After an extended break, this year many are getting back to business for the holiday season. From spending time with loved ones and taking much-needed trips to spending quality time alone and traveling long distances. No matter where your journeys lead you, planning and taking trips require significant planning (both physically and mentally). Traveling via plane can be particularly taxing; so take care to maintain good health during travel! Follow these simple guidelines so that your journey goes as smoothly as possible and feels rewarding rather than draining.
1. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Staying hydrated has many health benefits for both mind, heart, joints, skin and more. Staying hydrated should be part of everyday living if not seen as part of movement. Lack of hydration can have some seriously detrimental side effects: cerebral pains, depleted energy stores and an increased risk of stroke are just some examples. Make sure you carry around a refillable water bottle and drink regularly! Airplane travel presents particular difficulties when adjusting the environment control; fake environment controls often have stickiness levels as low as 10%-20% (much lower than their natural equivalents), making dehydration much simpler. If water changes your mind, try not to choose drinks with excessive added sugar or liquor content; seltzer or natural tea are ideal solutions instead.
2. Pick Organic Products And Veg When You Can
Airport and plane food isn’t always great. Yet they have improved. Most airports now offer at least one booth with healthy leafy foods for fast in and out purchase; most eateries provide plates of mixed greens on their menus. If you’re driving, bring snacks like celery with peanut butter, carrots or apples with hummus or oranges or grapes as these will go down well on board the flight. Adding leafy foods can also help your immune system keep functioning optimally while its high water content provides additional hydration benefits!
3. Find Gentle Movement
Whether traveling by air, vehicle or train, sitting for extended stretches is inevitable (unless of course you can afford luxurious first class seats with beds… we cannot vouch for that option!). Prolonged sitting has many negative side effects. Back, migraine and joint discomfort are some of the more recognizable and avoidable conditions, while energy drain is another. To combat this inactivity, try scheduling some subtle development whenever it makes sense. Do not just sit still at the terminal or station – take a stroll! When arriving early at your entranceway, do some light stretching prior to boarding your plane (assuming that the safety belt sign is off, of course!). Walking will get blood pumping through your veins and muscles relaxing, giving you energy boost and helping with stretching out beyond sitting’s negative effects.
4. Stay Mentally Stimulated
A surefire way to boost energy levels without expending much physical effort is keeping your brain active. Peruse a book or magazine, play Sudoku or Crosswords games with friends or by yourself; or peruse online content on any number of topics related to creativity. If you enjoy PC or tablet games, download your applications early. Journaling or using a mindfulness application are great ways of reflecting back on the past year and reflecting upon all that we are grateful for (such as traveling). Not only can these ideas provide relief while keeping destruction looking at bay (not the best way to get into the holiday spirit!).
5. Skip The Alcohol
After an exhausting year of work and stress-inducing travel, it can be tempting to unwind with an alcoholic beverage during your extended getaway. Though an occasional cocktail is acceptable as part of a healthy lifestyle, travel may not be an ideal time for sipping wine or hard alcohol with its higher ABV compared to lager can have more drying out effects due to lodge climate and elevation contributing to lack of hydration; thus further intensifying its drying effects on us when consumed at 35,000 feet altitude.
