Staying Healthy While Traveling
Any time you go somewhere new and exciting, it’s so tempting to just go, go, go until you drop. However, all of that sightseeing and absorbing new experiences can take a toll on you, from head to toe. To really get the most out of your precious vacation time, while traveling, make sure you're taking care of your body.
Believe it or not, ensuring that you feel good will make the whole trip more enjoyable! Here are some basics, and some pro tips, to keep you feeling at your best, so you can maximize every minute of your trip in comfort.
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Hydrate
No matter the season, drink plenty of water! Drinking water does some really important things for your body that are especially essential for being on the go during travel. Staying well hydrated will make sure your joints stay lubricated and your body temperature stays comfortable.
Drinking plenty of water has the bonus effect of keeping your mood up, helping you stay sharp for problem-solving and navigating, and it will help you sleep well at the end of a long travel day. Cities like New York or Paris are complicated places. You will need to have your wits about you, so drink up!
Use Sunscreen
It’s easy to remember to protect yourself from the strong sun when you take a beach or desert vacation. It’s equally important to remember to use sunscreen when spending time outdoors in a big city.
Not only can too much sun hurt your skin, but it can cause flare-ups of chronic diseases.
Eat Well
When you visit places with lots of food options finding healthy options is pretty easy. But sometimes it takes a little more effort. But it is important. Why does a healthy diet matter on vacation?
The effects of eating healthy food are similar to those of drinking plenty of water. You will help your mood, your stamina, your memory, and your sleep. An additional benefit of making sure you include fruits, vegetables, and healthy grains into your meals is that you avoid the blood sugar crash from too much sugar and the dehydration fatigue from eating too much salt.
Stop Smoking
Being a smoker when you’re also a frequent traveler is far from ideal. With limited smoking in airports and no smoking on flights, it can be difficult to go long-haul when you’re addicted to nicotine. You can start with vaping, something like a Delta 9o Vape, to cut down first if you don’t feel you’re able to go cold turkey.
There are lots of other stopping smoking products available these days too so it’s something to look into. You’ll feel healthier, breathe easier and save money which you can then put towards travel!
Change Your Shoes
When you are visiting a big city chances are you will be doing a lot of walking. Most travelers know that they need to pack a pair of comfortable shoes. Pros know that they need to pack two pairs. Having two different sets of supportive, well-cushioned footwear along for the trip ensures that you can alternate which pair you wear.
Since different styles have different pressure points, you will actually be giving your feet a break and a chance to rejuvenate when you change out of one pair and into another. This is especially important after a long day of walking and standing.
You know that I am a HUGE fan of Jambu shoes and wear them exclusively at home and while I travel. They are comfortable and have many styles for all looks and occasions.
Jambu Fall 2018 | Jambu Spring 2019 | Jambu Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 | Fall 2020 | Spring 2021 | Fall 2021 | Spring 2022
Keep Up with All Medical Needs
Travel time is no time to slack when it comes to taking care of your body. Most big cities are teeming with terrific medical services. If you are on the mend, don’t slow down your progress just because you are abroad.
Booking something like physical therapy in Brooklyn, NY, chiropractors in San Francisco, or a deep muscle massage in Tucson can be extremely low hassle ways to keep you feeling fit and ready for a good time. I specifically call out physical therapy in New York because while I was at a blogging conference there one of my friends who was recovering from a foot injury did this!
Think of it this way. You wouldn’t bat an eye at making a reservation for a 2-hour dinner somewhere wonderful, so why not book a 1-hour session with a medical team who can help make sure you make it to that dinner feeling good?
Check On Your Energy
This is really the essence of healthy travel. Check-in on yourself throughout the day. Do a mental scan of your body, mind, and spirit. If something is tired and achy, if you feel grouchy or worn out, respect that your body is telling you it needs a break. Fortunately, taking a break doesn’t mean giving up on the experiences you traveled so far to have.
It just means you need to pivot. Grab a water bottle and people-watch in a nearby park. Pop into a nail salon for a quick pedicure. Find a coffee spot and sink into a soft couch for a while. It’s always going to be tempting to keep going, especially in a place where there are endless things to see and do, but remember that a healthy trip is one you will have happy memories of.
For a little boost in energy consider trying energy patches from The Patch Brand. They provide you with some pep and no additives!
How about you? Have more tips for staying healthy while traveling? Do share!
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We travel often! I didnt realize there was such great ways to stay healthy while traveling! I usually need a day or two to recovery so maybe with this advice I won’t feel so bad afterwards!
I admit when I travel I eat what I want since I figure the walking I do burns that off. But I do try to stay hydrated and use sunscreen!
Yes to eating healthy. I always try to eat plenty of fruits and veggies when traveling.
I love to travel, and I found these tips really helpful.
Making sure that you are healthy when traveling is really important. This is a very informative and helpful post! I’m gonna take note of these!
Staying healthy when traveling is important specially mow that there’s a lot of viruses anywhere. I really enjoy reading this post.
Checking our energy sounds like a good tip, not one I’d remember to consider on my own. There’s always a lot of pressure to stick to the itinerary!
Hydration is key when you’re traveling. I often try to bring a bottle of water with me when I go everywhere. This way I can fill up when I need to.
Having health issues would make traveling a bit harder for me. I get worn out easier than most and require extra sleep to catch up.
But keeping my hands clean and staying hydrated would be the most beneficial thing for me to do.
I do not mind eating healthy on vacation. Eating junk wears you down and makes you tired when you could be exploring. 🙂
Yes, after travelling I feel for a while very tired and exhausted. It’s very important to take care of us!
I find that it is tough to stay on top of a healthy routine when I travel. It just isn’t the same when you don’t have access to the same meals etc.
I always make sure to have at least two comfy walking shoes with me when we travel because we definitely do a lot of walking.
These are all great ideas. I think for me, keeping up with medical is the hardest. I hate trying to make time for Doctor appointments.
The water tip is such a simple one to do. Water flushes toxins, its that simple!