It’s a tale as old as time. You plan a vacation and set huge expectations, thinking it’ll be the most wonderful time, and then you end up sick the minute you arrive at your destination, come home with a terrible cold, or gain some unwanted weight. This happens more often than you want to believe because traveling exposes you to several viruses and germs and often disrupts your exercise routine and diet.
Traveling abroad helps you escape your daily slog, but it often brings new challenges. During the holidays, it’s challenging to stick to the nutritious diet you’re following at home and care for your health as you usually do. And because your habits change, so does your health.
This article offers insights into overcoming these challenges by maintaining a healthy lifestyle while enjoying the pleasures of traveling.
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Schedule a Consultation Prior to your Trip
Healthcare experts recommend having a pretravel consult so a doctor can guide you through the travel vaccinations you might need to prevent contracting diseases. The doctor can also provide medication to prevent health issues like malaria and provide recommendations on how to avoid tick bites, mosquito bites, or other similar issues. Seeing a doctor before leaving home can help you avoid health issues when traveling.
Walk as Much as you Can
In healthcare specialists’ opinion, an effective way to boost your wellness during vacations is to walk whenever possible. If it only takes 30 minutes to reach a tourist attraction from your accommodation, walk instead of taking a taxi or public transportation. And where do you count that you get a real feel of the city when you walk because you discover more than tourist attractions?
As you already know, it’s recommended to walk at least 10,000 daily to stay healthy. We encourage you to transform walking into your go-to mode of transportation, not only when traveling but on a daily basis. However, before leaving the house, make sure you have comfortable walking shoes.
Sleep
Another way to maintain your health when traveling is to sleep. Everyone knows how challenging is to get a full night’s rest when on vacation because there is so much going on after sunset. You can attend local events, explore the nightlife, or spend the night with other fellow travelers. However, sleep is crucial to your wellbeing and health, and you shouldn’t neglect it. Research shows that when you repeatedly deprive your body of rest, you can experience a wealth of mental and physical health issues.
Therefore, it’s paramount to catch up with sleep whenever you can while traveling. If you cannot sleep at least 7 hours a night, be creative and take a nap during the day. You can also sleep when you travel by train or bus from one destination to another.
Address Health Issues
If you get sick while traveling, visit a doctor as soon as possible to prevent the issue from worsening. Suppose you’re visiting a remote location with no medical cabinets; you can take advantage of telemedicine solutions. Telemedicine has gained popularity over the last few years because it enables people to benefit from specialist medical solutions without having to travel long distances.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking water also makes it easier to stay healthy when traveling because it improves your immune system and helps it fight viruses and bacteria. When leaving the vacation accommodation, make sure to pack enough bottled water, so you don’t feel thirsty when visiting. You can also use rehydration tablets if you spend longer walking around the city.
It’s also advisable to avoid drinking alcohol or caffeine when you spend time in the sun because they cause dehydration. Common symptoms associated with dehydration are increased heart rate, tiredness, and diarrhea. Sometimes dehydration mimics the feeling of hunger which can make you overeat.
Work out
Your vacation plans might not include a lot of walking or heart-pumping activities, so you need to find other ways to stay active. A great way to boost your health when on holiday is to do a quick workout. The internet provides access to many apps and websites that offer free workout sessions, so it’s quite easy to stay active while on the go. Use your smartphone or tablet to download an app that provides access to free workout programs or search fitness pages on YouTube.
You can schedule some physical activity in the morning before you start your planned activities to boost your mood and feel less guilty about enjoying local cuisines. If mobile apps aren’t your thing, search for local gyms that offer free trials or one-day subscriptions. Another way to work out when traveling is to do yoga outdoors, swim in a pool or go for a run in the park or on the beach.
Bring health essentials
Everyone wants to be healthy when traveling, but unfortunately, some health issues are unavoidable. You can catch the flu, cold, diarrhea, or another virus. Suppose this happens, you need to take the necessary measures to regain your health. It’s a good idea to pack some necessary health essentials and a first-aid kit to deal with common health issues. Suppose you’re traveling to an exotic destination; it’s best to pack diarrhea-related medication. If, on the other hand, you travel to a cold destination, you should take cold-related treatment.
Your travel first-aid kit should include the following:
– A pain and fever killer
– Anti-itch cream
– Bandages
– Medicine for allergic reactions
– A motion sickness remedy
– Rehydration tablets
– Stomach ache medicine
– Flu and cold relief medication
It’s also crucial to take the necessary precautions to prevent catching viruses and bacteria. Use hand sanitiser and disinfecting wipes after touching surfaces that might be hotspots for germs. Wash your hands with soap as often as possible, especially when touching surfaces that might be filled with viruses, like poles and bars on public transportation. And strengthen your immune system by taking vitamins before and during the vacation.
We hope you found the above recommendations useful! Enjoy your next trip!
