Get Fit Before You Travel
March 3, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
If you want to really enjoy your trip and stay healthy, you should be fit before you travel.
Your doctor probably tells you all the time that you should exercise more, but some people find it hard to stay motivated to exercise just because they should. Decide to shape up for travel, and hopefully you’ll stay motivated.
Exercise, do some serious walking, some physical training or practice. Once you get on the road, you’ll be glad you made the effort to shape up for travel whether you’ll be hiking or biking or kayaking or just walking around cities.
There are lots of active travel destinations where you know you should do some training before you leave home: hiking the Grand Canyon, hiking the Inca Trail, actually hiking anywhere!
For instance, have you ever wanted to trek in Nepal? Spend some time walking and hiking at home, then you’ll be in good shape and ready to tackle… well, if not Mt. Everest, maybe the Annapurna Loop Trek!
When we went to Madagascar, looking for lemurs had us hiking up and down hills in the rain forests and when we “hiked” in the Tsingy? That was more like rock climbing. We were really glad we were in shape!
Why, even going to someplace like the air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin you should get in shape. You’ll do lots of walking, and it’s apt to be hot and humid. My sister wore a pedometer, and one day she walked 7 miles. Now that’s not much if you’re a marathoner or long distance hiker, but if you’re a casual tourist that amount of walking could wear you out if you aren’t in shape!
The same goes for cities that cry out to be walked: Paris, London, Prague, Budapest, even Venice could have you walking in circles for miles. We recently went to Jerusalem, and scrambling up and down in the miles of those narrow streets and bazaars was tiring, not to mention the steep hike on the Mount of Olives.
How about kayaking? Better be ready for that. Or how about scuba diving? Sometimes scuba can just feel like you fall off the boat and swim gently, but even when it doesn’t seem very hard to dive, you should be in shape.
Maybe you don’t want to do anything quite so strenuous. Golf anyone? Maybe exercise at home is driving around in a golf cart, but you might want to train a bit. If you’ve ever wanted to play golf in Scotland or Ireland, you might not find golf carts there. Shape up for travel, and you won’t have any problems walking the Old Course!
Just being in good shape will make your trip more enjoyable.
Tips For Healthy Travel
February 28, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
We’ve discussed health and travel before, but if you’re going to travel healthy, there are some things we can add and there are some things that bear repeating!
We’ve said that you should be healthy when you leave on your trip. A last minute cold aside, you don’t want to be climbing on a plane if you have the flu or some serious illness. That seems obvious, but people do it all the time. Not only will you be miserable, but you might be infecting others on the plane with you.
Most people can leave on a trip without consulting their doctor, but for some itineraries, it’s wise to get a check-up. If you’re planning a trip to an exotic location, meet with your regular doctor or your travel medicine doctor.
Find out if you need any vaccinations or medications for your trip. They can probably give you a prescription for a broad spectrum antibiotic and give you instructions on how to take it in case you get diarrhea and need it.
If you have some health issues, like a heart condition or something that limits you, discuss with your doctor the proper care you should take for those conditions to keep your travel healthy.
Make sure your teeth are in good shape too. If you’ve had some little pains in a tooth, go get it checked out. My spouse had resisted getting a wisdom tooth extracted for years. It had broken, but didn’t bother her. She started having “twinges” on that side of his mouth, but she was sure it was further forward. I told him it was probably that tooth, and it would probably blow up on him when he was on the plane! Turns out the tooth had decayed since his last checkup. She got the tooth extracted and we had a great trip.
Be sensible about what you eat and drink on your travels. Eat what you like, but if things look unhygienic, you might want to take a pass. If food looks like it’s been sitting out for the flies for a few hours, you wouldn’t want to eat it anyway.
Try to eat nutritiously. If you have a dietary restriction, try to learn how to say it in the local language (or get it written down). And let the restaurants know. Ask if they can help you if you need to avoid something for health reasons.
If you have serious food allergies, like allergies to shellfish or peanuts, you should carry an EpiPen or its equivalent. Of course you’ll try to avoid the culprit, but in a foreign country, you may not get your point across, so it’s better to be prepared. A precaution like this not only keeps your travel healthy, it could keep you alive!
Drink bottled water in places where the water isn’t safe. It is usually pretty easy to tell where that is. Drink tea or coffee made with boiled water, or drink bottled or canned soft drinks, beer or wine.
You have to watch your own hygiene as well as the water and the food. Make sure your hands are clean. Wash them before eating or use those hand sanitizers that are available now. They come in small packets that you can take in your carry on luggage.
Get in shape for your trip so you’ll feel good about all that walking and all those stairs. Try to get plenty of exercise when you’re on your trip. And get plenty of sleep.
Sure you want to run around and not miss anything, but if you’re going to travel healthy, you need to rest. That way you will be able to keep going, and you will see it all.
Tips To Stay Healthy While Traveling
August 24, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
The best source for up to the minute information on healthy travel is a “travel doctor”. These specialists keep up with all of the latest recommendations for anywhere in the world.
Also be up to date on all your routine vaccinations, including a seasonal influenza vaccine. It won’t protect against a new flu strain, but it protects against any seasonal flu that may also be occurring, and not getting a “common” seasonal flu will help keep you stronger, so your body can resist that new strain.
Drink bottled water in places where the water is considered unsafe. It never hurts to err on the side of caution. If you are unsure, grab that bottle rather than tap water.
Eat nutritiously. A bag of chips and a sandwich might be good for your budget, but eaten often, they aren’t good for your travel health. Try to eat at least one good balanced meal a day with your proteins and veges. If you have a serious dietary restriction, get it written out by someone who speaks the local language so you can use the note to order in local restaurants. We once traveled to Africa with a friend who was gluten intolerant and she did fine. Chefs everywhere are willing to work with you.
Avoid unhealthy looking restaurants. If the food looks suspicious, you you should move on to a healthier looking place. If the diners inside are coughing and sneezing, you might want to give the restaurant a pass.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer to remove germs from your skin. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs are spread more quickly with that kind of contact.
Exercise to get in shape before you leave on your trip, and keep exercising on the road. You’ll probably be doing enough walking so you won’t have to do any gym time. Just remember, exercise keeps you healthy.
Try to get enough sleep. If you’ve crossed many time zones, you will arrive with jet lag. It will take you a day or two or more to get acclimated to your new time zone. We know you want to spend all the time you can seeing the sights and experiencing that new culture, but if you get over tired, you’re much more susceptible to catching a cold or the flu.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Try to stay at least 2 meters away. Influenza is thought to spread mainly through contact with sick people or through the coughing or sneezing of infected people.
Monitor the local health situations. Listen to announcements from the local government and follow their guidelines and restrictions if there is some sort of a disease outbreak like the Swine Flu.
If you do get sick, get medical care. Pharmacies in Europe can help with common ailments. In most areas you can check with local clinics for more severe problems. Your hotel may be able to call a doctor to make a house call. Consider joining the non-profit IAMAT, The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers. They can get you a list of English speaking doctors in member countries.
With proper precautions and preparation, almost all of your travel will be healthy travel. So go ahead, take that trip, it’s good for your health!
