While traveling can be extremely fun and fulfilling, it’s undeniable that constantly being on the go can take a severe toll on your physical and mental health. Travelling can be very draining without adequate planning and attention to your wellbeing. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of a travel-based lifestyle and let your health slip.
Fortunately, by paying attention to a few key aspects of your health and being properly prepared for the road, you can avoid many of the pitfalls that others encounter while traveling. Here are five tips to stay healthy while touring the world.
Remember to Eat Right
It’s far too easy to opt for cheap and convenient fast-food or premade grocery pick-up-and-go offerings when you’re out and about, especially if you have a busy itinerary planned for yourself. However, these prepackaged foods are often made with poor ingredients and packed with fats and sugars, adding up in calories without really providing the nutrients you need to stay fit.
While it may seem impossible to meal-plan or eat healthy like you normally would at home while abroad, there are all sorts of tricks for healthy eating on the go. For instance, traveling is also a fantastic opportunity to familiarize yourself with foreign local cuisine, which is guaranteed to be made with better ingredients and healthier than what you could pick up from a hot-and-ready grocery aisle or a fast-food chain.
Trying new foods is a critical part of getting to know the local culture and lifestyle, which is what traveling is all about, no? Just remember to pick a balanced diet when eating out; this is not an invitation to stuff your face with authentic buttery pastries just because you’re in Paris.
Take the Opportunity to Exercise
You sit around all day at home, so why do the same thing when you’re on vacation? Traveling is one of the best opportunities to get active regularly. Instead of renting a car or getting lost in unfamiliar (and often expensive) public transit, take advantage of those little map pamphlets you get at the hotel and walk around!
You’ll be amazed how much more you absorb of the local scenery by taking your time and walking, and you’ll be burning calories while you do it. An average 120-pound woman burns 65 calories per mile walked. Imagine how many calories you’ll burn by doing a walking tour of the city instead of riding a tour bus!
Plus, it’s a chance to meet some of the friendly locals. You can also keep up your workout routine while traveling, to help keep your body in tip-top shape for the road.
Don’t Put Off Getting Regular Check-Ups
Traveling can be very intensive, and it’s easy to forget to visit the doctor for normal check-ups every once in a while. A person who travels often should actually visit the doctor for check-ups more often, rather than less, because of the strain traveling puts on your body.
Traveling also increases your chances of getting injuries that may have long-term health consequences, even if they don’t seem so bad at the moment, as well as increasing your chances of exposure to foreign contagions.
Even without the added risks to traveling, it’s still a good idea to visit the doctor every once in a while. Many illnesses can develop over time without you realizing it; screenings for cervical cancer and other regular tests at check-ups help catch potential life-risking conditions before they get worse.
It’s essential to remember to visit the doctor regularly between trips. You’re not doing yourself any favors by gambling your life.
Take the Time to Rest Every Once in a While
Even though you might never want to stop because there’s so much out there to see, it’s important to take breaks between trips to rest and make sure the rest of your life is in order. Traveling is taxing on your mind and body, and taking time to relax in one place for a while does a lot to help you recover.
It’s also important to go back home every once and a while and give your friends and family a visit. They definitely miss you, and you’ll get the chance to tell all those anecdotes you’ve been saving up from your journeys.
Carefully Do Your Research
As always, the most important thing to remember while traveling is to do your research. Wandering around lost not only wastes precious time, but it can also even be dangerous in a foreign city. You’ll save yourself a lot of frustration and avoid needless dangers by doing your homework beforehand.
Figure out what documents you need when, prepare accommodations in advance, and make sure you know what your rights are abroad and how you can contact the local embassy for your country, in case you lose your passport or for other emergencies. You can even go one step further and research reviews for local restaurants, so you can take advantage of the best local flavor and avoid a day spent sick with food poisoning.
Living Your Best Live, Both Home and Away
Life on the go can be remarkably rewarding as long as you make your health a priority, too. By following these five tips, you can help ensure that you stay fit and healthy wherever you go. That way, you’ll be able to have many more incredible adventures in the future. After all, you only live once, so be sure not to squander your chance to see the world — and your future self will thank you for it!
