Stay Healthy While Traveling

For most of us, eating right, exercising, and getting enough rest can be a daily challenge. For travelers, these tasks may even be more difficult to accomplish: a complete meal can be hard to come by, stress and anxiety can ruin sleep, and the busy schedule can disrupt exercise schedule. Whether you travel by land, air, or sea you can use some of these strategies to stay healthy while traveling and avoid getting sick.

On the day before your scheduled departure, get plenty of rest, eat a full and healthy meal, and avoid alcohol. You should do what you can to get your body primed for traveling. Do not over stuff yourself for dinner if you have an early morning trip.

Prepare healthy snacks which include fruits and vegetables. Travelers are often faced with poor food choices so it’s a good idea to prepare your own to make sure you have healthy alternatives. If you have to eat airline food, request a low-sodium and low-calorie snack or meal.

When dining out, choose restaurants that have extensive menus. You are more likely to get healthier choices at these places. Most restaurants are notorious for using insane amounts of butter when cooking; ask whether they can use olive oil instead.

Medications should be packed in their original, pharmacy-labeled bottles to avoid problems with customs if you’re traveling by air. Medications should be with you at all times instead of your check-in baggage.

Take your vitamins and always stay hydrated. You are more likely to miss out on your daily vitamin and mineral requirements. Even mild dehydration can be draining and make you easily tired. Bring a water bottle wherever you go if possible. The Institute of Medicine recommends around three liters of total beverages for men each day and 2.2 liters for women.

Bring your exercise clothes and shoes with you. You don’t have to do a full gym workout to stay in shape when traveling. You can walk around your hotel, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or swim a few laps in the pool. Exercising will not only help you release daily stresses, but will also help you rest better at night. If you are jet lagged, you can make your workouts shorter and lighter.

Source: New York Health Insurance– NYHealthInsurer.com