Maintaining your health won’t take the fun out of traveling. In fact, when you feel your best, it’s easy to enjoy your time away from home. Make your health and overall well-being top priority the next time you travel.
Do you enjoy traveling? Are you ready to take your next trip, but a bit concerned about your health and well-being?
It doesn’t matter when you’re traveling—pandemic or not— it’s critical to take steps to maintain your health. Neglecting to do so can ruin your trip, while also putting your future at risk.
With this in mind, let’s examine five ways to maintain your health while traveling:
1. Take your vitamins
While many people are good about taking vitamins while they’re at home, they slip the second they hit the road.
Rather than risk it, take all the vitamins you need with you. Furthermore, create reminders in your smartphone to ensure that you take them at the appropriate time.
From a multi-vitamin to hair vitamins, there’s no shortage of products you can take with you to maintain your health.
2. Make sure you’re vaccinated
This is important no matter where you’re traveling, but that’s even more so the case when you’re leaving the country.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides guidance on the vaccines you should receive before traveling abroad.
And of course, it’s always a good idea to consult with your doctor about any vaccines you may need. They can suggest health screenings and consult your medical history to determine which additional vaccines are appropriate.
3. Get enough sleep
It’s a challenge to get sound sleep while traveling, but you must find a way to make it happen. If you continually come up short—sleeping a few hours a night instead of the seven to eight that you require—it’ll wear you out.
As you wear out from a lack of sleep, your immune system will become compromised. As a result, you’re more likely to get sleep.
Review your travel schedule before you leave town. Make note of when and where you can sleep. And of course, if there’s anything you need to ensure yourself of quality sleep, make sure you take it with you.
4. Stay hydrated
It’s easy to believe that you’re getting enough water while you travel since you have so much going on around you. But if you really stop to think about it, you may soon realize that you’re not getting what you need.
Make a conscientious effort to drink a minimum of eight glasses of water per day. Sometimes it’ll be difficult to keep up, but tracking your progress will ensure that you’re on the right path.
Tip: the best way to stay hydrated is to drink water and/or sports drinks. Soda, sugary beverages, and energy drinks don’t count. In fact, all of these—among other beverages—can cause more harm than good when traveling.
5. Avoid alcohol
There are many reasons to avoid alcohol when traveling. Here are just a few as they pertain to your health:
- Alcohol impairs your judgment, which increases the risk of an accident and injuries
- Alcohol can speed up the rate at which you become dehydrated
- Alcohol can result in a severe hangover, complete with nausea and vomiting
There’s nothing wrong with having a drink every now and again while traveling, but don’t make it a habit. The more alcohol you consume, the greater chance there is that it’ll have a negative impact on your health.
Don’t take your health for granted
It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling for business or pleasure, you know you’ll have a lot on your plate. And for that reason, you’re more likely to make mistakes that affect your health.
When you make a concerted effort to maintain your health while traveling, you’ll realize how much better you feel.
However, even with a plan in place, something could go wrong. Should that happen, here’s what you need to do:
- Assess your situation to determine if you require immediate medical attention
- Seek medical assistance at a local urgent care facility or hospital
- Follow the advice of your medical team
- Receive follow-up care as suggested by your medical team (such as when you return home)
Maintaining your health won’t take the fun out of traveling. In fact, when you feel your best, it’s easy to enjoy your time away from home.
Make your health and overall well-being top priority the next time you travel.
