Tips for Staying Healthy

Updated: Dec 25th, 2019

Whether you're traveling for a month or a year, we all run into the same problems with our bodies. You forget the little things that make us function and run properly when thrown into situations you normally wouldn't be encountering back home. We eat out, we go for drinks, sleep weird hours, don't exercise enough, and put our bodies through intense shock treatments that otherwise could've been avoided. Here are just 10 of many tips to staying healthy while you travel and ways to hopefully make sure you don’t have to dig into your travel insurance plan!

Tip 1: Hiking

Hiking is one of the most healthy activities you can do both physically and mentally

Along with the obvious workout aspect, hiking is its own form of therapy. It gives you a chance to not only work the body but the mind and soul as well. Just get yourself out there and find a way to get in touch with yourself and the rest will follow. This is by far one of things that’ve kept the two of us healthy during long-term travel.

Pro Tip: When I’m back home in NYC and I begin to feel symptoms of stress or anxiety, I always try to make it to Central Park and get away from the noise and try to get in tune with the surrounding nature provided. It really does work!

Tip 2: Don't party so much

We all know how easy it can be to fall into the trap of the "being social" aspect of traveling. Whether it be justifying a beer in the morning, or having just a "few" with lunch, or going out to "meet" new people, you have to stay in control. This element can throw all of these tips out of balance if it's not followed. Consider quitting smoking – not only will it be beneficial for your health, but you will also save money.

Pro Tip: Not only does this one save your body, but it saves your wallet as well. This is key for long-term travel as those cocktails will severely cut into your travel budget.

Tip 3: Sleep

Remain healthy with a strong sleep schedule

Exhaustion and travel burn out, are very real and can totally destroy the way you may see a city you're visiting if not taken seriously. If you don’t let your body rest and catch up on the sleep it needs then it will fail you. You need to get out there and see all those sights during the day and the best thing for that is a good night’s sleep. Not to mention that sleep is so important for your mental health. If you don’t sleep you’re more likely to get homesick, stressed and panicked by things that wouldn’t bother you if you were well rested.

Tip 4: Drink Water

Water is not just a thirst quencher. It also helps filter out impurities, pollutants and keeps your body running like a well oiled machine as it was originally intended. If you’ve been partying, we’re sure it feels like water is poison and extremely hard to get down. But let’s face the fact that it’s your brain telling you so, if you can drink 12 beers in a night then you’ve no reason you can’t slam back the same amount of water.

Pro Tip: If you’re looking to be eco-friendly and like to carry around a water bottle, consider getting yourself an affordable Lifestraw water bottle! It’s a 2 stage filtration water bottle perfect for when you’re backpacking or going for a hike.

Tip 5: Avoid eating all the garbage foods

Whenever we reach a new destination, we always want to try the local food whether it be healthy or not. Sometimes the local dishes only turn out to be fatty foods loaded with fat and carbs and we are left with no other choice but to enjoy what's in front of us. But if at any point you've got the option to do so, try to take in greens, lean meats, proteins, or any detoxifying/nutritious things as possible.

Let's face it: our diet isn't going to be perfect while traveling, and neither will our sleep schedule - let alone the amount of time we actually have to devote to a workout while so much else is going on. Keeping this in mind, check out this article that outlines 5 travel workouts, where each one focuses on different training goals from mobility, strength, to even fat loss.

Pro Tip: When we were traveling in Laos, we make it a habit to get a smoothie every day to make sure we’re getting the proper nutrition to stay healthy during long term travel.

Tip 6: Stroll through the cities you're in, don't take cabs

Getting this little bit of exercise daily makes a huge difference. Whether it's just to walk off the meals you've consumed or to stretch your legs, you'll notice the change it has on your body and every day life. We’ve noticed our moods change almost instantly after getting out of our hotel/hostel and grabbing a juice and walking through the city for an hour or so! Doing so frees up the mind, circulates the blood, and allows for your mind to run in the natural direction it wants to go in. If you need the extra motivation to get up and get out, maybe it’s in your best interest to download an app geared towards exercise to be better assist you.

Pro Tip: Use your phone as it tracks your steps daily. If you set a minimum amount of steps you’d like to hit per day it’ll keep you motivated and focused!

Tip 7: Digital Detox

Time for a digital detox…even we have to do it sometimes!

This is probably one of the biggest tips to staying healthy one could ever recommend. It took us learning the hard way to even understand this one in the slightest. We found ourselves getting depressed/anxious a lot of the time, not enjoying the company we were in, or even noticing that we couldn't be completely present and in the moment while being surrounded by a whole group of people.

Pro Tip: Yes we spend almost every single day on our computers, but we don’t normally tell people is that when we want stuff posted on the days we don’t want to be on our computers, we automate it…Doing so allows us a break from all of the technology and a chance to have a real and genuine moment with one another and not have to our brains revolving around our computers or our phones!

Tip 8: Find a routine and balance that works for you

This goes a long with number 7 very well. If you let the digital world consume you...IT WILL! Find a way to balance the amount of time per day you use your phone/laptop/cameras. Get out into the world and see what's in front of you with your own two eyes. Yes, we know it’s easier said than done as we sit here and type this to you…but it will allow your brain to function better and healthier!

Pro Tip: It’s incredibly easy in this day and age to go online to look up one particular thing and find yourself still surfing for hours on end. If you have the power to just not go online, than you’re better than us, you’ve got us beat by a long shot. For the rest of the population there are a slew of apps that can block things like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or games on your smartphone so you can get your work done or just have your alone time. Download the Freedom App!

Tip 9: Learn how to LIVE

Get out there and see the gigantic world we live in! Try to meet new people as often as possible, do things that scare you, and get outside of your comfort zone. Think of it as a stress reliever, you'll feel so accomplished after doing these things and you'll look back and smile!

Pro Tip: If you’re afraid to travel alone or you just need a boost from someone else, consider getting yourself a travel buddy. In most cases you can find yourself meeting people on one of our favorite travel apps Couchsurfing!

Tip 10: Don't over do it

Don't end up getting burnt out, when you can remain healthy with a little preparation

If you have the opportunity to pace yourself and don’t have to rush, I'd highly recommend doing so. As a person who just did a year long trip around the world, I can 1000% tell you, you can and you WILL get burnt out. It'll turn you into an anti-social sponge who doesn't want to go out to enjoy anything for a while. Everything will annoy you and you won't understand why you feel the way that you do. It’s what I like to call “Travelers Depression”!

Pro Tip: I like to carry around a bottle of vitamins when I travel, as well as Emergen-C, and packets of whey protein.

Bonus Tips: Added 2019

Be aware of germs - This one can easily to taken for granted, as you’ll easily forget that bacteria is different all over the world…But first things first wash your hands and avoid sketchy food if at all possible. It’s crucial sometimes to have a bottle of hand sanitizer with you as you won’t have the chance to wash your hands in some places.

Our Story: This was the case for us in Mexico as we both ate the same things for every meal…One meal however Jim ended up getting violently ill after, and the only difference was that he didn’t sanitize or wash before eating the food with his bare hands.

Do you have something that you specifically like to do while traveling in which you think we should have added to our list? If so, please feel free to leave it in the comments below…or send us an email! We are always extremely open and welcoming to new and creative ideas.

Be Creative - This is one of the best things you can do for your health. Finding a way to hone your creativity through music, art, photography, writing, singing, dancing, or whatever else you fancy.

Our Story: For us we love to write for all of you out there that love knowing how to travel better and hear our stories…but that’s one of our outlets! Inna likes to paint in her spare time as well as get creative and do arts and crafts, while I like to make Techno tracks and go out and do karaoke!

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