Our health has taken centre stage in our list of life priorities recently, and with that in mind, it’s important to take the necessary steps to try and stay healthy whilst travelling. Travel is medicine for the soul but it’s not always entirely glamorous. There’s nothing worse than your dream vacation suddenly turning southwards, due to lack of proper preparation.
Perhaps you’re going for a hike in the Himalayas, camping in the Sahara Desert or simply going on a girl’s trip to spend all day in the sunshine sipping Piña Coladas. Wherever you’re going and whatever you’re doing, we all know maintaining a healthy body and positive mindset is essential.
By @wearekomodo
No fear, eating kale salads for the entirety of your holiday isn’t the answer, but here is a list of useful tricks to keep your health on track whilst travelling.
1. Drink Plenty - Use A Reusable/Filtered Water Bottle
Hydration is key whether you’re travelling or not. Drinking enough water is essential for your overall health and it’s important that this doesn’t fall by the wayside whilst travelling. Though it sounds simple, a lack of water can quickly lead to your health deteriorating and so you really need to make sure that you’re drinking plenty of fluids (this being water not alcohol!)
Dehydration can lead to dizziness, headaches, lethargy and even constipation; not something that you want disturbing your dream holiday. Carry a reusable or quality filtered water bottle on you at all times. This way, whether you’ve been sweating it out in the sun or using all your energy levels on sports, you can ensure your still getting the right amount of water.
2. Make Sure To Sleep & Allow Your Body To Adjust - Use the CALM app
There’s nothing worse than those horrible night sleeps where you’re tossing and turning and watching the clock every 5 minutes. This can be especially true when travelling abroad when the jetlag hits. It’s incredibly important to allow your body time to adjust to the new time zone. You can do this by listening to your body and sticking to a constant routine.
Try to stick to a similar sleep schedule to what you do at home, this will allow your body to adjust quicker. If you’re having trouble falling asleep, try using a meditation or sleep app such as CALM. Travelling can be very physically exhausting and so it’s important to rest and sleep when you need to.
3. Sanitise - Use A Pocket Hand Sanitiser
Sanitse, Sanitise, Santise; the phrase of the year. One that we may have neglected in the past, but to which we realise is truly important now. Hand-sanitiser is your new best friend whilst travelling. You’ll constantly be touching new surfaces whilst you are out travelling and there may not be any sinks nearby. We’ve become experts this year at hand-sanitising, so let’s make sure to keep it up! Having a hand sanitiser on hand is the most effective way to combat infections and harmful germs whilst travelling.
4. Have A Balanced Diet - Pack Healthy Snacks
It’s easy whilst travelling to throw away your typical diet. When travelling, we tend to over-indulge in food and drink, sometimes forgetting about the importance of a balanced diet. Eating well seriously helps your immune system and can fix a lot of health-related issues. It’s hard to be disciplined whilst travelling as sometimes there isn’t healthy options available or they are too expensive to buy. As a result, the best trick is to bring your own healthy alternatives. Think rice cakes, healthy crackers, nuts, protein bars; anything that is solid and can be transported on the plane. This way you can stay on track with your food and have numerous options readily available.
5. Keep Active - Track Your Steps Through A Fitbit Or Health App
Walking; another popular activity of 2020/2021. With everyone being stuck inside, walking is now a common release. We’ve started to realise the incredible benefits that walking has, including being a great way of keeping fit as well as helping us mentally and emotionally. Sometimes you just need to walk and clear your head! This is especially important whilst travelling. Especially if backpacking and spending long hours sitting down on buses/trains. Buying a Fitbit is a great way to stay motivated, ensuring that you get your daily steps in. Alternatively, track your steps through a step counter app on your phone.
6. Distance From Technology - Give Yourself A Digital Detox
We’re all guilty of spending too many hours on technology. Scrolling endlessly on Instagram, Facebook and other social networking apps, all of which can be detrimental to our mental health. Whilst it’s great to use social media to capture memories whilst travelling, it’s also important to remember to be present in the moment. Give yourself a digital detox and let your mind and body truly be at one with your travel destination. You will thank us later!
7. Lather On Sunscreen & Bring Your Favourite Hat
If travelling somewhere hot, this is especially important. Wearing SPF is an essential way to protect your skin and over-exposure can lead to sunburn and sunstroke. It's necessary to take the right precautions to protect yourself in the scorching heat. The worst place to burn is your scalp so make sure to bring your favourite hat along. Be it a baseball cap, a bucket hat or your favourite beanie, you can be fashionable and safe all at once!
8. Keep Reading - Bring Yourself A Book
There’s nothing better than reading a good book by the beach or whilst lying down by the pool. Books transport you to an alternate world and are the ultimate form of relaxation. When we talk about staying healthy, we usually think about keeping physically active and we neglect the mental aspect. Reading is a great way to engage your brain, learn about new things and continue to grow your knowledge. Keeping your mind sharp and healthy is as important as keeping your body healthy!
9. Do Things You Love - Feed Your Soul
Be it sunrise yoga, a walk to the market, interacting with locals or simply eating your favourite food, make sure to constantly do and engage in things that you love. Travelling is a great time to find yourself and to work out what really excites your soul. There is something about adventure and travel that lends itself to self-discovery. It’s a healthy part of being a human that we learn to love ourselves. No matter our faults and perceived insecurities, travelling gives you a chance to strip back the layers and learn to love yourself.
10. Take Your Vitamins
Without sounding too much like your mother, remember to take your vitamins! Vitamins help to keep your immune system on track, keep your energy levels high and provides your body with the healthy supplements that it needs. Multivitamins are an ideal way to start, though also having magnesium and vitamin c is a great way to combat the onset of flu. Try to start taking these a couple weeks before your trip, eat healthy and rest well and you’ll be in top notch health before you start your trip.
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