Part of adventure, new cultures, and unforgettable experiences is traveling. While it’s important to plan your itinerary, however, it’s just as important to keep your health up to par during your journey. Adapting to new environments, staying resilient against illness and taking proactive measures to ensure your well being on the trip will help make your trip enjoyable and safe.
Preparation Is Key
Before you leave home, here are some good ways to stay healthy on the road. Planning ahead will help you avoid unexpected health problems and, at the same time, prepare you to deal with them should they crop up. Begin with some research on your destination. What immunizations or health concerns are recommended for the region? If, for instance, you need to travel to tropical regions, you can be vaccinated against conditions such as yellow fever or typhoid. Plan to visit a travel health clinic or your doctor now to get your immunizations.
Keep a travel-friendly health kit — pain relievers, antacids, adhesive bandages, antibiotic wipes, and prescriptions you take at home — handy. You could also add electrolyte tablets and probiotics to rectify issues of dehydration or digestive problems. Be mindful of local water and food safety if you’re visiting a region where these might be a concern. A water purifier or water bottle filtration can literally be a lifesaver. When planning your trip, it’s important to consider your online browsing habits and ensure you have access to trusted sites like BJ for entertainment or relaxation during downtime.
Stay Hydrated And Eat Smart
Drinking enough water is one of the easiest but most efficient ways to keep yourself healthy while traveling. Since you are one to gear up for a long flight, exposing yourself to different climates, or you keep ramping up your activity, it’s very easy to get dehydrated. Begin an easy habit of consuming water all through the day, and hold a refillable water bottle. In areas where there is doubt about tap water safety, be careful what you drink. On the other hand, whenever you are not sure, always prefer ported or boiled water.
Even when it comes to food, travelers should consume smartly; trying local cuisine is a highlight of any trip, for a good reason. Freshly cooked foods, such as salads or fruit skinless, are preferable to raw foods, although this is more important if the country’s hygiene standard is poor. Street food can be tempting, but take a look at the cleanliness of the vendor first before you indulge. Small vigilance can protect you from the most common things like traveler’s diarrhea or food poisoning.
Prioritize Sleep
But getting enough sleep is especially crucial for sustaining both mental and physical well being when you travel. But jet lag — disrupted sleep pattern caused by crossing time zones — can occur. To combat this, adjust your sleep schedule slowly in the run up to departure, and when arriving at your destination, attempt to sync up with the local time zone. When you finally get there, head outside to take in some natural light; it will also signal your body clock to reset.
Earplugs and a sleep mask will come in handy if you’re sleeping in a loud place or not in your own bed. If there or anywhere, set up a calming bedtime ritual to help you wind down even. Getting enough sleep not only keeps you alert but it does wonders for your immune system and helps ward off getting sick.
Stay Active
Though travel means lots of walking and sightseeing, try to divert some time for exercising. Exercise has a vitality enhancing, mood elevating and a travel tiredness reducing effect. When traveling for vacation, choose accommodations with a gym or pool to stay active, or find activities like hiking, yoga, or cycling to keep you busy already at your destination.
A simple stretch or brisk walk around the park can help even during long travel days, or after you’ve spent hours hunched inside an airplane seat. Getting active keeps your circulation going, more so when you are traveling on long haul flights, and thus your blood clots are prevented.
Practice Good Hygiene
While traveling, in particular, you need to take care of your hygiene as well. Also, you ought to wash your hands frequently, especially before your face and before you eat. When soap and water are not within arm’s reach, carry hand sanitizer. Also pay attention to your personal items – wipe down those surfaces you touch so often, your phone, your passport, your airplane tray table, trying to limit your exposure to germs.
Hygiene is more important if you’re staying in shared accommodation or traveling by public transport. Carry a small pack of sanitizing wipes in your bag and use them to clean surfaces and try not to touch high touch areas if you can.
Listen To Your Body
In the midst of the excitement of travel, it’s easy to overexert yourself or to just ignore signs of fatigue or illness. Yet, you need to pay attention to how your body feels in order to maintain good health. If you’re feeling tired, rest days are your best time to rest. Drink a lot of fluids, eat a balanced diet, and have a good night’s sleep. If you have any unusual symptoms, for example, a fever, or if it doesn’t go away and you start to feel unwell, get medical advice straight away.
Travel insurance is a lifeline if you find yourself far from home and in need of high quality medical treatment. Get to know the policy details, take a set of your insurance documents.
Enjoy Mindfully
Finally, don’t take away your enjoyment of the pursuit of health. Awareness of how you feel physically and emotionally during your trip (or at any time, for that matter) improves your travel experience. Eat the local cuisine, but a little bit at a time. Allow yourself the time to soak in the beauty of new places, not over-planning your days. Keep in mind that the most balanced approach will have you coming home with awesome memories without sacrificing your health.
