It often seems difficult to stay healthy while travelling due to a lack of routine and eating different foods compared to when you are at home. Here are some tips to stay healthy while travelling!
1. Walk instead of public transport
We know that walking is a fantastic form of exercise. If you are heading to a city you can save money and increase your exercise by walking to most attractions instead of catching public transport. Join a walking tour to get the best of both worlds – learn about the history of the town while getting your exercise! Aim for over 10,000 steps a day – this can burn about 400-500 calories a day (with individual variation).
You can also supplement your walking with other healthy forms of transport. Rather than hopping on a tour bus, hire a bike and ride around the city you are staying in. You can see a lot in a short time and get some exercise without even realising!
2. Sleep
As exciting as it is being somewhere new, remember your body needs sleep! You will feel much better for it. Listen to your body – if you need to sleep after a long day of sightseeing, rest up and feel energised the next day!
3. Eat breakfast
Eating breakfast gives you the energy to start the day right and will mean that you won’t be as tempted to fill up on lots of food at lunch and dinner. If you aren’t keen to eat out for breakfast, buy some muesli or natural yoghurt from the local supermarket for a healthy start before heading out for the day.
4. Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated – with water – will help your body to handle the changes of travel much better. Take a water bottle with you for the day to avoid buying expensive plastic bottles and refill it as you go.
5. Eat intuitively
While it is nice to try the local delicacies, be careful not to overeat! It can make you feel tired and bloated. Try to eat mainly light meals, and only indulge occasionally, rather than eating heavy meals and unhealthy snacks all day.
6. Carry snacks with you
This brings us to the next point… carrying snacks with you! Healthy treats such as fruit or small packs of nuts/seeds will help you stay full and make you feel less inclined to eat unhealthy ‘fast food’ snacks. It also has the added benefit of saving money so more can be spent on fun activities!
7. Alcohol is fine… in moderation
A lot of people enjoy a drink or two every so often, and this is often increased when on holidays. We just urge you to keep in min the Australian National Health and Medical research Council recommendations: they suggest that we drink no more than 2 standard drinks per day for men and women to reduce your risk of long term harmful effects of alcohol, and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one occasion to reduce the risk of alcohol related injury arising from that occasion. Try and have some alcohol free days and when you do drink make sure it’s responsibly!
Remember to enjoy your holiday and relax so you return refreshed! These tips make staying healthy while travelling easier, and also help with returning to your routine on your arrival back home.
References
Walters, R 2016, ‘What walking 10,000 steps does (and doesn’t) do for you’, InBody USA, retrieved online 6/6/17, https://www.inbodyusa.com/blogs/inbodyblog/99465793-what-walking-10-000-steps-does-and-doesn-t-do-for-you
Huffington Post, date unknown, ’16 tips to stay healthy while travelling’, Huffington Post, retrieved online 6/6/17, https://www.google.com.au/amp/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_57f083a9e4b07f20daa10cc8/amp
NHMRC 2009, ‘Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol’, National Health and Medical Research Council, retrieved online 6/6/17, https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/ds10-alcohol.pd
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