Photo by Eva Darron on Unsplash

Holidays are a time for relaxing, for leaving the rules behind. Good food, no matter the calories, a few drinks no matter the hangover, sleeping as much as you fancy no matter the state of the hotel bed. But if you’re travelling a lot, maybe for the sake of business or an extended holiday, your body will start to feel it. Read on for our tips on how to stay healthy while travelling.

The heat

Remember to stay hydrated if you’re going somewhere with a warmer climate. Heatstroke is a very likely thing to have to deal with, so come prepared. That 2ltr water bottle? Get it filled at every opportunity. And we’re not just talking to the backpackers of the world here. Following a tour guide around a bustling city can be enough to dehydrate you. Wear loose-fitting clothing to let your skin breathe. And speaking of skin, get the factor 50 on to be sure you don’t come back with a suspicious-looking mole – or worse.

The vaccines

No, we’re not talking about Covid, although that is a consideration. You’ll need to get either your booster or proof of your Covid status to get into a lot of countries. But there are other things to think about other than Covid if you are travelling abroad. Getting into Africa, for example, requires a whole host of shots and vaccinations. Contact your GP to get them done before you go. If you’re visiting east Asia, you might want to dig out your masks due to the pollution.

Just like looking up crime in a country you intend to visit, you should look up anything else political or health-wise that might be a cause for concern.

Walk everywhere

This one is easy. Who wants to learn how to drive on the wrong side of the road for the sake of getting down to the coast from the hotel? If you get the right hotel, everything should be within walking distance, giving you enough time to get your steps in and stay at least a little active when you’re there. If you need an extra boost, there is always the pool and the hotel gym.

Careful what you eat

Different cultures can open up your world to new culinary experiences, and that is an amazing experience, but your stomach is accustomed to what it is accustomed to. When browsing the menu, limit yourself to what you think you can handle. Caramel crickets might be quite the delicacy in certain parts of Asia, but your chicken nugget-loving stomach might reject them.

You might also want to balance out what you’re eating calorie-wise. A rich, heavy, heavenly meal might be what you’re thinking about on the plane, but if you’re doing it every day, you’re going to feel it. Your energy will go down for one thing, which, if you’re backpacking or “want to see everything”, you’re going to notice. It’s also just not a sustainable lifestyle if you’re going away for more than a week.

Get your travel insurance

Should the worst happen, and despite all your preparations, your 2 litres of water a day, your hour of yoga a day, etc. you’ll want to do one simple thing to be ready for it: get your travel insurance. Travel insurance will make sure that you don’t add insult to injury, or a pricey bill to injury. Because things happen. You get stung by a jellyfish, you go rock climbing and get your own biopic with James Franco, a tsunami hits the hotel and you get your own biopic starring Ewan McGregor, etc. and you’ll get hit with a medical bill to deal with that. Getting travel insurance for holidays will make sure that you’re not getting any more stressed than you need to be.

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