Traveling is all about building experiences and memories, and exploring yourself while you explore the world. Of course, there’s no right or wrong way to travel. 

Some people enjoy solo traveling, as this lets you have complete control of your adventure without distractions or pressure from anyone else. But you might enjoy traveling with company as well, as you get to support each other and have fun while you wander. 

Maybe you like a chill holiday where you can relax and soak in the area. Maybe you want an adventure. Maybe you want to learn, maybe you want to have fun, or maybe you want to do all of these things and more on the same trip.

But no matter what kind of travel experience you prefer, you surely want to feel as healthy as possible. Let’s break down some of the challenges of looking and feeling your best while you travel, as well as what you can do about them.

The Challenges of Healthy Travel

A healthy lifestyle is difficult enough when you’re at home and can control your lifestyle. When you’re at home, you can set a routine and build healthy habits like working out and paying attention to what you eat and drink. When you travel, these healthy habits tend to fall by the wayside.

For starters, if you go to the gym at home, you’re not likely to be able to keep up with the same routine even if you wanted to while on holiday. You might also eat less healthy food and drink more alcohol. 

This isn’t necessarily the end of the world, as long as you’re able to return to your normal habits once your trip ends. It also helps to still have a degree of moderation. There’s a difference between treating yourself and potentially harming your body.

But travel can also interfere with your sleep and rest patterns. The food, water, and even the atmosphere itself might be different, depending on where you travel. Jet lag can really do a number on your health, potentially draining some of the enjoyment from your holiday.

If you have a chronic health condition, it can be complicated by the added stress of travel. Not only that, but you might not have the nearby medical facilities that you need if you have a flare up. All of these factors make it more difficult to stay healthy, but it’s not impossible.

Keeping Up Your Routines

First things first, how can you maintain healthy routines while traveling? The first trick is to be balanced.

If you try to be incredibly strict with yourself, you won’t enjoy your holiday and you almost doom yourself to failure. Focus on what works for you.

Some people are able to continue their normal workout routine everyday. But if this is challenging for you without a gym nearby, consider other forms of exercise. Even walking around a city or town all day keeps you on your feet and moving. You’d be surprised at how many steps you might burn through.

Other activities like hiking, swimming, or sports can also keep you active. It might not be your normal routine, but it’s still better than nothing and will help you maintain your normal level of activity and fitness.

As for food and drink, simply being aware of what you eat can help. Cook if you can to save money and calories, and look for healthy local options rather than only eating in chain stores and fast food restaurants. 

Medical Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is a good idea for any trip, especially if you’re leaving the country. Things go wrong, and sometimes there’s very little we can do about it other than to be as prepared as possible. Your luggage might get lost or damaged, or flight might be delayed or cancelled, or you might get injured or fall ill while on holiday and need medical treatment.

Medical travel insurance is particularly useful for that last point. Not every country has public healthcare, and depending on where you travel, you could be left with some nasty medical bills. 

If you have a pre-existing condition, you may have to get specialised medical travel insurance that covers your health conditions. This way, you can rest assured that even if you suffer a flare-up, you won’t have to worry any more than necessary.

Let People Know Where You Are

If you’re traveling alone, it’s especially important that someone at home is in regular contact with you. We’d like to think that we live in a safe world, but things do go wrong and, as we’ve established, it’s important to be prepared.

If someone knows where you are and your general plans, they can be aware if something does go wrong. If you’re hurt or go missing while away, they can get the emergency services involved sooner rather than later.

But what about if you’re traveling with other people? 

In this case, you have an added layer of safety, but it’s still a good idea to keep lines of communication open with the people with you and with people still at home. Even if you simply get lost somewhere or are delayed, someone can help you from home and provide an extra layer of protection. For example, if you have pets and will be unable to come home until two days later than you meant to, your friends and family can make sure that they’re still okay.

Pack Properly

Part of being prepared and ensuring that you look and feel great is to pack everything you need for your travels. Packing your luggage isn’t easy. You have to balance the need to travel light and not overcomplicate things with the need to pack adequately.

As well as your clothes, any electronic devices you want, and any emergency documents you need, you should ensure that your medications are packed. This is one of the most important aspects of looking after yourself while away from home.

Speak to your doctor about making sure you have enough of your prescribed medications to tide you over while you’re away, as you may need to order extra supplies. You should also check that your medications aren’t restricted, especially if you’re going to another country. Some drugs are controlled, so you may need to speak to airport security in advance.

As well as your medication, it’s important to take your self-care equipment to keep yourself looking great. This can sometimes be where hard lines need to be drawn, as your beauty supplies might well be too much to travel with.

Prioritise what you need when you’re away from home and work out where you can make sacrifices. Daily skin and hair care products are probably near the top of your list. Moisturiser is an absolute must, especially you’re traveling to a hot or dry country, as your skin may suffer more than usual.

Depending on your hair type, you may need certain products to keep it looking nice and healthy. For example, some hair products for 2c hair need to be applied regularly to protect your hair.

Finally, make sure you have any needed toiletries, especially things like sanitary pads or other personal hygiene must-haves. Nobody wants to be unprepared.

When traveling with these products and supplies, bear in mind that liquids are restricted on planes. Pack what you can in checked luggage and ensure that it’s secure, so you’re less likely to have leakage issues.