Get Healthy Before Traveling During COVID-19
Planning a trip is exciting. It can also be overwhelming when you are also trying to stay healthy during the era of COVID-19. Here are a few tips for keeping your mind and body in optimal shape as you prepare for travel.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Getting an adequate amount of sleep is hard to do these days. The usual blue-light sources like television, laptop screens and smart phones keep people awake and stimulated at night. Now, though, many families also find routines disrupted by schedule changes. New duties pile up, like working from home, helping children with virtual learning and cleaning a house that’s always full of people. It is tempting to cut into sleep time to check items off the to-do list. But if travel plans are near, make sure those eight hours of sleep are a priority.
Studies show that a full night’s sleep helps fight disease and infection by allowing your system to produce antibodies and infection-fighting proteins called cytokines.
Take Vitamins
A balanced diet is vital to good health, but getting ready for a trip takes time and energy. Extra shopping, packing suitcases and talking to the travel agent add on more responsibilities in addition to the daily grind. There’s not always time to make a well-balanced meal. Vitamins and supplements fill in the gaps of a less-than-perfect diet. Even if you manage to eat well, you’ll need extra energy to get it all done.
A supplement that supports metabolism like LCR Health Active PK can help fight fatigue and brain fog.
Make Exercise Routine
While regular exercise might get pushed out of the picture when preparing for a trip, it’s important to fit it in. Make phone calls during a walk around the neighborhood. Do a set of 10 push-ups while watching a show. Get the family together and discuss travel plans while shooting hoops or tossing a baseball. Even small amounts of exercise through the course of a day are beneficial and increase your energy level.
Drink Lots of Water
Proper hydration is crucial to body function, and even slight dehydration can affect your mood and ability to think clearly. That’s the last thing you need when you’re planning a trip. Fortunately, it’s easy to prevent dehydration.
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and you’ll have a head start on your water intake. Keep a bottle handy in your car, near your desk and in your travel bag. Don’t wait to feel thirsty. If you drink enough throughout the day, you’ll be able to slow down water intake near bedtime, so trips to the bathroom don’t interrupt the all-important good night of sleep.
Keep Stress Levels Down
Admittedly, it’s hard to keep stress in check these days. The concerns of COVID-19 play a role in your life now. Add travel plans to the mix, and you might feel overwhelmed.
Take a few minutes several times a day to breathe deeply, check in with your feelings and become mindful of your surroundings. Call a friend or family member just to chat. If you need to, ask for help.
Wash Your Hands
Don’t take germs with you on your trip. Proper hand washing is always important, but critical in the era of COVID-19. Spend twenty seconds actively scrubbing and lathering with soap, and don’t forget to wash between the fingers. Rinse with warm water if possible. Hands should be washed before, during and after preparing food, after using the bathroom, after coughing or sneezing, and before and after caring for someone who is sick.
The CDC recommends washing hands after being in a public place where you have come into contact with door handles, gas pumps, tables or other surfaces in common areas. Also, wash hands before touching your face.
Make sure good health doesn’t take a back seat to your travel plans. Work these good habits into your routine, and you’ll be able to take off at your best.
