Why Full-Time Travel Is So Unhealthy (And How To Fix That)

23 Dec Why Full-Time Travel Is So Unhealthy (And How To Fix That)

Coming home for the lead up to our wedding (just 7 weeks to go, eeeek!) has meant a lot to us. Not only could we catch up with family and enjoy South Africa’s sunny Summer during the Festive Season (hellooooo boozy beach days!) we were staying somewhere long enough that we could create a routine again – something that’s nearly impossible to have when you’re a full-time travel couple.

One of the hardest parts of our job (and choice) to travel non-stop, is the lack of routine and lack of focus on our health. Between the early morning photo shoots, late night hotel check-ins, long-haul flights, fast-food on the go, and of course living out of a bag every single day, means doing “normal” things like getting 8 hours of sleep, eating healthily regularly, and going to the gym is difficult to achieve. Not sure if it’s also old age creeping in *ahem, turning 35 next year* we’re starting to feel more and more frail every time we lift our heavy backpack, or bend to pack for yet another trip.

So being based at one address has definitely had its benefits, and below is a list of small, achievable changes we’ve made in the lead up to our wedding, but also something we’re going to continue prioritizing in 2020 – even with full-time travel on the horizon – and maybe you can too.

Waking With The Sun

Of course not something easy to do when you have places to go, flights to catch, or people to meet, but waking up with the sun every morning (and not to the sound of an annoyingly-loud alarm clock) has been the best thing for us. Sure, when it’s summer in South Africa that means wake-up calls of 5:15am with the local guinea fowl, but whether we’re photographing popular tourist spots in big cities whilst working, or enjoying time off at home, waking up early will always feel like a gift, and it will still go down as our favourite time of day. If you need more motivation, check out some of our favorite sunrises from around the world here.

Morning Yoga

One of the first things we started doing since being back home, is fitting a 10-15 minute stretch / yoga routine into our morning ritual. Whether we woke up at 5:15am (see above) or 8am (on mornings when we were feeling extra lazy), we would brush our teeth and then immediately spend 10-15 minutes allowing our bodies to tell us which muscles needed a little boost or wake-up. Stevo’s been suffering from chronic back pain since he was 14, so these exercises aren’t just a nice-to-do but a necessity, and for me, the recent back pain I’ve endured from the five years of full-time travel, has been a reminder to treat this crazy travel life like a sport, and to treat our bodies like sportsmen or sportswomen would treat their bodies. We’ve created our own little stretch routines now, but if you’re looking for some inspo, check out Yoga With Adriene to get you started.

Going To The Gym

This is linked to the previous point, but where stretching and yoga every morning is a gift you’re giving your body, going to a local gym to get fit and in shape is a gift your body can give you (or at least that’s how it feels each time we return from gym). After feeling like a couple of frail chickens the last few years (from not spending any time gyming or practicing exercise regimes really, since our work and travel has been so hectic), being back home has reminded us how good the gym makes us feel. Not only are we getting a little bit toned for our wedding *bonus*, we’re starting to remember what it’s like to have muscles again, lol. And of course the gym is just one way to do it – if you live near a beach, surfing is great, and for the city dwellers, running is an obvious choice. It doesb’t really matter – the point is that you’re moving and focusing on fitness.

Daily Sunset Walk

This is something we’re pretty good at doing even when we’re living that full-time travel life, but taking 30-60 minutes everyday to enjoy nature and the outdoors – whether it’s in snow-filled towns in Banff National Park, or sunny lagoon-edged beaches in Knysna – is the best part of our day. On some days we enjoy just listening to the sounds of nature around us, and on other days the 60 minute walk is filled with crazy idea brainstorms (and we forget that we’re even walking), but either way, getting out and taking “me time” or “us time” has been (and will be) one of the things we look forward to most.

Unplugging

Along with the daily sunset walk (see above) we’ve tried to find pockets in the day where we hide our phones and try forget that they even exist. It’s obviously really difficult to do (especially when you run a business that needs the internet to survive), but that month we went unplugged in Sweden back in 2015 taught us so many things about the importance of staying present and enjoying people’s company, that when we came home, we were really excited to be offline when we could be.

Greens, Legumes, and Fresh Produce

Aaaaah to be able to buy fresh, local produce that’s in season and full of flavour (we forgot how amazing the fresh fruits and veggies are here) it’s definitely good to be home in South Africa. Being based somewhere for longer than 2 weeks also means we can cook healthy vegan meals again (don’t forget to pledge for Veganuary – do it here before 1 January) and enjoy experimenting with new recipes. As much as eating out is a fun part of travel, when you’re doing it almost every single day because you’re constantly on the move, cooking for yourself becomes a real treat (and our bodies and skin are definitely thanking us for it).

Investing In Protein Powder

Similar to the above point, being based somewhere long enough means we can invest in larger food packaging that we won’t have to throw away or leave behind because we’re staying long enough to enjoy it. We both invested in a protein powder (Stevo went for a mass-building one and I chose a plant-powered lean supplement) and it’s been so great to ensure we’re getting all the daily nutrients we need.

Calcium And Other Supplements

We’ve also invested in some vitamins and minerals (Calcium and Magnesium blend, Vitamin B Complex, and Vitamin C) and have been taking them daily to ensure we’re consuming all the right nutrients that we need. Happy to report that over the last month we’ve seen a huge rise in our energy, better sleeping patterns, and of course we haven’t been sick, so here’s to plenty more healthy eating and healthy living in 2020 and beyond 🙌

Daily Beauty Regime

This is a lot harder to do when you’re constantly flying, or need to be up early for a photo shoot, so being able to follow a daily beauty routine has been amazing. As a lead up to our wedding (and since we’re back under the harsh African sun), it’s also been a great time to prioritize skin care. My mornings involve washing my face with water only and applying 30 SPF straight afterwards. I’m also a big fan of using a self-tan on the face and just discovered this one (it’s the best self-tan I’ve found AND it’s vegan #notsponsored) so I use that every 3 days. In the evening I’m washing my face in the shower (or exfoliating it – twice a week), and then use an oil-based make-up remover, and use a rich moisturising night cream. I’ve also been very good at moisturising my entire body before bed (need that glowing bridal skin, obvs), and during time in the sun I’m using the BEST ever (plant-based) tanning oil – Korres 10 SPF Walnut and Coconut suntan oil (mine is almost finished, and I see their website is out of stock atm, so I’m dying to get back to Greece to get some more, haha).

I hope this post has inspired you to get a little healthier too – whether you’re living in the same home you’ve lived in your whole life or you’re constantly on the move like us. Let’s all aim to put our health first in 2020!

C

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