4 WAYS TO AVOID ILLNESS WHILE TRAVELLING

We plan for every little eventuality when we travel. We pack our toothbrushes. We bring an extra data card on our cameras. But often we don’t plan for the event of falling sick or getting injured, though the possibility is likely. Read this piece to keep yourself fit while travelling.

Travel is a great way to broaden your mind and bring in that much-needed vitality into your life. A holiday is the one thing we all look forward to in our daily drudgery of work and weekends. Taking three weeks off and jetting off to an exotic place is top on the list for many people, and the idea of it is just divine.

However, travel often brings with it unforeseen challenges. Because you will be travelling to places you’ve never been before and eating food that your palate is probably not used to, there is a high risk of falling ill. Also, since many people are more physically active on their vacations (think trekking and walking), there is a higher chance of being injured as well.

Here are a few tips to stay in tip-top shape on your vacation.

1. Hygiene
Two of the easiest words to remember, and yet so few do. Stay clean with daily showers, and whenever you use the bathroom, and before and after meals, make sure that you wash your hands with soap. The few minutes it takes to lather up and wash off are worth the trouble, especially because the risk is a week of agony.

2. Hydration
When it comes to hydration, avoid tap water as much as you can and opt for bottled water. Packaged electrolytes are also a great idea to keep your body fully nourished with the salts and minerals that it needs. Avoid alcohol and coffee as much as you can while in transit, because they’re both dehydrating drinks. If packaged water is not available where you’re going, considering boiling water before you drink it.

3. Discretion with food choice
If you have to eat out (and let’s face it, eating out is a huge part of travelling, so we recommend that you do), make sure you stick to reputable outlets and places which bear a polished, refined look. Another tip you can use is to eat at restaurants and joints frequented by many locals, and which are busy. This usually means that their standards of food safety are reasonably high.

4. Exercise
We know, asking you to exercise even when you’re on vacation is cruel. But it has to be said; if you can squeeze in your exercise during your trip – whether you do it in your hotel room or whether you go for a run around the block where you’re staying – then the chances of you falling ill go down drastically. Even better, see if you can incorporate exercise into your sightseeing. For example, if a particular tourist spot is four kilometers away, instead of taking a cab, you can choose to briskly walk there – if not jog – there instead.