We all know that travel helps us take a break from our monotonous lives. Travelling with friends and family can be a rejuvenating experience for our mind and body. Travel offers us the opportunity to experience the stunning vistas of some incredible places. It also enables us to interact with people from diverse cultures.
Many of us believe that charting unknown territories would lead to our personal growth. However, with all the euphoria around travel, we tend to forget about our mental and physical well-being. Moreover, it is natural to feel lost and overwhelmed when eons away from your comfy home.
We bring you some tips that would make for a happy and healthy trip for you.
1. Travel Light
You should consider travelling light, more so if you are travelling to international destinations. Lugging your heavy luggage everywhere you go can give you sore arms and muscle aches. There are also chances of losing or misplacing your things if you travel with more baggage. Pack clothes that are easy to pair or match, like a pair of jeans, a button-down shirt, a blazer, and a comfy t-shirt. Moreover, if camping is on your mind, you can pack an ultra compact camping chair. In addition to that, other travel accessories like document organizers, packing cubes, duffle bags, travel adaptors can help you travel light. So, folks, unburden your body and soul by packing light.
2. Research and Plan Ahead
Researching the place you wish to travel to is pertinent to safe and healthy travel. Lookup for the kind of weather and climate you will be travelling. Planning becomes all the more necessary for travelling to international destinations. For instance, traveling to high-altitude places might experience headaches, fatigue, and dizziness attributed to altitude sickness. But, you can tide over such unpleasant travel spoilers by simply planning.
Planning to stay at an intermediate altitude before heading to your chosen destination, avoiding caffeinated drinks and alcohol a day before the trip, drinking more water, and eating more carbs can help you stave off altitude sickness symptoms.
To have a more enjoyable travel experience, consider learning some basic phrases in the local language before your trip. You can attend a virtual language class or use language-learning apps to brush up on your skills. Knowing even a few words can make a huge difference in connecting with locals and immersing yourself in the culture.
3. Eat Healthily
Travelling should not become an excuse to binging on junk and unhealthy food options. You can try out local food, but with caution. There might be temptations galore around food while travelling. However, a little bit of discipline can help you travel with energy while keeping sickness at bay. Pack healthy travel snacks so that you don’t get tempted by those greasy fries and fatty burgers in between your meals. Keep in mind that eating healthy is a necessity and not a luxury while travelling. Try to eat wholesome foods, veggies, and fruits to stave off sickness. Limiting your food portion sizes and your sugar, salt, and fat intake can keep you healthy while travelling.
You can choose to stay at villas and apartments having a fully functional kitchenette. This way, if time permits, you can prepare your healthy meals using locally available fresh ingredients. Such kitchenettes also come in handy if you are travelling with kids and people having specific dietary requirements. If you are traveling to Texas or neighboring cities in Houston, make sure to check one of these apartments for rent in Galena Park.
4. Get Moving
Travelling gives you umpteen opportunities to check the local scene. Walking or cycling can be a great way to know the local culture and history of a place. If physical activities like scuba diving, parasailing, skiing are part of your travel itinerary, then it is all the better! While travelling, ensure that you get out in the open and get some fresh air. Simple outdoor activities like hiking, walking, cycling, or even yoga can help us commune with nature. Let us explore these activities in some more detail.
Hiking: If you are travelling to a destination that abounds with dense vegetation, then hiking is a worthy option to explore the place. Set out on foot and enjoy nature’s bounty on the way. Hiking will not only benefit your stamina and muscular system, but it will also help keep you fit during travel.
Walking: Walking is the most simple form of exercise. Whenever possible, try to walk to places around the city. Walking can also help you to mingle with the local people in the area. Moreover, walking will help you get some fresh air and a healthy dose of vitamin D. This simple exercise will rev up your metabolism and bring you to a Zen state of mind.
5. Stay Hydrated
Travelling should not become an excuse to get drunk and dehydrated. It’s essential always to carry your own bottled water rather than drinking it from local eateries and roadside restos. Water will offer you energy as well as help in flushing out toxins from your body.
6. Get Some Good Sleep
Though this may sound crazy to some, getting some quality shut-eye will help keep you fit and healthy while travelling. Squeeze in some quality nap times whenever and wherever possible. Travel accessories like neck or cervical pillows, eyeshades, and compact comforters can help you sleep soundly even in chaotic environments.
The Bottomline
Travelling is a great time to create happy memories. Besides the tips mentioned above, carving out some me-time and undertaking activities like meditation can help you not get overwhelmed by people or situations you might encounter while traveling. Moreover, as Frank Borman rightly puts it, “Exploration is the essence of the human spirit – you should be open and welcoming to new experiences and thrilling adventures irrespective of their outcomes.