How To Stay Healthy While Traveling
How to stay healthy while traveling is always a huge topic and can be a pain point. During travel you're exposed to so many people + germs. It's also harder to maintain healthy eating habits, a proper sleep schedule, and overall a regular routine. I used to just accept that I was going to get sick when traveling, and it made me hate traveling in general. Thank God I was able to figure out ways for how to stay healthy while traveling and avoid getting sick.
1: Hydrate
This is probably one of the biggest tips for how to stay healthy while traveling. Your body also gets dehydrated much faster during travel. A reusable water bottle (my favorite is something like a Hydro Flask) is a must. As an added bonus: not only will you stay hydrated, but it will help keep your skin looking more refreshed (which is always much needed after a long travel day).
2: Fight Off Germs
This one might seem obvious, but can sometimes be overlooked. Packing "germ-fighting" essentials is crucial. Things such as vitamins (specifically vitamin C, D, and B12), hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes are easy, convenient, and helpful.
3: Sleep
It seems pretty common to have difficulty sleeping in a bed that's not your own. Throw in the typical time change and it can seem impossible to get a good night's sleep while traveling. But...sleep/recharging is another critical tip for how to stay healthy while traveling and getting to enjoy your trip. To get good sleep, I follow the same sleep habits as I normally would when I'm not traveling - I take Magnesium, avoid caffeine 8 hours before bed (as hard as it might be), use an eye mask, and throw on a sound machine app on my phone to drown out any noise.
It's also best to adjust to the time zone that you're in-meaning...don't give into the jet lag and fall asleep! So for example, if you land somewhere during the middle of the day, but it's evening where you came from, tough it out until the evening. It will be easier for your body to get on a good sleep cycle for the rest of the trip.
4: Workout
Squeezing in a workout (even if it's quick) is also a great way of how stay healthy while traveling. If you're at a hotel that has a gym onsite, run or walk on the treadmill while answering emails/listening to a Podcast. Any sort of cardio can help release a lot of the stress encountered while traveling. For non-cardio days OR if your hotel doesn’t have a gym, you can bring small workout tools to fit in your luggage such as sliders + a portable mini exercise ball. I also love going for a walk outside to see more of the city.
5: Routines
There is nothing worse than coming home from traveling and just feeling so off from your everyday routine. For some reason, it was always daunting trying to maintain my routine while traveling. But there are so many things out there that have made it so much easier for me. I started thinking through my typical daily routine and found travel versions for what I use. For example, I pack travel packets of collagen to add to my coffee and I purchased travel containers for all my skincare routine essentials. Maintaining routines are important for staying healthy because it helps keep your mind/body feeling consistent.