How to stay healthy while travelling

One of the questions I get asked frequently around this time of year is how to stay healthy while travelling.

Many of us here in Bermuda take advantage of the school break and go on a family vacation. This involves travelling on planes, trains and automobiles.

I’ve put together some essential travelling tips that I tell all my clients to help them stay fit and healthy while on the road.

• Drink lots of water

We should be drinking lots of water, at least half our bodyweight (in pounds) in ounces a day. So if you weigh 120 pounds, you should be aiming for 60 ounces of water while you’re on the road.

Always carry a high-quality Celtic sea salt so you can add a pinch of salt to your bottled spring water once you make it past security. 

You should not be able to taste the salt but it will give you the minerals you need and help balance your hormonal system.

• Boost the immune system

Pack a bottle of Oregano oil in your toiletries bag to help ward off any upset tummies, food poisoning or just for boosting your immune system while sitting in confined space on planes. 

This herbal supplement is derived from oregano and is completely safe for the body. 

Place a few drops under the tongue and repeat a couple of times a day so it can do the job.

• Belly breathing

Make sure you take belly breaths while travelling. Set your watch to bleep on the hour every hour when you‘re on the move and take ten deep diaphragmatic breaths. 

The first two-thirds should come from belly expansion and the final third through your chest. Breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth or nose. 

This will get oxygen pumping around the body and increase vitality.

• Pumping Movements

Simple pumping movements like breathing squats or slow walking will help pump fluid moving around the body, which will support the immune system, lymphatic system and help you sleep better on a plane.

• Don’t eat too much

Always carry healthy food with you but don’t eat too heavy. 

When you’re sat down for a long period of time, your organs are not too stimulated and the food will just sit in your stomach.

• Herbal Teas

Packing some sleep herbal tea will help you sleep and unwind as opposed to coffee, which will keep you awake and wired.

Take these tips and apply them next time you’re travelling, to feel refreshed and invigorated after you get off the plane.  

Colin has designed a blog at www.CoconutFitness.com. Subscribe to “50 Ways to be Fit and Fabulous” for free. 

Colin Ayliffe is a certified personal trainer and holistic lifestyle coach with over 10 years’ experience in training clients. He graduated from the University of Surrey with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Science and is also a CHEK practitioner, golf biomechanic and is accredited by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.