by Shilpa Bhim
We know that practicing travel wellness habits daily helps to maintain overall health and wellbeing. But, in all the excitement of exploring new places, we often forget to look out for number one: ourselves.
Fortunately, maintaining your health and wellbeing on a daily basis while traveling is easy, thanks to these 7 travel wellness tips. These travel wellness habits can be applied any time, to any sort of trip.
Whether you’re wandering through big cities, running around theme parks, hiking through hills or driving through the countryside. In fact, they can (and should) be incorporated in to your daily routine even if you’re not traveling. Because they help with maintaining balance and a sense of calm and happiness (also known as winning at life). So, let’s get to it!
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Travel Wellness Habit 1: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Your mom wasn’t messing around when she told you to drink lots of water, and this travel wellness habit should not be taken lightly! Drinking around six to eight glasses of water is the daily recommended dose to keep your body, mind and skin healthy, and to look after your health and wellbeing in general.
It will also help you offset the effects of jet lag, and avoid heat stroke. Not sure how to keep your water intake up while you’re traveling? Take an eco-friendly drink bottle with you! You’ll be keeping yourself and the environment happy.
Travel Wellness Habit 2: Get Plenty Of Sleep
This is easier said than done when you have so little time and so many things to see and do! But, prioritising sleep is one of those travel wellness habits that goes hand in hand with getting the most out of your trip.
Our bodies and minds repair and restore themselves while we sleep, which helps us to function well the next day. So, be sure to get in your 8 to 9 hours, even while you’re busy traveling.
Travel Wellness Habit 3: Stretch Everyday
All you need is a few minutes. Taking a small amount of time to stretch your body from head to toe in the morning or evening will help get the blood flowing, which helps boost your mood and makes you feel relaxed.
It will also help release tension in your muscles and, over time, builds up your muscle strength. Great for when you’re walking around and exploring a lot! As an added bonus, your wellness levels will skyrocket if you make this a daily travel wellness habit.
Looking for a challenge? You could try doing yoga with the locals in the area you’re visiting. Alternatively, you could flex while you walk, giving your body a workout of sorts as you explore!
Travel Wellness Habit 4: Eat Lots Of Fresh Fruit And Vegetables
Obviously travel is all about enjoying local cuisines, right?! But most places you go to while traveling will also have fresh fruits and vegetables available for you to enjoy.
So this is a travel wellness habit you can easily get on board with. Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables supports your health and well-being by filling your body with the nutrients it needs to function well.
As an added bonus, fruits and vegetables contain powerful antioxidants that help protect your skin from cellular damage caused by free radicals.
Also, a little fun fact from Alyssa; eating leafy greens like Spinach and Kale helps balance your pH…and keeps you smelling fresh, down there. 😉
Travel Wellness Habit 5: Wear SPF Daily
Speaking of protecting your skin, wearing SPF is definitely a travel wellness habit to practice daily. While it may not seem like it, wearing SPF supports your overall wellness by taking care of your skin’s health and wellbeing.
Skin is the body’s largest organ, and it has to work hard to protect our internal organs from the outside world. Using an SPF daily, regardless of what season it is, will protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays which can cause skin cancers.
Of course, you also want to make sure you’re using a sunscreen that protects you, but doesn’t harm the environment. This is where mineral sunscreens come in. You can find out more about them, and how good they are for you and the environment, here.
Bonus points if you protect your skin by wearing a hat, sunglasses and long sleeves too!
Travel Wellness Habit 6: Take Time To Unplug And Meditate
Even if it’s just for 5 or 10 minutes, this is a travel wellness habit you will be thankful for! When traveling, your mind and body is taking a lot in, all the time, and it can get pretty overwhelming.
Meditation supports your health and wellbeing by helping to clear your mind and relax your body through a focus on breathing. It can also help you deal with anxiety or stress and helps improve your sleep — meaning you’ll be more likely to get your 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
If your brain is struggling to shut off, you could try repeating a positive mantra while you slow down your breathing to help you focus and unwind.
Travel Wellness Habit 7: Get Lots Of Fresh Air
This one should be a fairly easy travel wellness habit to apply, especially if you’re out and about exploring most days. Do you ever notice how you feel so much better after you’ve been outside?
This is because getting fresh air is one of the best things you can do for your wellness. It increases the level of oxygen in your body, which affects the serotonin levels in your body. Serotonin can significantly lighten your mood and promote a sense of happiness and wellbeing.
Increased oxygen levels also means more energy and a sharper mind. Which are two things you want to have daily whether you’re traveling or not.
So next time you’re traveling, practice these 7 travel wellness habits daily! They’re all easy to incorporate into your itinerary. Plus, you can’t put a price on your health and wellbeing, and maintaining your wellness will help you to enjoy your travels more!
Great tips, I might even add doing yoga, as it better connects you to the place and recharges you with positive energy.
Glad you enjoyed the post Lydia! Yoga is such a great way to recharge and relax!
Great article, I think that advice is so beneficial, as you say whether you are holidaying or not.
Having lots of water, getting enough sleep, eating fresh fruit and vegetables and getting plenty of fresh air are just generally accepted as necessary to promote good health. But meditating and stretching are perhaps things I think less about, but of course they are important.
Good sunscreen protection is something I rarely think about yet I love warm climates, so thank you very much
Thanks Michael! Meditating and stretching aren’t the first things people think of but they definitely help! Glad you enjoyed the read!
Always struggled with fitness on the road and when travelling. I like my routines so I found this super helpful. Thanks so much.
You’re welcome! Glad you found it helpful!