10 Tips To Keep You Healthy Whilst Traveling

1. Take Breaks From The Break

Even when taking time off to travel, you should balance the amount of exploring with regular breaks, you know, to avoid burnout. Full-time and long-term travel can take its toll on the body, and trying to fit in all the sight-seeing and optional activities can definitely catch up with you (and not in a good way).

2. Stay Hydrated

This could be the most simple and important way to stay on top of your health when on the road. Long flights and commutes often dehydrate you (which is the main cause of headaches and exhaustion), so supplementing your electrolyte intake is essential. We carry Rehidrat sachets with us and decanter them into our bottles of mineral water after long journeys. Having a rehidrant will also be worth its weight in gold when you need to replenish electrolytes after losing liquids if you were sick or just went on a long hike. Take a reusable bottle with you at all times, and fill it up when the drinking water is safe. Be very careful though – don’t be too trusting of the water found in all countries – sometimes buying bottled water is the safest route to go #TrueStory.

3. Get Your Vitamin A,B,Cs 

Building up your immune system and ultimately preventing colds and fighting unknown viruses is easily done when you take the “prevention is better than cure” approach. Most of the time, when your body relaxes when it is on holiday, it gets out of survival mode and this is when you’re prone to picking up bugs and colds. We always carry vitamins with us and take them daily (namely vitamin C, B and iron). There are an array of travel-friendly multivitamins so make sure you keep some space in your first aid kit…cue tip number 4.

4. Be Wary Of Fast Foods

Fast food ultimately drains your energy instead of giving it to you. Trust us, we know it’s really hard when you’re on the road, and you don’t have the facilities to create or cook your own meal, so you’ll opt for something quick and easy. When possible, try to locate a fresh grocer and build a dish that you know will give you the energy and vitamins you need. Have a look at these travel-friendly snacks suggested by our friends at The Kitchen Thief. Also – when in doubt – choose fruit. It’s fairly affordable all over the world, and packed with natural sugars to give you an instant kick, (and we obviously don’t need to mention that it is better than 90% of the pre-packaged meals out there).

5. Don’t High Five The Germs

Everything you touch, from door handles to money to your mobile phone, carry harmful germs that somehow make their way into your mouth and will ultimately make you sick. Make sure you have a hand sanitiser with you at all times. The bottles are usually less than 50ml, so they are plane-friendly, and won’t take up too much space in your carry-on.

6. Visit A Travel Clinic

If you are heading into rural, maybe more isolated destinations, it’s highly advisable to go see a travel clinic before you leave – or better yet, have a mobile travel clinic like these guys visit you in your home or office before you leave. They will advise if you need any precautionary vaccinations or medicine, such as malaria tablets or yellow fever injections (which we needed for our recent East Africa tour).

7. Keep A Mini First Aid Kit

It’s safe to say that you’ll need a plaster, or antiseptic cream, or motion sickness pills at least once on a long trip, so make sure you carry a mini first aid kit with you at all times. We have plasters, tape, baby scissors, tweezers, antiseptic liquid, valoid and immodium (just to mention a few items), that we carry in a sealed little kit box that goes in our carry-on (besides the baby scissors and tweezers of course – those stay in our big toiletry bag in our checked-in luggage).

8. Make Travel Insurance Part Of Your Budget

Incase of emergencies, like that time you decided to waterski in Mauritius and sadly did more water gliding that skiing, or that time you went paragliding in Switzerland, but spent more time on crutches than in the air, you’ll be super grateful that you had travel insurance to cover you ( although always make sure you read through the Ts and Cs as some insurance policies do not cover extreme sports ). Getting caught in a foreign hospital, at any time, will be scary, but it’ll be a lot less scary when you know you have a policy covering you for anything from broken bones to stitches to lost luggage even. Each country will have various insurance companies and policies available, so make sure you weigh up your options and make space in your budget for this essential pointer.

9. Find Time For Exercise For Your Body And Mind

Jogging, swimming, yoga, meditation; whatever your preference, keeping your fitness levels and wellbeing looked after during your journey is sometimes more important than when you are at home. Traveling to foreign places makes you susceptible to picking up all sorts of germs and viruses, so staying fit and healthy is crucial. We love doing short meditation sessions on the go, as they remind us to stay present and not think about the end of the journey or where we came from. We use Headspace nearly everyday to guide us through 15-20 minutes of meditation daily. The App is great for beginners, and can literally be done anywhere, whenever you feel the need.

10. Flip Flops For The Win

Hopping between hostels, hotel rooms and camp sites can sometimes be a little gruesome, so keeping a pair of flip-flops/sandals/jandals/slops (whatever you call them in your part of the world) is very important for showering. Athlete’s Foot is a real thing and you’ll want to stay as hygienic as possible at all times.

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