Have you ever been on a trip where you have felt a bit under the weather or lethargic and thought to yourself, ‘wow, there has to be something I can do (or could have done) to stay healthy while traveling?’ Luckily, there are many ways in which you can be proactive to feel your best for while traveling.
Whether traveling for work or pleasure, staying healthy while traveling can make all the difference for your trip. Staying healthy while traveling for work is especially critical, as your performance needs to be in tip-top shape. Therefore, it is absolute worth the time and effort to do a few things before and during your travels. So let’s go on to learn some tips to stay healthy while traveling:
How to stay healthy while traveling
Before traveling
- Stay hydrated before even leaving on your trip.
- Eat nutritious meals to properly nourish your body.
- Exercise and get movement in.
- Get quality sleep.
- Pack accordingly for your trip:
-
- Bring wet wipes on the plane & hand sanitizer for your entire trip: before sitting in your seat on the plane, wipe down the seat, table tray and arm rests.
- Bring a water reusable bottle: stay hydrated!
- Bring a warm jacket or scarf: planes tend to blast air conditioning, and with the circulating air you’ll be happy to have an extra layer to bundle up. This is one of those items that you’ll feel is unnecessary until that moment it is absolutely necessary.
- Keep the local climate in mind: bring sunscreen, a hat, and insect repellant when travelling to hot/humid climate: Sun burns, sun fever, and bug bites.. three things that are worth avoiding. For a cold climate, be sure to pack a jacket you can layer with, proper shoes and socks, as well as a beanie.
While traveling
- Get quality sleep. Yes, quality is sleep is just as important during your trip as it is before and after!
- Pace yourself. Whatever you do, don’t overdo it while you are traveling. You can see what you’d like to see, do what you need to do, and still take time to rest. Pacing yourself doesn’t mean you have to go back to rest at your place of accommodation, either. You can simply rest in a park or swing by a café and take some down time.
- Eat proper meals. While traveling, it is all too common for people to eat on the go, indulge in items they normally wouldn’t eat, or skip meals altogether. This is not to say you can’t indulge and enjoy eating out while traveling, but just order that side of veggies and swing by a market so you can snack on some fresh produce between meals. Bonus if there is a kitchen where you are staying and you can make a meal and prep some healthy snacks at home!
- Get movement and proper stretching in. As you explore, walk when you can and make time for exercising! Be sure to stretch too, especially after long days of exploring and pushing your body harder than you might normally.
- Stay hydrated. No matter what, stay hydrated while traveling. Remember if you choose to indulge in a couple cocktails or drinks while on your trip, consume in moderation and drink water before, in between drinks, and after.
It is easy to get swept up in adventure and things you would like or need to do on a trip, but taking the time for proper self-care is vital in order to stay healthy while traveling.
Photo by [Philipp Kämmerer](https://unsplash.com/@philippcamera?utmsource=unsplash&utmmedium=referral&utmcontent=creditCopyText) on Unsplash_
Did you enjoy this article? Share it!
