Traveling is supposed to be fun and focus should be on exploring the wonders of the world, not worrying about how to stay healthy. Yet from what you eat, how much you sleep and move your body — it can be stressful trying to keep up with wellness routines while jet-setting around the planet. The great news is that it is doable. Holistic coaches weigh in on the best practices:
Prepare before taking off
Fran Medina, a health and wellness coach based in Greenwood Lake, New York, says keeping yourself healthy away from home should start before you even leave.
“Traveling is stressful,” Medina says. “Even when you’re packing, you are worrying about making flights and getting to places on time. Before you leave, start fortifying your immune system by hydrating, eating well and learning stress resiliency techniques.”
Bonus: To help stay hydrated while traveling, pack a reusable water bottle and a package of natural electrolytes, such as Elixir Electrolyte Mix Packets. $24.99 for a box of 30, earthfedmuscle.com
Stress relief
If you miss a flight, suffer from a fear of flying or the kids are overstimulated, don’t stress, breathe. Medina suggests doing this simple breathing technique 10 times: “Put one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen,” she says. “Breathe in through your nose and allow your belly to expand. Breathe out through your mouth and allow your belly to return towards your spine. Breathe in to the count of two, hold for two, and release slowly and exhale to four.”
For guided meditation on-the-go, check out the free app Go Burble suggests Denise Baron, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based integrative wellness strategist and founder of Denise Baron Wellness 360.
Bonus: Wherever you are, create a calming sensory vibe with a travel-sized bottle of Everything Soulful’s BLISS, a heavenly-scented spritzer infused with lavender, chamomile, sandalwood and cedarwood. $22, everythingsoulful.com
Walking helps
Your fitness routine may look a little different when you take it on the road, but the good news is that there are plenty of ways to keep up with your exercise while away. Using a hotel gym or doing walking tours or hikes in a new place helps you to stay fit.
“When you travel, you tend to walk a lot more than you do at home, so you’re already getting exercise,” Medina says. “I rely on my Fitbit, but if you have a health app on your phone that tracks activities, you can see how many steps you walked in one day. Then you know if you have to step it up.”
Medina suggests doing simple yoga poses, such as cat cow, forward fold or downward dog at the end of a long day of walking.
Bonus: Sitting on long flights or in cars for hours can cause painful cramps and circulation issues. Wear compression socks made from natural fibers — wool or cotton — for proper cooling and circulation. Maggie’s Organics compression socks are made from soft organic cotton and are graduated compression for gentle, all-day support. Graduated compression means the sock’s pressure is strongest near the ankle and is reduced gradually up the socks. $18, maggiesorganics.com
Goodies-to-go
More: Fresh fruits are healthy options 4 reasons why grapes are the fruit for you
Prepacking wholesome snackies such as unsalted nuts, dried fruits and healthy protein bars is key since it’s challenging to find healthy options in airports. To make sure she’s getting all of her nutrients on the road, Megan Hailey, a certified nutritionist, travels with pistachios, cashews, grass-fed beef jerky and Truvani protein powder to add to her water. “I also bring supplements like magnesium, Omega-3, and my daily multivitamin,” she says.
Bonus: Medina carries Ultima powdered electrolytes that she adds to her bottled water. “In some places you need to check whether the water is safe to drink, but adding electrolytes to it gives you calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C,” she says. $20.99 for a pack of 20, ultimareplenisher.com
Extra Bonus: No matter how many preventative measures you implement, find out beforehand where you can get local medical attention or medication should the unexpected happen and make sure your travel insurance is current for good measure.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: healthy travel