Ritika works in the marketing department of her company, her job profile is such that she has to travel a lot in a day! Meeting clients, making presentations, attending seminars and so on, she is barely left with any time to pay attention to what she eats, drinks or whether she eats anything at all during the day. But on many a occasion when hunger pangs have made their presence felt, Ritika has been more than happy to oblige with chips, soft drinks, burgers, rolls or anything that she could obtain from hotels and stores on a short notice.
The extensive travelling and hectic nature of work throughout the day used to leave Ritika with no time and energy to exercise or do any other physical activity than sleep once she was home. All this had to take a toll on her health and soon Ritika found herself in the hospital on account of dehydration and sunstroke!
But would Ritika still be in the hospital today, if she knew how to stay healthy while travelling?
Of course not! Following are 8 tips on how to stay healthy while travelling,
Carry an extra Tiffin- Hunger pangs can be very bothersome when they arise and you don’t have anything on you to eat at that moment. But did you know that hunger pangs are the body’s way of indicating that you’re running low on energy. No wonder you find yourself unable to concentrate or perform even routine tasks properly when you find yourself with a hungry stomach!
Carrying an extra Tiffin consisting of low fat food items is the best way to deal with such hunger pangs. Food items in the Tiffin could range from fruits such as apples, oranges, sweet limes, pineapple, grapes etc. to Bhel, Chivda or khakra’s and Paratha’s made using very less oil. You could also carry nuts and dry fruits in your Tiffin, to up your energy ante if you fall victims to those untimely hungry pangs.
Carry small forks and spoons- Carrying small forks and spoons with you are very important, especially if you are planning on eating while travelling. Forks and spoons ensure that your hands do not come in direct contact with the food, thereby reducing the chances of possible contamination of the food via your own hands! When travelling, you can never be sure of the hygiene levels of the environment that you are travelling through or for that matter even the vehicle you are travelling in.
You could either carry the disposable plastic variety or the commonly used stainless steel variety of forks and spoons.
Carry a suitable face wash – Travelling in the city is bound to plaster dirt, pollution, dust along with the various free radicals present in the air. All of these can wreak havoc on your skin leading to acne, blemishes, dry or rough skin, greasy skin etc. To counter this, it is advisable to carry a face wash that is suitable to your skin type with you at all times, when you travel.
Washing of the face at regular intervals ensures that your skin pores do not get clogged and are free to breathe, this lone factor will ensure that travelling does not cause much harm to your skin. Also while washing your face, do remember to wash with warm followed by cold water, if available.
Drink ample water – H2O makes up around 70% of our body and up to 80% of our brain. These two are alone reasons enough for you to consume ample water through the day, not convinced yet? Water is needed for intra-cellular activities in our body and it keeps our skin hydrated. Less consumption of water will lead to dehydration of our body, furthermore we need water for the formation of urine, which is the body’s way of flushing out toxins.
Carry a slightly heavy water bottle with you, as its weight will serve as a constant reminder to you for drinking water while travelling!
Stock up on those electrolytes- Come summer and our bodies begin losing water at a much faster rate due to excessive sweating and evaporation of water from the lungs as the body temperature rises. But along with water, our body also loses electrolytes. Electrolytes are needed by our body for the proper functioning of our cells and organs, a low level of electrolytes can cause dehydration, spells of fainting, blind spots etc to occur for a short period of time.
To ensure that your body is healthy and well stocked with electrolytes while travelling, drink coconut water or dissolve Electral in a glass of water and drink it for oral rehydration. Remember to always carry an extra packet of Electral with you while travelling, to deal with the off-chance of you falling prey to motion sickness or an upset tummy!
Take to the stairs- Travelling involves a lot of sitting per say, be it your car, the cab or the rickshaw, the bus or the train or even the airplane for that matter; you are always sitting even while travelling! While sitting during travelling is inevitable, you can always take the stairs once you reach your destination and literally climb your way to good health, while travelling!
Climbing stairs will not only provide you with a little bit of activity but will also give you the chance to exercise. You could try and stretch your limits through the maximum number of floors you can cover in one climb!
Wear Comfortable shoes- Travelling involves a lot of use of the feet, and if your feet aren’t comfortable, travelling can become quite stressful. To avoid this pain and discomfort, invest in a pair of good comfortable shoes that will keep your feet comfortable and happy as you travel, letting you concentrate on your work!
If being on foot is a major part of your travelling, a good pair of sports shoes should do the trick. Women are always found walking around in pencil heels, it would be a good idea to discard these and opt for flats or canvas sandals. Uncomfortable shoes can also cause a number of painful conditions in your feet such as Achilles tendon, corns, calluses, athlete’s foot etc. To read more about 8 Tips to Stay Healthy while you Travel by Medimanage.com