Staying healthy when you’ve caught the travel bug!
You may love traveling, but the many benefits of seeing the world can sometimes come with some serious disadvantages. Traveling can leave you with back pain, viruses, and even acne. According to research, over one-fifth of airline passengers fall ill with a cold in the week after they fly. Additionally, two-thirds of travelers complain that preparing to travel is a significant cause of stress. Stress, of course, inhibits the immune system and thus leaves people more vulnerable to disease. Moreover, if you’re stressed you are likely to suffer from poor sleep compounded by the little sleep many travelers get when traveling early, late or on a red eye. If you are sleep deprived, it is 400%, yes, 400% more likely that you will succumb to an illness.
These disadvantages may seem inevitable, but the experts have some valuable advice to offer to help you enjoy your time away without suffering from a travel ‘hangover.’
Think about your skin. Book an appointment with your dermatologist before getting on a plane. Traveling by air involves an abrupt change in your external environment that can dry out your skin and drain you of color. Also, avoid the often harsh face products you find in hotel bathrooms as these may result in rashes or breakouts. To keep your skin clear and bright, ask your dermatologist for lotion and cleanser samples. This will stop you using free hotel products or sub-standard travel-size lotions and will give you the chance to try out a few new products that will undoubtedly be kinder to your skin.
Is the air in the plane safe?
Don’t worry about the air you’re breathing in a plane, do worry about your tray table. While many believe that they fall ill after they fly due to contaminated recirculated air, this is not the case. The CDC has recently reported that modern airplane filters capture the majority of harmful air particles in plane cabins. So, it’s not the air that makes you unwell, it’s the germs hanging about on surfaces. Germs on armrests, tables and other surfaces can survive for an entire week. So, be sure to take disinfectant wipes with you and to wipe surfaces down when you take your seat. Pay particular attention to your armrests and tray table. Hand sanitizer that includes a minimum of 60% alcohol is also a must.
Take a seat, but also take a ball. If you are going to be sitting down for at least two hours, take a ball with you to help prevent back pain. Your neck pillow may seem comfortable but after a few hours of not moving, you will be stiff. Be proactive. If you’re sitting on the aisle, get out of your seat every hour and go for a little wander. If you aren’t, you may not wish to disturb the people sitting next to you and this is when you’ll need your ball. Place your ball behind you between the seat and your back and flex your body so that the ball rolls around. This is an effective way to massage out the kinks.
Enjoy some local delicacies…in moderation. When you’re traveling, trying the local cuisine can be a real highlight and you may want to enjoy some tasty treats you would otherwise not allow yourself. However, it’s important not to overindulge as this could leave you with uncomfortable stomach troubles such as constipation and bloating. There will likely be healthy meals and ingredients available that are cooked in different and interesting ways, so give them a try. Your meals will be special and healthy. Also, if you fancy a drink, go for it, but remember to have a good serving of water for every unit of alcohol you consume. Hangovers are caused by dehydration, so carry a water bottle and stay hydrated!
Stay for a while, but not too long. While you may want to devote every free day you can to your holiday, this can be a mistake. Returning home late on Sunday evening and returning to work the next day can leave you stressed out and exhausted and can undo all the good your relaxing vacation has done you. Ideally, arrange to return home on Saturday night. You will then have two nights to get your sleep patterns back on track before work on Monday.
