6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling

Traveling can be an amazing experience, but it often comes with challenges when it comes to your health. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, interrupting your daily routine can throw your health off balance. Luckily there are precautionary steps you can take to keep your health on track while also enjoying your travel destination. Let’s look at the 6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling.

1. Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking water may seem like a no-brainer, but dashing from destination to destination leaves little room for thinking about the basics. When you’re outside of your normal routine, you are less likely to think about drinking water until it’s too late.

6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling ~ Drink Lots of Clean Water
6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling ~ Drink Lots of Clean Water

Your body will tell you that you’re dehydrated through grogginess, headaches and fatigue. It is much better to prevent these symptoms rather than let them rob you of enjoying your trip. According to the Mayo Clinic, the average man should drink 15.5 8-ounce cups per day and the average woman should have 11.5 8-ounce cups of water per day. One way to accomplish this is by carrying a water bottle that you can refill whenever you see filtered water, or ask a restaurant to refill it for you. This way you can keep your water intake consistent and you’ll be less likely to grab a soda.

2. Get Enough Rest

Around 70 million Americans suffer from sleeplessness, which can lead to the misuse of sleeping pills. Getting enough sleep every night can be difficult in your everyday life, and can become even more unattainable when you’re traveling, especially if you’re switching time zones.

6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling
6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling ~ Get Lots of Rest

The best way to ensure you receive 7–9 hours of sleep per night is by planning ahead. If you know you’re going to be switching time zones, try slowly adjusting your sleeping a few days before your departure. You can also plan an extra day of your trip to catch up on sleep once you get back home. Lack of sleep has many negative side effects, including heart disease, memory loss and weakened immune system. All of which can have a negative impact on a trip, so plan ahead to avoid them.

3. Exercise Enough

A normal workout routine is arguably the first thing to go when you’re on a trip and away from your daily schedule. However, carving out just 20 minutes each day to do some physical activity will ensure you maintain your health, particularly on an extended trip.

6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling ~ Excercise Enough
6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling ~ Excercise Enough

If a full workout isn’t something you’re interested in during your trip, there are other options to keep you physically active. Yoga is a great way to stay active and it is easily accessible from anywhere. Another great option is going for a walk. This can also be a great way to see the surrounding area and experience the local culture. Exercise releases dopamine, which contributes to feelings of happiness, so working out can add a lot of value to your travels and put you in an even better mood.

4. Eat Healthy Snacks

Most vacations are planned around the delicious, local food. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to overindulge in unhealthy meals since you are vacationing from your normal life. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with treating yourself to local cuisine. However, in order to avoid cheap snacks with little-to-no nutritional value, carry around some healthy snacks to keep you satiated between meals.

6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling
6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling ~ Eat Healty Snacks

Some examples are almonds, cashews and all-natural protein bars. Thorough nutrition is an essential part of having a healthy lifestyle, and that doesn’t have to stop when you travel. These non-perishable snacks can help keep you away from potato chips and tempting candy from vending machines, especially in airports when you might be rushing from one flight to another.

5. Take Your Vitamins

Traveling will inevitably expose you to more germs. Combine that with a lack of sleep and stress and you become more susceptible to getting sick. It is important to arm yourself with all of the steps mentioned above as well as one more important ingredient: vitamins. Packing your daily vitamins when you travel helps to keep your immune system strong while exposed to a lot of bacteria.

6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling
6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling ~ Get Your Vitamins

A few vitamins to pay special attention to are magnesium, vitamin C, and B-12. These will help keep you energized and can boost your immune system. Set yourself up for success during your travels so you can enjoy every minute of it and come back to your daily routine refreshed and healthy.

6. Avoid Drugs and Excessive Alcohol

While we all want to let loose while on vacation, it’s important to avoid excessive drinking and drug use for a safe trip. Too much drinking can negatively impact your trip with hangovers, memory loss, and poor decision making. It can also negatively affect your relationships with the people you are traveling with. Excessive drinking can be a sign of substance abuse.

6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling ~ Avoid Drugs and Excessive Alcohol
6 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling ~ Avoid Drugs and Excessive Alcohol

Having a sip of beer in a social setting is not the same as having a pack of beer alone as a way of coping with stress and anxiety. Be cautious of the amount of alcohol you are consuming to continue having a fun, relaxing trip. Local resources for addiction treatment in Minnesota are always available for those who may be struggling personally or know someone who may be abusing drugs and/or alcohol.

Conclusion

Traveling is an amazing opportunity to explore new places, but it can come with some negative consequences as a result of leaving your normal routine. To stay at the top of your game, make sure you are drinking enough water, sleeping 7–9 hours a night, exercising, bringing healthy snacks, and taking vitamins so you can elevate your travel experience without picking up unhealthy habits.

Until next time, get out and capture the adventure.

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Stay Healthy While Traveling

Written by Wayne Moran - Visit Website
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