1. HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE | Staying healthy when traveling isn’t always easy, right?! I travel a lot for work and while I’m grateful for the opportunity to see the world as I do, if I’m not careful it does take a toll on my health. Missed workouts. Dehydrated skin. Lack of sleep. Eating fast food on the go…you get the picture! When traveling it can be so easy to slip into unhealthy habits and there’s no doubt that I slip off the bandwagon sometimes. However, I’ve made a conscious effort this year to try and be better at sticking to my healthy routines to help me stay healthy when traveling. My number one tip, especially when you are flying, is to hydrate hydrate, hydrate! I see a noticeable (and positive!) difference in my levels of alertness, skin puffiness and dryness and ability to adjust to the time zone when I stay hydrated before, during and after my flight. I like to ensure I drink at least two litres during a long haul, and another litre in the two hours post-landing. I’m sharing four more tips for staying healthy when traveling after the jump!
2. REGULAR MEALS | You likely eat regular meals when you are at home, right? This shouldn’t change when you are traveling or on the road. Eating per the time zone you are currently in is one of the fastest ways to help your body get on schedule. Even if you don’t feel like it, just a small meal or snack can help your body adjust to the locale. Wherever possible, I like to stay in rental apartments so that I can stock the fridge with a few of my favorite foods from home. This is easier when traveling domestically, of course, but it still doesn’t take long to do a quick grocery store run when in another country, too. Not only does this provide some consistency for the body with a routine diet but it also makes you feel less homesick, too! If you follow my Instagram feed you’ll now just how much I love Chobani yogurt, so it’s no surprise that I include these in my grocery haul to eat when I’m traveling. Chobani use real ingredients, natural sweeteners and non-GMO ingredients meaning their Flip yogurts are the perfect healthy accompaniment to any meal of the day.
3. TRAVEL WITH A COMFORT KIT | I always fly with my ‘comfort kit’. It consists of: an eye mask, pillow, moisturizer for hands and face, noise-cancelling headphones, a disposable toothbrush, socks, a book, hand sanitizer and my travel documents. Knowing I have everything I need in one handy pouch makes me feel less stressed in the air. The eye mask and pillow help me to sleep even if it’s in the day so that I can start getting onto the time zone to which I’m flying. I like to moisturize my hands throughout the flight, and lotion my face before we take off. Most people’s feet swell up in the air so take your shoes off and wear a pair of disposable socks to help get more comfortable. Remember to move about regularly to reduce the risk of DVT, too. I also pack a toothbrush as it’s amazing what brushing your teeth can do just before landing to make you arrive feeling refreshed! Finally, a good book is always a great escape and helps to calm the mind.
4. PAMPER ON THE ROAD | There’s no excuse for not looking after your skin while traveling. If you’ve been flying, or you are in a very hot or very cold destination, then it’s especially important to protect your skin from the elements. On my first night on the road like to apply a ten-minute face mask (I use this one) to help draw out any toxins picking up while traveling. It seems indulgent but it’s actually a great way to unwind after a long day in the air. We can all find ten minutes before jumping in the shower or going to bed to look after our skin, right?! Plus, if you look good, you feel good.
5. EXERCISE | Exercise is a huge part of staying healthy when traveling. Studies have shown that exercising on your first day in a new time zone significantly helps your body adjust to the new locale and time. I’ve blogged my travel workout here before and it’s a great reference if you are looking for exercises you can do anywhere (no equipment required!). Whether I’m working out at home in NYC or on the road (like here, post hike in Los Angeles) I love to replenish my body with a Chobani yogurt drink. How do you stay healthy when traveling? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks, too!
// Photography by Will Taylor | Posted in partnership with Chobani
16 Comments
Brb making a kit for my next flight 🏃🏻✈️ Loved this post!!!
@Rico – Yasssss! Honestly it makes flying so much easier when you have everything in one place. 🙂
Completely agree about exercising when you travel. Going to read your travel workout post….
@Alexandra – Right? I swear by it. Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy the workout post, I need to do another of those soon!
so many great blog posts lately! I never considered eating on time zone before, going to try that! Hope you are having fun in Porto? I’m following in your stories 😉
@Chris – It definitely helps the body get on track with its new locale! Loving it here in Porto, thank you for following along! 🙂
Thanks for this Will, it’s awesome! I definitely find it can be hard to keep on top of my healthy eating game while travelling – but I’d never thought of making a comfort kit! I’m definitely going to invest my time in making one of these now! Ha ha!
I hope you’re having a great Friday!
Michael
https://www.mileinmyglasses.com
@Michael – So glad you enjoyed the post and love that you are going to make a comfort kit! Yay! Have a great weekend!
Love the travel kit idea – do you mind sharing where your travel pillow is from? Thanks!
@Sarah – It’s called “my pillow” and I bought it from Amazon!
Will! I love your blog, and having just taken a flight from California to Hong Kong two days ago your advice really resonates. Hydrating makes a world of difference, and eating healthy helps incalculably. Yogurt is the perfect snack, though I must say, there’s nothing wrong with GMO food. If we’re to get healthy food to those who need it most (lower income, inner city, developing nations) we absolutely need GMO foods to make it happen. And better for the environment too! They’re 100% safe: genetically no different than the produce farmers have been breeding for hundreds of years. Ok, I’ll step off my soapbox. <3 Hope you’re having an amazing time in Portugal, and safe travels. Hello from Hong Kong. 👋🏻
@Eric – Thanks so much for stopping by the blog! Appreciate your readership and your enlightening words re: GMO. Good to know! Have a great time in Hong Kong! High fives from Portugal. 🙂
Chobani can’t be found in Canada. I looked it up and it says it can’t be found on Canadian grocery shelves no more. Which means we had it before. One tip I’ve learned is to adapt to your destination time as fast as possible. Which means if it’s night for you and day at your new destination you wait it out as much as possible to go to bed at a normal time for where you are. It might mean going to bed at 8pm but at least it will be night.
@Louise – Yes, I try to do the same thing! And fingers crossed you gets have Chobani again soon!
Ok so, I am DEFINITELY not good with the exercising part (except I walk everywhere and end up doing 30,000 steps a day when I travel, does that count?). You KNOW that I don’t have any issues with the eating part. My problem is mostly stopping eating haha.
-Didier
http://www.didieryhc.com
@Didier – Great that you walk so much when you travel. I do the same! I love to see a city by foot. Have a great new week!