5 Tips to Stay Healthy During Travel Over the Holidays

Traveling is fantastic. Seems like just about everyone agrees on that. But as wonderful as it can be to fly off to your chosen destination, traveling can also be stressful. We all know the devastating effects that stress can have on your physical and emotional health.

Don’t let stress negatively impact your health and ruin your vacation. Do everything you can to stay healthy and enjoy your trip to the fullest.

This time of the year the flu and illness is at higher levels and travel tends to make us even more susceptible. So how do we stay healthy during our travels this holiday season? Here are some tips that you want to know and follow.

5 Tips to Stay Healthy During Travel Over the Holidays

Hydrate

A lot of travelers avoid drinking water. They say –
• They just don’t like drinking water.
• They don’t want to drink much because they don’t know how soon the next bathroom will be available.

Hydration should start on your departure and continue throughout your trip. Flying and travel will cause dehydration at a faster rate. Most of us don’t realize how much water our body really needs!

If traveling overseas, stay with bottled water even in places where the tap water is potable. The reason is that the chemicals used to purify water are different from country to country. The water at your vacation spot might be drinkable, but your body may not be accustomed to the chemicals used for purification so you could end up with stomach problems.

Staying hydrated will even help with time changes.

Sleep

It’s very tempting to minimize your sleep while traveling. You want to maximize the time that you spend exploring or with family. Remember, your body repairs and heals during the 4th stage of sleep. You need to cycle through the stages of sleep several times a night. If not, you might be heading for illness.

Stay Active

If your vacation involves lying around at a resort, make it a point to build some activity into your days as well. Take a walk each day, and you’ll likely gain more benefits than just moving your body. You might even find some great places to take photos.

If walking around the area doesn’t appeal to you, look for a gym and get a half-hour workout on their machines. Or put a fitness routine on your tablet or smartphone. Just find a way to move and stay active.

Bring Medications and Vitamins

If you take vitamins or a certain medication on a regular basis, make sure to bring enough with you. In fact, bring an extra bottle in case your meds are lost or forgotten when you change hotels.

In addition, bring the original prescription from your doctor in case you need to refill it while you’re gone. You won’t be able to fill it overseas, but you can show it to a local doctor to refill.

Protect Your Skin and Wash Your Hands

The sun can turn your fun into pain if you don’t protect your skin with sun block, a hat, long sleeves, etc. While it may be snowing at home, remember weather changes and be prepared to protect your skin.

Your vacation destination may have germs that your body isn’t accustomed to or others in the house are sneezing and sick. To combat those germs, take every opportunity to wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer to keep healthy.

Staying healthy isn’t the only requirement for a great vacation, but if you fall ill, you can bet that your hoped-for great vacation will end up being a disappointment. Take charge and do everything you can to maintain good health while traveling this holiday season.