Staying Healthy While Traveling
In everything you do, health should come first. This is true even when it comes to traveling. Yes, traveling has a lot of benefits, which include…
● Relieving stress from work and at home
● Helping you keep fit when you walk around
● You gather experience and know how to survive in different regions and different cultures as you travel, and this builds your personality and character
● You get the opportunity to develop socially and mentally
Obviously, staying healthy is important since illness can seriously affect travel. But becoming ill can disrupt your trip, and being sick away from your usual caregivers can make the experience even more challenging. Traveling can expose you to different illnesses that you don’t have a natural resistance to, so you need to be careful as you plan to hit the road. That's why today we'll be looking at how to stay healthy while traveling.
Have enough rest
Rest in between travels and get adequate sleep. A lack of sleep leads to health problems such as fatigue, lack of alertness, nervousness, relationship stress, greater likelihood for accidents, depression, high blood pressure, heart attacks, etc. Also, note that since alcohol and caffeine affect sleep, you should moderate your consumption so that you get enough sleep to rest your mind and body.
2. Eat healthy
There's a saying that goes, "you are what you eat." If you eat junk food while traveling, you will reap ill health. Eating healthy means eating clean food and eating a healthy balanced diet where you get all the essential nutrients that your body needs. Include different kinds of fruits and vegetables in your meal plans. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Due to peer pressure, you might be tempted to binge eat and binge drink. So communicate with your traveling companions, setting boundaries on what you will eat and not eat. As an alternative, you can also pack your own food that you know will be healthy for you.
3. Doctor visits
Before going on your journey, be sure to check with your doctor for advice/instructions on what you should do. What you should avoid. What you should go with. When you go from one place to another, there may be some vaccinations that you should take. Also, you may be suffering from certain conditions that require you to have your drugs with you, so go to your doctor to ensure you have enough of it, or ask that he/she writes you a prescription if you have to buy it where you go. You might be having certain allergies or diseases such as asthma, so remember to carry your allergy identification card or medical alert bracelets to make it easy for you to receive help in case of an emergency.
4. Hygiene
Cleanliness is next to health. The importance of hygiene was especially driven home during the Covid 19 pandemic. Hygiene was (and is) one of our weapons to fight against diseases. As you go around, you come in contact with numerous disease-causing microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses). So, to keep yourself healthy, wash. Wear clean clothes. Stay in a clean environment.
5. Be prepared for emergencies
Danger lurks in every place. Therefore, it's crucial to pack your own first aid kit just to prepare yourself
for any emergencies. This will help you or your companions in case you/they need urgent health care.
The first-aid kit should contain…
● Bandages of varying sizes
● An antibiotic ointment such as mupirocin.
● A fever and pain reducer
● A motion sickness remedy
● Thermometer
● Anti-itch cream
● Medicine for allergic reactions
● Stomach ache medicine
● Cold and flu relief medication
● Rehydration tablets in case of diarrhea
Another way to be prepared for emergencies is by seeking medical attention immediately. It means
having an emergency number to call. Or having a means of transportation to get to hospital as fast as
possible. Delayed medical care is not an ideal course of action in case of an emergency.
6. Catch up on the news
Safety first. You should avoid places that aren't safe. There might be occurrences happening where you're going such as outbreaks, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes or any other human or natural disasters that will pose danger to your health and safety. That's why you should keep abreast with news and current events to be able to avoid unhealthy situations.
7. Exercise
As you travel, one of the best activities you can do for your health is exercising. You can walk around the villages or cities instead of driving. You can go mountain climbing. Jogging. Skiing. Swimming. Any one of these will help you keep fit, and as is scientifically proven, being physically active will certainly improve your health.
8. Make friends
Mental health is just as important as physical health. I know that some people prefer traveling alone, or just that the reason why they travel requires them to be alone. But we are social beings by nature. I need company. You need company. We need company. As much as it might be convenient for you to travel alone, in order to make up for that, you should be able to make friends fast. As you travel, you'll need people to interact with and share your experiences. If not, more often, you might find yourself feeling lonely, which, if you don't know how to deal with it, will negatively affect your mental and emotional health. There are several ways you can make friends while traveling. For example…
● Being approachable and likeable
● Being proactive to meet and initiate new relationships
● Being ready to help others along the way
● Joining online travel groups
● Going on group tours
These are just some of the tips you can use to meet and make new friends fast as you travel from one
place to another.
So there you have it… 8 things you can do before and while traveling that will ensure you stay healthy
and enjoy your travels around the world. Finally, I recommend that you also schedule a follow-up visit
to your doctor after you return from your travels to make sure all is well. If your doctor detects a health threat, share details of any activity that might have put you at risk.
Otherwise, have safe travels. Know that it's possible for you to combine pleasure with wellness when you're on the road.