We’ve all had that picture perfect vacation we’ve been looking forward to the whole year marred by an incessant cough or constant sniffles. These are a few of the top tips we’ve picked up over the years to keep you in peak condition out there on the road.
An ounce of prevention…
While the jury is still out on the scientific efficacy of supplements to boost immune health, if they’ve worked for you in the past, it might be worth a try. Whether you’ve counted on zinc or probiotics to keep you firing on all cylinders during cold and flu season, it’s a good idea to keep these on hand when traveling. There’s nothing worse than spending your beach days with a tissue box.
And sixty-four ounces of fluid
Hydration is the name of the game. The recirculated air inside airplane cabins can be very dry and travel in general puts our normal routines out of whack, and can lead to forgetting to down our regular fluid intake. Changes in altitudes also warrant an uptick in our liquid consumption, so make sure you’re staying on top of your hydration game!
A bottle of sanitizer
You’ll be touching doorknobs, ATM keys, security bins, taxi interiors and in-flight magazines — all of which have been touched by lots of other people. Regularly wash your hands and use sanitizer after contact with these high traffic surfaces.Consider packing sanitizing wipes so you can give your tray table, armrest and maybe the hotel remote control a quick swipe too.
And adequate sleep
Travel can be so disruptive to our nightly rhythms. A different mattress, a different time zone, a late night out or jungle noise out your window (looking at you Howler monkeys!) can all contribute to you getting less than eight hours. It’s easy to skip out on sleep when you’re trying to squeeze so much into so little time, so be sure you’re scheduling in some downtime to keep you going.
Travel well.
This piece was originally published May 2016