Looking After Yourself

Looking After Yourself While You Travel

With excitement and indulgence so commonly associated with traveling, taking care of your body and mind while you jet across the world may be one of the last things on an adventurer’s mind. However, it’s absolutely vital that you take the opportunity to look after yourself whenever you’re experiencing the many different sights and cultures around the globe, as you need to feel as healthy as possible to make the most of your travels! Thankfully, this guide contains some of the best tips and tricks that you can make the most of to ensure you can feel fit and full of life wherever you may be, so if you’re interested in finding out more, then keep on reading! 

Try & Eat A Balanced Diet

It’s so important that you can make an effort to eat a healthy balanced diet while you are travelling, as the food that you consume will contribute massively towards the way that you feel as you hop from one location to the next! It’s far too tempting to get carried away and eat to your heart’s content when you are on vacation, chowing down on everything from fat and salt filled snacks from street vendors to sugar filled gelato or ice cream to keep cool, but you must acknowledge the need to outweigh these tasty treats with more nutritionally dense meals that are rich in fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet is one that is made up of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, healthy fats and a generous serving of your 5-a-day, so this is what you should be aiming for when you are traveling! Making the decision to cook some of your own meals can be a brilliant way to gain more control over your diet, as regularly hitting the restaurants or fast food joints will mean you have little idea about which ingredients have gone into creating the junk that you buy, nor will you be even remotely aware of the calorie intake. There are so many healthy meals that you can prepare from the comfort of your hotel room no matter whether you have access to a kitchen, as you can no doubt create a vast array of sandwiches, wraps, salads and other meals that do not require any cooking. If you do have to eat out in a restaurant, then always be smart when you are picking a meal. Rather than going for a dish which is deep fried, refined carbohydrate heavy or smothered in a high calorie sauce, opt for something lighter than is baked or boiled instead. Depending on where you are in the world, you might be able to find menu items such as fish and vegetables, steak and salad or even tofu – these will do you far more good than a greasy burger or a cholesterol raising curry, as they’re naturally far leaner and therefore lower in calories. The less processed food that you decide to chow down on as you jet across the globe, the better you’re likely to feel in both your body and mind! 

Exercise As Often As You Can 

Though working out may be one of the last things on your mind when you are experiencing the sights and sounds of a new city or country, you must take the opportunity to get up and get moving for the sake of your health and well-being. It’s actually far easier than you might ever imagine to exercise often while you are travelling, especially if you plan on visiting a variety of different locations or monuments in one day – rather than getting a bus, train or taxi to your chosen location, you can instead choose to hire a bike or even just walk to your destination! Walking or cycling around for a day will burn off so much excess energy, helping you to stay healthy and in great shape while also increasing your chances of benefiting from a great night’s sleep! Not only can you walk or cycle, it’s also more than likely that you have access to some form of swimming facilities whether this means a hotel swimming pool or a nearby beach that allows you to dive straight into the ocean. An hour or two of swimming is more than enough exercise for one day, so if you have any of these facilities close to you, it’s a very good idea to make the most of them. Exercise doesn’t have to be boring if you don’t want it to be, as all of the ideas above can be incorporated into more exciting, tourist-friendly ideas that you can utilize to gain a deeper insight into the area you have chosen to visit. For example, you could choose to book onto a guided walking tour or hike that takes you on an adventure around some of the local natural beauty spots or any iconic places around town. Alternatively, you could arrange a scuba diving lesson that allows you to see the beautiful underwater environment while still working up a sweat as you swim close to the many fishes and sea creatures that come to check you out! It’s ok if you miss a day of exercise as you still need to rest, but if you want to promote the best health for your body and mind, then you need to add regular workouts to your vacation schedule. 

Get A Good Night’s Sleep 

Getting a good night’s sleep should be the next item on your list, as waking up feeling as though you had little rest whatsoever can have a drastic impact on your vacation experience. If you don’t sleep well, then you will no doubt feel groggy, moody, tired and unmotivated to say the very least, so there’s no time like the present to consider a few simple steps that can help you to improve the quality and length of your nightly rest. The quality of your accommodation can no doubt influence your sleeping habits, as choosing something that lacks basic safety such as a hostel inside which you may have to share bedrooms with totally unknown individuals can cause you to stay awake throughout the night due to anxiety or nerves. Alternatively, choosing a highly rated hotel that boasts private rooms with access to your own personal hygiene facilities will make it much easier for you to relax and unwind, as you can feel safe and secure inside your room or apartment after locking the door behind you. The decor and furnishings inside your accommodation can impact on your sleep quality too, as it’s very important that your room can boast a few key features if you want to benefit from a great night’s sleep – black out blinds or thick curtains which can block out all traces of sunlight and a comfy bed that maintains enough pillows to provide good head and neck support are some of the most important things that you should look out for when choosing a hotel or apartment to stay at if you want to sleep well! No matter where you are staying, if you follow a few simple steps then you can increase your chances of drifting off and staying asleep. For example, if you choose to put down your phone, laptop or tablet for at least one or two hours before you go to bed, then the artificial light emitted from the screen is far less likely to keep you awake! Additionally, avoiding any spicy foods before bedtime can also be of benefit, as you won’t be woken up by your body attempting to digest your chilli-packed meal while your metabolism is at an all time low. 

Perform A Self Care Routine 

Performing a regular self care routine can help you to look after your skin, hair and confidence, as you’ll no doubt feel a little pep in your step after you have taken the opportunity to go through a simple beauty regime. It can be tempting to just get up and go out when you’re on vacation, but if you take your time in the morning without having to go through a mad rush to get dressed and out of the door, then you can easily perform an invigorating and uplifting self care routine that puts some pep in your step for the day ahead. Pack some of your favorite shower essentials including shampoo, conditioner and luxurious body wash that can moisturize your skin after a long day in the sun. You may find that your hair is affected by the sunshine or even by your regular dips into the swimming pool at your accommodation, so it’s best to read up on some advice such as purple shampoo tips for bleach blondes that might need some support to maintain their luscious locks! Once you’re out of the shower, never skip the step of applying sunscreen to help protect your skin from the harsh UV rays that will be beating down as you explore your surroundings. 

Staying healthy while you travel has never been such a simple task!