I recently had to change some 15th wedding anniversary travel plans due to an unfortunate family matter. Initially I was really disappointed… until I discovered that the town we had to go to, Traverse City, MI, was a charming travel destination! We ended up loving it. Talk about making lemonade when life handed me lemons! I generally try to keep my posts religion neutral, but I’m just going to say that I truly felt blessed by God, both for safe travels, and for a lovely area in which we we found ourselves. My amazing husband, Earl, made a reservation at the Hotel Indigo Traverse City, which was in a gorgeous location right on the lake, had all the amenities, and had a fun rooftop patio bar with a great view. The town had shopping, great dining, and lots of activities. For a small town, there were some great workout options. I took a really tough barre/Pilates class at Modus 45, and a nice gentle yoga class at Yen Yoga & Fitness, which had a wide variety of classes, friendly staff and cute merchandise. The workout room at our hotel was also fully equipped. After the Modus 45 class, I was thrilled to discover they had foam rollers… like truly thrilled!!
Anyway, this whole experience got me thinking about some successful strategies I have learned over the years to stay healthy and energetic while traveling. I hope you find some of these tips useful, and I would love to hear some of your favorite travel wellness tips as well.
- Ok, I’m just going to start with the gross one, but keep in mind a medical doctor told me this: bring Q-tips and a tube of Polysporin, or other antibiotic ointment in your carry on when traveling by plane, train, or any way in which you will be breathing other people’s cooties for any period of time. Rub some ointment inside each nostril as soon as possible. I have no scientific proof of this, but it makes sense that, in theory at least, this should kill some of the bacteria we inhale in close quarters. If nothing else, it keeps your nasal passages moisturized in the dry air on airplanes. Be sure to do this in the restroom if possible so you avoid the situation I recently found myself in, wherein I applied said Polysporin in the manner described, and then looked up to see the hot guy across the aisle watching me! 😳
- DRINK (BOTTLED) WATER! From the minute you leave your home until the minute you return! This is huge for keeping our immune systems functioning, recovering from jet lag, having energy and… preventing constipation! (More on that topic in a second.) Drinking copious amounts of water is also crucial if you drink alcohol. No one wants to be in a foreign locale feeling like sh** because they enjoyed too many cocktails + jet lag + dehydration. I am literally the person standing outside TSA security guzzling my water, and then the second I get through security, I buy a huge bottle to take on the plane. Please don’t rely on the teeny glasses the adorable flight attendants bring you once every two hours. NOT enough! Note: I hate to pollute our beautiful world with plastic water bottles, and ingest BPAs, BUUUT… even when travelling domestically, it can be a safer alternative to local tap water. Not to sound like a total germophobe, but different areas have different bacteria in the water.
- Eat fruit and salads. I know it’s tempting to enjoy Parisian cheeses or Texas BarBQue, and that’s totally cool, but if you want to avoid the dreaded travel constipation, try to have at least one piece of fruit (NOT JUICE) a day, and a salad with lunch or dinner – or a salad FOR lunch or dinner! I’ve also had people tell me they take individual serving packets of Metamucil when they travel. Probably not a bad idea, but I truly believe that if you drink enough water and eat some raw fruits/vegetables, this is unnecessary. This will almost certainly be true if you…
- Exercise! You don’t have to find a gym. Walking 7 miles around Berlin, surfing in Maui or skiing in Teluride completely qualifies! I love swimming at hotel pools, too, depending on how many children use the pool… if you get my meaning! 😬Exercise will help you to reset your sleep cycle and avoid jet lag, feel energized, avoid weight gain, and keep your digestive system healthy. If you have access to a gym or weight room, strength training affects the central nervous system in a way that a lot of people say makes them tired by the end of the day, and thus sleep better. I always travel with resistance bands from FitSimplify so I can get a quick and efficient workout in, even when I don’t have access to weights.
- Bring ear plugs and a sleep mask!! Enough said.
Thanks for reading! I hope some of these tidbits are helpful the next time you travel! I would love to hear what you think, and any additional ideas or tips so feel free to contact me. I would prefer positive comments and energy, but I’m willing to hear whatever you have to say.
-LM💗
Lisa Melora 