Sticking to Your Plan When Traveling
by Journey to Health Program Director, Becky Anderson
As the holiday season approaches, I know a lot of you will be traveling. Let’s have a good game plan going into a busy travel season so we can stick with our healthier lifestyle habits we have worked so hard to adopt.
- Stay active–the best way to see a new place is on foot. Find a safe area where you can also see a lot of the sites. Make a good walking route to see as many of those sites as possible.
- Stay hydrated–bring a water bottle with you. It may have to be empty when you go through security at an airport, but there are also places to fill it back up.
- Share meals–traveling means wanting to try new food. If you’re with a friend, share a meal that features the local fare.
- Pack a snack–inevitably you will find yourself needing some food and no healthy options around. Make sure to always have a protein bar or healthy snack packed in your bag.
- Get rest–if you’re like me, you like to go as much as possible and see as much as possible when at a new place. Make sure you fit some good rest into your crammed itinerary.
- Pack your vitamins–get a pill pack that divides by the day. Make sure you pack your multivitamins or whatever you take daily.
- Keep some sanitizing wipes handy–wipe down anything that you think harbors a lot of germs. Your plane/train/bus seat, tray tables, water fountain. At the very least, wipe your hands off when you feel you have touched something that was probably dirty.
- Use sunscreen–even if you’re not at a beach, make sure to use sunscreen to prevent excess exposure.
- Stay active, part 2–in addition to walking as much as you can, also download some exercise videos you can do in your hotel room. Make sure to incorporate some stretching and flexibility exercises.
- Listen to your body–nobody knows you better than you. Listen when your body tells you that you need something. Rest, water, food, or whatever it may be.
Lastly, ENJOY your travels! Make memories!
