry-on will burn nearly 320 calories an hour," says Lou Schuler, CSCS, author of The New Rules of Lifting. Flying with children can actually be a help; one man turned his two-year-old son loose in the concourse a half-hour before boarding. He estimates he jogged at least two miles chasing the tyke (and both slept hard as soon as the plane took off).

Grab a magazine, not a foot-long dog
Your plane lands and you disembark facing a two-hour layover. You're stressed out. Fatigued. Your first inclination is to get some snacks and sweets and chill. Don't give in. Do what frequent-flier Rowell does whenever he faces terminal downtime: "I hit the newsstand and buy a magazine that I don't subscribe to or ever read. It's perfect. My brain stays engaged and a couple hours evaporate. I've never once been disappointed."

Get in a full-blown workout
Dozens of airports have gyms on-site or within a 15-minute cab ride that cater to travelers. For a low price (usually $10-$20 for a day pass), you get full gym access, a shower and a towel, and in some cases, clothes to work out in. (Airport Fitness in the Pittsburgh terminal offers lockers for your carry-on and workout clothing rentals.) And how great would a shower be between two stressful flights? Go to airportgyms.com for a comprehensive list of airport gyms across North America.

Eliminate lazy eating
Flying through Orlando, Detroit or San Francisco? You no longer have the "no other choice" card to play when it comes to your airport dinner. According to a 2006 airport food survey by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), almost nine out of ten eateries now offer at least one low-fat, high-fiber, cholesterol-free entrée. So take a walk with that carry-on and find some real food. You can read the complete report on the PCRM Web site.

Think quick food, not fast food
Don't have time for a sit-down meal? McDonald's and Pizza Hut make it easy, but burgers and fries won't help your stress or energy levels, says Hope Warshaw, RD, author of What to Eat When You're Eating Out. Scout the terminal for yogurt, a banana or a prepackaged salad with some chicken. They're not only fast, but they'll give your body fuel it can use on the rest of your journey.

About the Writer
Mike Zimmerman is a freelance writer living in Macungie, Pennsylvania, who frequently writes for Men's Health. He refuses all airline food except for honey-roasted peanuts.