How to Stay Healthy During Holiday Travel

how to stay healthy during holiday travel

Lack of sleep, exercise, and poor eating habits is all it takes to set you up for vacation trouble. Here’s what to do.

Whether you’re visiting friends or family, hitting the slopes or catching the last of the winter sun, chances are, you’re traveling this holiday season. While holiday travel can be great for your psyche, it can take a toll on your health if you aren’t careful. From the stress of the journey to traffic to flight delays to eating fast food and not getting enough sleep or exercise, you can easily wind up feeling under the weather.

Keeping your immune system on track as you travel is important so that you can fully enjoy the festivities and feasts! Here are some tips on how to stay healthy as you travel this season.

Plan Meals

Sure, it’s much easier to pick up a burger and shake at the airport or gas station, but it certainly isn’t doing much for your health. Instead, pack snacks that will keep you satisfied without compromising your health. These can include carrot and celery sticks with hummus, pita bread and guacamole, nuts, low-sugar energy bars, and fresh pieces of fruit. Oh, and don’t forget the water, too! Staying hydrated plays a significant role in keeping you focused and stress-free.

Get Plenty of Rest

Make sleep your priority the night before your trip. Researchers found that even skipping a couple hours of sleep can make you more vulnerable to catching a cold the next day. What’s more, getting behind the wheel drowsy is never a good idea. Aim to get at least six hours of shut-eye before traveling.

Stay Active

Exercise boosts your energy and improves your mood – even while traveling. If possible, take frequent breaks from driving to stretch your legs and get fresh air. If you’re flying, walk round the airport terminal instead of sitting down to wait for boarding. You can also make a few trips up and down the aisle during your flight to keep your legs active.

Stay Organized

Take the stress out of traveling by planning your trip well. Get to the airport in time, know your car journey route, and, most importantly, plan for delays. Unexpected delays can be stressful because they are out of your control, but they don’t have to be a major source of stress. Pack a book or movie that you’ve been dying to get through so that time will fly by as you wait for your journey to resume.

When you need urgent medical attention, choose an urgent care with reliable walk-in treatment. At Sand Canyon Urgent Care, we can help you quickly so that you can get back to your festivities. Visit us in Irvine and Stanton.