5 Tips for How to Stay Healthy While Traveling

Of course you want to stay healthy when traveling, but how can you handle travel if you have ongoing medical concerns? Even as a healthy individual, you want to stay that way during your travels so you can enjoy whatever adventure comes your way. Here are five tips for staying healthy while traveling.

Seasonal Allergies

When traveling, pollen levels are different than what you find at home and so are the local plants. This could affect your allergies, so always be prepared with your medications when you travel. Consider showering at night to avoid sleeping with pollen in your hair, which might aggravate your allergies. Especially if you’re renting a house, ask if the HVAC filter can be changed before you arrive to further help avoid allergens.

Food Sensitivities or Allergies

Doing some research ahead of time will really help if you need flexibility with meal prep. Email or reach out on social media to check the options restaurants have for customizing dishes and avoiding cross-contamination. You’ll likely find many places that are happy to accommodate your requests.

Think about grocery delivery to your vacation rental. If you have a food prep area, it may make sense to have items delivered so you can have a few meals and snacks that are familiar and allergy-safe.

Chronic Medical Issues

If you have pre-existing medical conditions, consult your health care provider before traveling and discuss the best ways to manage your condition or if there are activities you should avoid. If you are cleared medically to travel but need accommodations for health issues, you have options! Reach out to your hotel or rental and ask what accommodations they can provide to meet your needs. Most websites for tourist sites include information about stairs and elevators, accommodations for those with visual or hearing impairments, and recommendations for avoiding an activity or altering your visit if you have certain health concerns.

Find Balance

Travel is often hurried and stressful even though it is enjoyable. Try to find balance between excitement and wellness. Make sure you are getting enough rest and continue doing all the things, like drinking enough water and eating well, that help you to stay healthy.

Try new things and have adventures while knowing your limits, both before and during your vacation. It is fun to buy new shoes and clothes for a trip, but if you plan to go for long walks, you might want to stick with shoes that are already broken in and that you know won’t give you blisters. If you don’t run five miles a day at home, it is unlikely that you’ll be able to participate in a race abroad. Try new and exotic foods, but make sure they come from a hygienic source. Be smart, be adventurous, but apply common sense.

Protect Yourself

Look into travel health insurance plans. You can prepare and take all precautions, but sometimes accidents or sickness occur anyway. With the right travel health insurance protection from Seven Corners, you can enjoy whatever travel brings without having to worry about your health coverage.

About the Author

Nikki Vivian is a UK-based writer with more than10 years’ experience writing for print and online publications, covering topics from lifestyle and parenting, to food and travel to careers and professional development. Nikki has been published in The Guardian, writes regular profiles for Prospects, and is an expert contributor for several careers websites to name a few.