How Not to Get Sick While Traveling

We are pretty sure that you can find yourself in the following scenario: you’re on a beautiful trip with your loved ones and suddenly you start sneezing and feeling a bit odd. Perhaps it’s from the air conditioning system or maybe you spent too much time in a windy environment. Either way, catching a flu during vacation can pretty much ruin everything! Here’s how to avoid it.

We made a list of things that you can do during your vacation to minimize the chances of getting sick. After all, you should be feeling great and not worry about staying in bed and taking pills!

Water, water, water!

Your body needs a lot of water to stay nourished. Dehydration not only leads to fatigue, but can also exacerbate jet lag. Make sure that you always carry a water bottle with you and refill it as soon as it gets empty. Mostly, try to stay hydrated on your flights where high altitudes and low cabin pressure directly contribute to dehydration. Sadly, booze and coffee don’t count, so be sure to add in some water!

Get enough sleep

Sleep deprivation reduces the body’s ability to respond and ward off the bugs. We know that you don’t go on vacation to sleep through it, but beating jet lag quickly and establishing a regular sleeping pattern of at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night are essential to any travel routine. If you’re on a long-haul flight, try and sleep as much as you can on the plane. If you arrive at your destination in the morning, try and spend as much time as you can in the daylight so that you can sleep better during the night. On the other hand, if you arrive in the evening, try and stay awake during the flight so that you can sleep during the night.

Eat a balanced diet

During vacation we all tend to eat what our heart desires: sweets, junk foods, carbs and so on. This “Spoil yourself” mantra may be tasty and fun, but I can have detrimental effects on your health. Try and keep a balanced diet even on vacation and add a few fruits and vegetables here and there. Keep in mind portion control and don’t go overboard!

Wash your hands often

Most people tend to bite their nails, rub their eyes or touch their face more than they should. But imagine that you’re in a new city and you are pretty much touching everything. Don’t let bugs and viruses end up making you sick and wash your hands as often as you can. Moreover, grab a hand sanitizer and keep it in your bag for those situations in which you don’t have access to a sink and soap.

Keep your heart pumping

Exercise not only strengthens your immune system but also increases the overall mood. Try and discover a new city by foot instead of taking a cab or the subway, take the stairs instead of the elevator and maybe even do a couple of stretches in your room while waiting to head outside.

Of course traveling is about having fun and relaxing the body, but don’t forget to do so while taking care of it and keeping it away from viruses!

Share your story with us and we might even publish it! Send it to office@travelwires.com and tell us if you had situations in which you got sick during your vacation!