Nothing disrupts a fun vacation more than getting sick. If you fall ill while traveling, you won’t be able to experience all the exciting activities your destination offers, wasting all that time and money you’ve spent planning your trip.
Maintaining excellent health will enable you to make the most out of your adventure. To help you out, we’ve created a quick guide that will serve as reminders so you stay healthy on your trip.
Get Enough Sleep
Lack of sleep can affect your immune response, making your body less effective at fighting illnesses while traveling. Aside from that, it can also affect your cognitive abilities, such as solving problems, learning, and making informed decisions, which are all essential when adapting to new environments.
Additionally, traveling across different time zones affects your circadian rhythm, leading to jet lag. When that happens, you will quickly feel physically drained and mentally foggy when you go out to explore.
Sufficient sleep ensures that your body has the energy needed for the physical demands of your adventure. Plus, it alleviates the symptoms associated with jet lag. Prioritize getting a few hours of shut-eye to recharge your body for the activities you will encounter in your destination.
Eat Breakfast
Navigating a foreign place requires a lot of physical and mental energy. Going straight to your activities without breakfast could significantly lower your energy, leaving you quickly tired and incapable of fulfilling your itinerary.
Moreover, skipping breakfast can lead to increased hunger later in the day. When that happens, you might overeat or make unhealthy food choices to satisfy your appetite, which is highly likely after being exhausted from walking around all day.
A nutritious breakfast will help you prevent such issues by giving your body the energy needed for hours. There are many breakfast options you can choose to fuel your adventure. But the best are oatmeal, whole grain toast, fruits, and yogurt.
Of course, avoid overeating at breakfast. This will make you feel bloated and generally uncomfortable, which may interfere with your ability to enjoy your activities.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydration is a serious issue that could significantly endanger your body while traveling. It decreases your energy and weakens your immune system, making you vulnerable to infections and illnesses.
It’s likely to become dehydrated when traveling because it involves various activities under the sun. Your body will lose significant fluid trying to regulate your temperature through sweating. When you get too dehydrated, you increase your chances of getting heatstroke.
Dehydration can also lead to disorientation or decreased situational awareness. That means you’re not just endangering your health but your safety, too.
Carrying a refillable bottle while traveling is best so you have all-day access to water in your destination. The ideal size of your bottle must be between 16 to 24 ounces. This will provide the right amount to keep you hydrated throughout the day without the weight being a nuisance.
However, if you don’t mind carrying more, you can go up to 32 ounces if you require more water or want to share your bottle with a companion.
Aside from drinking water, you must avoid prolonged sun exposure. Seek shade whenever possible to prevent dehydration. Wearing lightweight or breathable clothing can also help, especially if you’re going to a tropical destination. Plus, use hats or umbrellas for added protection.
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Limit Your Sweets and Alcohol Intake
Consuming the local sweets and alcohol during your trip is an experience you shouldn’t miss. However, taking too much of them might affect your health.
Both sweets and alcohol contribute significantly to dehydration. They increase urine output, leading to fluid loss. Aside from that, excessive consumption will lead to digestive discomfort, including bloating, gas, and indigestion, which can negatively impact your adventure.
The key is to consume in moderation. Overindulging might be tempting, especially if it’s something new you’re trying, but remember that the effects of sweets and alcohol are universal to everyone, regardless of destination.
Wash Your Hands
One of the many things we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that handwashing is the simplest and most effective way to fend off germs and bacteria. This is much more crucial when traveling since you’ll spend most of your time outdoors and exposed to numerous elements.
You must wash your hands numerous times throughout your trip. The most critical time to do so is before eating or handling food. Aside from that, you must do so after using the restroom, touching surfaces, and handling money.
The latter is common while traveling since it’s likely that you will handle a lot of foreign cash on hand. One travel hack to keep yourself safe from that is by accessing your bank account online for some of your transactions. That way, you’ll worry less about contracting diseases when paying.
It would also help to carry wet wipes or hand sanitizers to clean up when soap and water are unavailable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends carrying hand sanitizers with a minimum concentration of 60 percent alcohol or ethanol.
Bring The Necessary Medication
Carrying a few over-the-counter medicines while traveling is an excellent idea in numerous scenarios while being outdoors. Some examples are pain relievers, antihistamines, decongestants, and motion sickness meds.
Moreover, bringing your personal medications wherever you go is vital. This is in case your condition worsens while exploring your destination. It’s also ideal to keep them in their original containers, complete with the doctor’s prescription. These will be important in case you run out of supplies.
Exercise If You Can
Traveling involves many physical activities that may catch your body off guard. Without proper preparation, you will experience increased fatigue, muscle soreness, and overall exhaustion during your adventure.
Incorporating quick and simple exercise routines before you head out can help prepare your body for different levels of physical activities. It will help you improve cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles, and maintain flexibility. That way, your body is prepared for any movement on your journey.
Some easy routines you can incorporate are lunges, squats, and jumping jacks. Of course, never overdo it to avoid straining your muscles when going out. That will only increase your chances of being injured.
Have a Fun and Healthy Trip
Practices like staying hydrated, getting enough rest, and washing your hands regularly are necessary wherever you go. Traveling shouldn’t take a toll on your physical and mental health. Incorporating these essential steps on your vacation will help you make the most out of your destination by keeping you healthy and active throughout your visit.
