Whether you travel often or you’re just taking a quick vacation, staying healthy while you’re on the go can be difficult. Even though traveling means an unpredictable daily schedule, few food options outside of fast food or restaurants and limited resources, you can still stay healthy while you’re away from home. Not sure how you can stay healthy when you’re away from home? These 4 tips can help you maintain your health even when you’re not home.

1. Maintain a workout routine. Even if you can’t sustain the workout routine you normally keep when you’re home, squeezing in a few workouts while you’re traveling is great for your mind and body. Almost all hotels have a gym and pool available and most operate with flexible hours that could allow you to workout early in the morning or later at night before bed. You can also take classes at local fitness studios. If you’re on an extended trip, you could even buy series classes from a gym or fitness studio. If you don’t have access to a gym, you could walk instead of drive to some of your sightseeing or other vacation activities. You can also use Google Maps to plan a running, walking or hiking route that starts right from your hotel door.

2. Eat healthy meals and travel with healthy snacks. Eating healthy on vacation can be tough. With the ease of restaurants and fast food, many travelers eat out for every meal while they’re traveling. If your hotel has a kitchen, you can prepare your own healthy meals and snacks. You’ll also save money by eating a few, or all of your meals at the hotel. For days when you’ll be out and about, pack plenty of healthy non-perishable foods to snack on during the day. Pack nuts, protein bars, trail mix, dried fruit, dry cereal and any other non-processed foods that have good fats, fiber and carbs.

3. Stay hydrated and well rested. Staying hydrated and getting adequate sleep every night will impact your overall health greatly. Invest in a good quality water bottle that’s durable and portable. Fill it up several times per day and be sure you’re getting enough water. If you’re traveling to an area without good drinking water, buy a water bottle with a built in filter. Be sure to get plenty of rest at night. If you’re staying in a loud city or traveling with noisy companions, a pair of earplugs can help keep out unwanted noise so you can get a full night’s rest. Try to stick to your normal sleep schedule as closely as possible by falling asleep and waking up at roughly the same time as you would if you were at home.

4. Purchase international insurance. If you travel frequently, or plan to be away for a while, purchasing international insurance will keep you covered in the event of a medical emergency. International insurance is perfect for business or leisure trips, study abroad, mission trips or any overseas adventure. Knowing that you’re covered just in case something happens will give you peace of mind so you can enjoy your trip to the fullest.

Staying healthy and safe while you’re away will help you enjoy your vacation and come back feeling refreshed and fulfilled. By planning ahead and being pro-active about exercise and eating healthy, you can get the most out of your vacation. These few tips can help you stay healthy, happy and safe while you’re away from home.

Originally posted on July 23, 2013 @ 1:32 am