The end of summer is a prime time for fitting in a vacation, just before the kids go back to school and life starts to get a little bit more hectic. Yes, vacations are great, but they can wreak havoc on your body if you’re not careful. Whether you’re visiting a country with relaxed sanitation standards, traveling via germy transportation, seeing your sleep schedule thrown completely off, or just indulging in a little too much alcohol, there are plenty of ways you could wind up not feeling your best. And it’s especially important during the prevalence of COVID-19 to mind healthy habits and best practices, even as travel restrictions are relaxed.
Instead, aim to make your vacay a healthy one with the following tips:
Plan ahead—especially if you’re traveling outside the United States
Vacations to other countries sometimes mean there are fewer sanitation regulations, increased exposure to disease and viruses, or just different medical care availability. Talk to a travel agent who can give you advice on what to expect in the country you’re visiting and what specific precautions you need to take. In some cases, that might mean avoiding any drinking water that is not bottled or any uncooked produce or seafood. You can figure out restaurants where it’s safe to eat or where you can find a doctor if you get sick.
People who are traveling to areas where there is increased risk of certain parasites or diseases, such as malaria, will need to get a prescription from their doctor for preventative medicine. Depending on the medicine and the disease it prevents, you might need to start taking it before you leave and continue taking it during your trip and upon your return.
Finally, proper planning means taking the right items with you. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends putting together a travel health kit complete with first aid items, medicines (prescription and over-the-counter), sunscreen, and insect repellent. Any medication you must take regularly should be brought in an amount enough for the trip plus some extra in case you are delayed on your return home.
Avoid germs and viruses
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are conscious of how easy it is to spread germs and viruses, especially in public enclosed spaces. But that doesn’t mean you’re fated to pick something up.
Take airplanes, for example. Many people worry about catching something on an airplane because they think the air is re-circulated. That’s a misconception. The Cleveland Clinic explains that although the air is re-circulated when the plane is parked on the tarmac to prevent passengers from smelling fuel, it is filtered with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters similar to those used in hospitals. Once the plane takes off, half the air in the plane comes from outside and is sterile and microbe-free.
The bigger problem with flying is contaminated surfaces. The AARP explains that aircraft cabins are likely cleaned thoroughly only overnight. So between flights every day, they could be collecting plenty of germs or viruses. Be sure to follow these tips:
- As soon as you sit down, wipe your tray table with an antibacterial cloth.
- Use hand sanitizer before eating anything or touching your face.
- Ideally, keep your belongings out of the pocket on the back of the seat in front of you, which is rarely cleaned.
- If you can, avoid choosing an aisle seat on an airplane and aim to get a window seat. The aisle seats are exposed to everyone on the plane who walks past, whereas window seats are farther away and exposed to much less.
These practices are beneficial whether you’re on an airplane, at a restaurant, in a hotel lounge, or anywhere else you might find yourself on your trip, as these places see much more traffic than your home does and therefore have many more germs.
It also doesn’t hurt for you to prepare your body to better fend off germs and viruses when it is exposed to them. Before you go loading up on vitamin C, you should know that there’s no one nutrient (or food, for that matter) that will safeguard you against getting sick. Harvard Medical School explains that high-quality, consistent nourishment is the best way of fueling your immune system. Get plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet, ideally in a wide variety.
You could also try the following:
- Garlic, which contains allicin, a compound with antibacterial qualities that could help your body fight infection.
- Ginger, which has active ingredients that can soothe nausea and upset stomach.
- Yogurt, which contains probiotics, beneficial gut bacteria that help your body fight disease.
- Tea, either black or green, which is full of an antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate that can enhance immune function.
Get plenty of sleep
Americans have a tendency to sacrifice sleep for fun when they’re on vacation, according to the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research. While it’s great that you’re enthusiastic about cramming as much into your itinerary as possible, exhaustion can lead to sickness, poor decision making, bad moods, and increased stress. It’s especially true in the case of children. Consider optimizing your shut-eye by:
- Set a designated bedtime on vacation, even for adults. Yes, it’s tempting to stay at the hotel bar until 1 a.m., but it’s just going to ruin the next day for you. Instead, plan to enjoy yourself until 10 p.m. and aim to be asleep by 11 p.m..
- If you’re traveling to a place with a different time zone, be prepared for jet lag. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you try slowly adapting your body to your new time zone at home for a week or two before you trip—waking up an hour earlier and going to bed an hour earlier, for example. This will reduce the surprise for your body’s internal clock. It’s also smart to hold off on scheduling anything important during the first day of your trip.
- Naps are great, and when you’re on vacation, you will likely have the option of taking them more often. Who doesn’t like a short reprieve before going to dinner after a long day on the beach? The CDC recommends keeping naps between 20 and 30 minutes so you feel rested but are still able to sleep through the night.
- Don’t let lack of sleep affect your driving ability. The National Institutes of Health cites traffic crashes as the leading cause of injury-related death among Americans traveling abroad. Don’t drive late at night and don’t drive when you’re deprived of sleep.
Don’t let healthy habits take a vacation
Sure, you want to enjoy yourself while you’re on your trip. And that means the occasional indulgence. But make sure they’re just that—occasional. Aim to continue eating healthy, getting plenty of exercise and being moderate in your alcohol consumption throughout the duration of your trip:
- Find active ways to enjoy your surroundings. Some vacation spots practically beg for you to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. This might entail a long sightseeing walk around the city, a hike up the mountainside, or a swim in the lake. Just because it isn’t a structured workout doesn’t mean it doesn’t count as exercise.
- However, if you do want a structured workout, you can still get one without a gym. The American Council on Exercise recommends setting aside 20 to 60 minutes a day for a workout and using jump ropes and resistance bands, which are easy to carry with you when you’re traveling. You can also do bodyweight exercises, like pushups and lunges, which require no equipment at all.
- The American Addiction Centers acknowledges that people are more likely to drink excessively during vacation than they would at home. Bear in mind that more than four drinks for women and five drinks for men over a five-hour period is considered binge drinking. Aim to keep your drinking moderate: one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
- Pay attention to portion size and continue to prioritize healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. The American Heart Association encourages people to enjoy the food of the location where they’re traveling—if you’re in France, don’t deny yourself some fancy cheese—but make it a special treat rather than something you do all week long.
- The Produce for Better Health Foundation recommends carrying fruits and veggies with you for convenient healthy snacking so that you don’t have to hit up vending machines or convenience stores; if possible, choose a place of stay with a kitchenette so you can make more meals at home.
Stay safe and avoid putting yourself in situations that are risky
Unfortunately, being a tourist makes you an easy target for those who would do you wrong. To keep your family safe, consider the following recommendations:
- The Family Travel Association recommends being very careful about safely sharing on social media accounts. Posting could reveal to those in your destination location where you are or where you’re going, and where you’re staying. Similarly, potential criminals back at home will know how long your house will be vacant while you’re out of town.
- The National Crime Prevention Council recommends paring your wallet down to only your essential credit cards and carrying it close to your body (in a pocket rather than your purse or briefcase). Don’t use expensive luggage and don’t be showy with valuable belongings, such as your camera, which will attract people looking to rob you.
