Going on vacation provides a great chance to de-stress and relax; that means it’s all the more important for you to stay healthy and whether you’re a seasoned flyer or not, there’s nothing worse than getting ill whilst trying to relax and have a good time.
Here are some of our top tips to stay in tip-top shape this holiday season:
Stay hydrated
If you’re visiting somewhere particularly hot, the amount of water in your body can decrease rapidly, every time you sweat, you’re losing precious H2O. It sounds silly but keeping hydrated when on vacation is an absolute must for any traveler, especially those not used to a drastic change in temperature like the elderly or children.
The Food and Nutrition Board recommends approximately 2.7 liters of water per day for women and 3.7 liters daily for men. Drinking water helps to flush out toxins in the body, relieves fatigue, increases energy and helps banish headaches.
To further support your immune health, add an Airborne Effervescent Tablet to your water before you travel or when you start to feel a little under the weather.
Drink bottled water
There’s nothing worse than visiting an exotic destination and spending all your time in the restroom with painful stomach aches. Drinking water from contaminated sources can be a primary cause of stomach cramps, diarrhea, and other abdominal ailments that can put a dampener on your vacation. To help combat this, only consume bottled water to avoid catching any nasty bugs.
Exercise
It’s pretty easy to stay active whilst on vacation. Hiking and cycling tours are just a couple of the activities you can do during your trip, but it’s easy to forget that you need to keep your blood pumping on your flight too. Here are a few simple workouts you can do from the comfort of your plane seat to help eliminate aching joints and the risks of Deep Vein Thrombosis:
1. Lift the balls of your feet so that only your heels are on the floor. Hold for five seconds. Repeat 10 times.
2.Stretch whilst waiting for the bathroom. Stand with your feet together and bend at the waist to touch your feet.
3.In your seat, place your feet hip-width apart and lift your heels so that only the balls of your feet are on the floor. Hold this position for five seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Wearing compression socks will also help reduce the risks of DVT on longer flights. Once at your destination, take an evening stroll around the local area or even a dip in the pool if you’re lucky enough to have one.
Reduce your sugar intake and eat well
We’re not going to tell you to avoid fatty or processed food on your visit but there are a few things you can do to avoid feeling sluggish and generally down in the dumps.
Try to limit your intake of sugary and fast foods in the airport and on the flight. You may think these tempting sweets can help keep you awake but after that immediate rush, you’ll hit a wall meaning you’ll need another sugary snack.
Once at your destination, take advantage of the local food. If you’re by the ocean, then fish should be in plentiful supply and countryside vacations mean you can enjoy the seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables giving a good boost of vitamin C.
Protect yourself
It might feel great to sit in the sun for hours on end, but the benefits of wearing sunblock can’t be overstated. You would only need 10 minutes of unprotected rays to get your full daily recommendation of vitamin D, overexposure for a long period of time can lead to damaging consequences for your health and your skin.
Of course, we don’t expect you to sit inside for the rest of the day, so make sure you apply a good quality sunblock to all areas of your body, ideally as soon as you leave your accommodation – a waterproof one would be even better in case you decide to take a dip in the sea or pool.