Tips to Stay Healthy While Traveling for the Holidays

With the busiest travel days of the year quickly approaching this holiday season, staying healthy may be a worry in the back of our minds. Aside from the pandemic still lingering and other seasonal bugs like the flu and the common cold, stress aids in weakening your immune system.

According to Travel + Leisure magazine, the expected busiest travel day of the year will be Monday, Nov. 15, and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving will be the second busiest. Working remotely for over the last year has allowed people to grow accustomed to working anywhere, thus expanding the period of travel.

Promoting good health while on the road — or in the air — is essential to enjoying your time with family and friends. Try these tips to make sure you arrive at your destination and return home healthy!

Start now.

Healthy habits started before your trip will set you up for the best chance of not becoming sick. High-quality sleep, eating healthy food — including fruits and vegetables — and drinking plenty of water are key ingredients for a strong immune system.

Exercise.

Finding time to exercise is tough while trying to enjoy yourself away from the rigors of the office. Small amounts of exercise go a long way in maintaining fitness and energy levels. Combining push-ups with walking up and down stairs or another in-home exercise routine can help accomplish your exercise goals for the day.

Sleep.

As stated earlier, sleep is a key component to remaining healthy while traveling. Sleep can help offset the issues with jet lag — now you have a real excuse to take a midday nap! But don’t reach for caffeine after that nap unless the day is still young. The Sleep Foundation says you should avoid caffeine within six hours of bedtime.

Pack healthy snacks.

If you’re traveling with kids, you know food is essential to keeping them from having a meltdown in the back seat as you travel. Packing healthy snacks like apples, pears, plums, unsalted nuts and seeds, air-popped popcorn or even deli meats and homemade trail mix can keep your family satisfied — and keep the car in motion.

Wash your hands.

These three words have been ingrained into our minds over the past 20 months since the pandemic started and it still holds true. Wash your hands frequently and carry hand sanitizer to help kill germs.

Feeling funky? Stay home.

If you aren’t feeling well, stay home. Avoid the risk of getting sicker or infecting others. But don’t skip the get-together — gather virtually with family and friends from the comfort of your own home through Facetime or Zoom.