Jet lag, too much good food, nowhere to exercise – there are lots of barriers to staying healthy when you travel, and it’s all too common to arrive home tired, achy, and ready to pull out your “fat jeans.” At a recent travel writers twittathon, I was asked the above question, and it made me think about all the tricks I’ve developed to stay healthy, fit and energized while traveling. Here they are; feel free to steal!
1. Sleep on the flight, no matter what it takes. No excuses. No “I can’t sleep on planes,” no “the inflight movie was one I’ve wanted to see forever.” Need a pillow? Buy an inflatable neck pillow and let it live in your carry on. Get cold? Stick a pashmina and some warm socks in there too. Me, I take Benadryl or Tylenol PM to knock me out, just for good measure.
2. Eat something healthy and filling before you fly. This is the secret to number 1 above, because if you’re hungry a) you won’t sleep as well and b) you’ll need to wake up just to eat crummy airline food. (Unless you’re flying Singapore, Thai, or Air France, which is a different story.) My pick in a pinch is a Starbucks yogurt, fruit and granola parfait. You can find it in just about any airport and it will also keep you from snacking on salty peanuts and snacks. (Remember, salt contributes to bloat, already a problem while flying.)
3. Pack exercise bands. No, you can’t bring your weights, but I never go anywhere without my stretchies, which work pretty well for basic strength training. I also bring a light plastic jump rope to have handy on the beach, or even in the hotel room if it seems like I won’t bother my neighbors.
4. Take melatonin your first evening. It resets the internal clock, helping you fall asleep — and stay asleep through the night — even if overnight flights and time differences are throwing your circadian rhythms out of whack.
5. Let yoga gear double as PJs. I’m the queen of packing light, and never ever check luggage. So I leave the pajamas behind and bring yoga clothes instead; they’re just as comfy to sleep in and I’m ready to take advantage of a hotel yoga class when offered.
6. Never, ever leave home without walking shoes or a bathing suit. Last fall I was in Arizona for a conference, equipped only with “professional” clothes. One night everyone made plans for a sunrise hike to the top of Camelback; I enthusiastically chimed in, only to realize with chagrin that I – Miss “@healthy_travel” (my twitter ID) — hadn’t packed a single pair of shoes that could get me up the rocky trail. Never again. Ditto a bathing suit. Believe me, once you’ve gazed out at a gorgeous jacuzzi that was off limits because you forgot your suit, you’ll make sure it never happens again.
7. Enjoy that first glass of wine – then switch to water. This one’s not going to be popular, but it’s absolutely key for me. Two glasses of wine and I’m fuzzy-headed and sluggish the next day, not to mention at risk for a headache. One and I’m fine. So I sip and savor that first glass, or if I’m enjoying a wine pairing dinner, I just have a few sips of each varietal on offer. As for that nightcap at the outdoor bar? I’ve learned to love fizzy fruity tonic-based drinks. An added benefit? Go to bed hydrated and you stave off the morning-after headache.
These are wonderful tips. Our family has been flying back and forth between Japan and the US a lot these last few years and the one thing we've all discovered is important on those long flights is not to eat too much airplane food. It just gets the entire trip off to a bad start, health-wise – we feel crummy, then keep on eating badly after we've arrived. Now, on a long flight it's inevitable that you'll have to eat but choosing wisely (light food, mostly fruits and vegetables, and plenty of water) has helped us a lot.
at my destination, and at layovers on a long flights, I walk a lot. that. along with keeping hydrated and also staying on foot a lot when I arrive at my destnation, I find helpful. call me crazy, but airline food doesn't bother me, always sort interested to see and taste what's on offer.
I bring a refillable water bottle (empty to go thru security) then fill it at the water fountain. Then I don't have to wait for water to be served on the plane. I also take walks around the terminal before boarding to get a little exercise. Thanks for these tips!
Lots of good suggestions here. I used to travel to France several times a year and could have used these tips then. Now getting on an airplane is more of an ordeal and I even hesitate to travel to the West Coast, where my grandkids live, unwilling to subject my body to such stress. Perhaps you could write a post of tips for older travelers?
Great tips. I'm am indeed a can't-sleep-on-planes girl. Even going oversees, I hardly sleep.
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I travel a lot for work and these are really and truly EXCELLENT tips. Now I need to do a better job following them!
Like Melanie and Martha, I walk between flights in the air terminal. Whenever I fly into Atlanta, I walk the entire way to luggage claim, never take the subway. It starts me moving after a flight from the West Coast. Fantastic tips that I'm going to put into practice. Thanks, Melanie.
I wonder if there might be some more tips to staying hydrated while on the plane (in addition to drinking water). This is always the part I wish I could do better.
I came across this post just in time. Leaving for Vietnam on a grueling 21 hour 2 plane trip on Wednesday. Thanks for the tips!
Walking an hour at local noon time in the sun helps to reset your body clock. I've also been reading lately that one of the best ways to nip jet lag in the bud is not to eat- at all. If you are changing several time zones. I haven't tried that one myself yet though.
Not to overshare or anything, but dehydration and constipation are the things that really sap my energy when I travel. So I make sure my first few meals are super healthy–lots of fruit, lots of veggies. And I drink copious amounts of water.
On our last trip, I tried the Tylenol PM and it worked like a charm. I can't say it didn't still take me some time to readjust once we landed, but that was the first time I was really able to sleep on the plane.
Alisa, so glad you tackled this too-little-discussed topic! Studies do indeed show that travel is very constipating, at least for folks already prone to this issue. I never leave home without my little pill box; in addition to ibuprofen and other basics, it always contains fiber pills and an herbal laxative, in case I get "stuck", as it were. And boy do I love it when I see stewed prunes on the fruit plate at breakfast!
Thanks so much for the great tips. I'm going to keep these close at hand for all my quick trips to see my brother and his kids. Even though I drive instead of fly, I still find myself struggling to keep my energy up.
I'm with Frugal Kiwi, when you're traveling long distance through several time zones it really helps to reset your internal clock by taking a nice long walk in daylight the day you arrive.
I also drink copious amounts of water on a plane and steer clear of alcohol.
Since I'm an anxious flyer, I'm not too hungry before or during the trip, so I make sure the meal I eat when I touch down counts — and getting fruits & veggies in the mix in the first couple of meals is key.
And I take something a tad stronger than Tylenol PM or Melatonin at either end of the trip, but if those do the trick there's no need to move on to the more potent stuff;)
Excellent advice! And now I am ready to go on vacation, please.
Great tips!! I definitely hope I get to use them soon!
These are wonderful reminders, Melanie. Thanks! Now I just have to figure out the hardest part…getting away