If you’ve got an incentive trip coming up, you’re probably counting down the days until your departure. From finishing up that important project at work to making sure you have time for those last-minute errands, preparing for a trip can be exhausting.
Often, we get so run down that we end up sick during or even after our globetrotting. We know how important your trip is and want to help you enjoy every minute of it, so we’ve gathered some great tips for staying healthy while traveling.
Prepare for Wellness
Carefully preparing for your trip can make the difference between being stuck in your hotel room with a fever and exploring a new destination, making memories that will last a lifetime. A critical part of enjoying any trip is being healthy. No matter your destination, make sure you’re up-to-date on your routine vaccines and check if any immunizations are required for your specific destination.
Get on the Health Track Two Weeks Prior to Departure
Other pre-departure tips for staying healthy while traveling include getting enough sleep and exercising regularly to boost your immune system, as well as eating yogurt or taking probiotics, which help maintain your intestinal health. Preparing to be away from work can be more difficult, stressful and time-consuming than actually being at work, but don’t let that stress get to you. Do what you’re able to before your trip and consider delegating what you just can’t get to before you leave.
When packing for your destination, bring items that can keep you healthy during your flight, including the following:
- Vitamin C or Airborne
- Hand sanitizer
- Socks to wear through airport security and to keep your feet warm in-flight
- A shawl or blanket in case you get cold during the flight
- Glasses to wear during the flight as the air on planes is very dry
- Disinfecting wipes (Once you’re on the plane, use the wipes to disinfect your overhead air vent and even the tray table and arm rests.)
Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth and keep your nails clean to prevent the spread of germs, especially if you’re near someone who’s coughing or sneezing. Long flights can be dehydrating, so make sure to drink plenty of water and avoid caffeine and alcohol as they will further dehydrate you. Eat a light, protein-rich meal, which will help you resist infection and rebuild muscle.
Okay, you’ve done all you could to prepare for your trip and stay healthy during the flight, now what? No matter where your travel takes you, there are other tips for staying healthy while being away. In addition to getting enough sleep and exercising, which are good ideas no matter where you are, choose your meals wisely. If you don’t regularly eat a lot of butter, carbs, oils, fried food, etc., don’t start when away from home. Try to stick to your normal diet as closely as you can while sampling the local culture. If not just for peace of mind but also as a precaution, it’s advisable to drink bottled water (as opposed to tap water) in foreign countries.
Post-Travel Healthy Tips
Coming home with an illness can make adjusting back to reality that much more difficult and getting back to work nearly impossible. Our tips for staying healthy while traveling don’t end when your trip does; instead, we have a few ideas for keeping healthy even after the trip ends.
- Re-hydrate: Drinking plenty of water will flush toxins from your body and help you readjust to any time zone differences.
- Catch up on sleep: Traveling can be exhilarating and exhausting, so getting enough rest even after your rewards trip is critical.
- Exercise: Getting back to your routines is important in adjusting back to your reality, and exercise will help keep you healthy.
- Eat well: Traveling can upset your digestion, so eat lots of fiber-rich foods including oats, berries, vegetables and chia and flax seeds. Consider having a daily green smoothie to boost nutrients and energy and to curb post-travel cravings.
Docherty Incentives & Meetings is a full service incentive marketing and global event management company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For more than three decades, Docherty has been planning incentive programs, global events and meetings on six of the seven continents.
