As things are slowly going back to normal, many of us have started to plan for the next trip. The reason for travel can be many, like for business, vacation, etc. but one concern is common among all. And that is our health. While staying on track with healthy habits during short-term travel is easy, it can get very rough when it comes to traveling long term.
The instant change in environment, sudden change in temperature of air conditioning, and switching between different vehicles can make it harder for you to focus on your health. Still, it’s not too hard if you plan in advance. Today we are going to discuss a few simple yet effective steps that you can take when traveling long term to maintain a healthy mind and body.
Drink Enough Water
Dehydration can often cause sensations in our body that mimic hunger. This can lead to overeating when what our body really needed was freshwater. So in order to stop yourself from overeating or worse, snacking on unhealthy food, make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day. You can utilize apps like WaterMinder to keep track of how much water you have had at any given time of the day.
Consider bottled water in case you’re traveling in areas where the quality of water is poor. Fill the bottle with lemon or other juices to add an extra flavor to the water so you sip it more often. A fully hydrated body alone will save you from many unexpected illnesses down the line.
Choose the Right Hotel & Food
It’s too easy to forget our health goals when staying in a hotel unless you have carefully planned and picked the right hotel. By right we mean a place that serves good food during the stay. You should avoid continental options because most of the time the food you’ll be served there for breakfast will be some variation of bread and sugary pastries.
One tip is to book a hotel room with a refrigerator and microwave. You can then buy vegetables, fruits, and eggs from a nearby grocery store and cook a small healthy meal of your own in the microwave for times when you feel like snacking or even make a full meal to skip hotel food. If you are planning to stay at one place for a few weeks then another good option would be to choose an Airbnb over a hotel as it will give you access to healthy resources and you won’t have to worry about tempting food options that come with a hotel’s room service.
Carry Portable Workout Gear
You don’t need to rely on bulky and expensive equipment to get a travel-friendly workout. You can pick from various lightweight gears available online and local sporting stores and still get a good workout from the convenience of your hotel room. Some the good options are:
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Resistance Bands: Packing a few different resistance bands in your backpack is always a good idea when planning long trips due to their small size. You can use them to work out all of the major muscle groups.
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Yoga Mat: Practicing yoga daily has been scientifically proven to keep our bodies healthy. A yoga mat doesn’t take a lot of space in the suitcase either and can be easily laid down on the hotel room floor when needed.
- Jump Rope: This highly portable exercise gear is a good option for people looking to get a full workout while traveling. A quick 15 minutes skipping rope session helps in lowering fatigue, stress and increases the overall flexibility and strength of the body. You can also combine this gear with a yoga mat to decrease the impact of the jumps on your feet.
Spend Time Outdoors
Traveling can be tiring and draining. Constant travel not only affects physical health but also mental health. You can reduce this stress by spending some time outside in the fresh air, preferably during the daytime. This can provide a significant boost to your mood and energy levels.
You can also get familiar with the routes using the internet or with the help of a local and go for a run. Running and jogging keep you fit and also improves brain functioning. Make sure you have packed comfortable clothes and good running shoes before leaving for the trip.
Get a Healthy Travel Kit
You want to do everything to keep yourself from falling sick during travel. As the famous saying goes: “prevention is better than cure”. We have made a Healthy Lifestyle Travel Kit to help you stay healthy and germ-free when traveling. The seat covers and table covers provided in the kit ensure a safer and cleaner experience when sharing rides, eating out in public, going to movies or when using public transportation.
Stick to a Routine
Long-term travel comes with a lack of predictability. This can be quite stressful in the long run. To bring some order to the chaos you should try sticking to a routine. Keep things simple to make sure your routine is easy to follow, else you might slack after a day and get back to bad habits that can take a toll on your health.
To begin with, plan how you will ensure you get an adequate amount of high-quality sleep. You can do this by going to bed and waking up at the same time, every day. Take help with sleep aids like a sleep mask, earplugs, and white noise generators if needed. Secondly, try to have your meals at the same time. Finally, use time blocking to set your work hours, rest hours, and exercise hours. Having an idea of what and when about your day through a routine will save you from a lot of headaches that come with traveling.
Don’t Ignore Gut Health
Digestive health issues during travel are very common. This can increase by manifolds if you are traveling long term. To avoid this you must take necessary steps throughout your journey. Few ways to improve your gut health are already discussed above like staying hydrated, getting proper sleep, and exercise.
In addition to that, doctors suggest taking high quality prebiotic and probiotic drinks 30 days before traveling and keep taking them during travel as well. Probiotics are tried and tested by thousands of people who swear by their effectiveness to maintain optimal gut health.
Along with that, you can also prevent digestive issues like diarrhea, constipation, heartburn by being careful of what you eat, don’t consume unpasteurized food or beverages, and avoid buying street food. Instead, eat more fiber rich food. Also, find ways to manage stress by following techniques like meditation because stress can also lead to a decrease in digestive health.
In case you regularly suffer from heartburn, skip alcohol and smoking and raise the head of your bed using extra cushions. Do pack some over the counter antacids just in case you might need it.
So, that’s all for this article. We hope you are more confident about traveling long term after reading this article. We at seatsitters take the health of our readers and customers seriously. Part of our mission involves educating people on how to ensure good health when traveling or eating outside through our blog. Don’t forget to read a similar article we published in January where we covered 10 ways to prevent germs on a plane.
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