Memorial Day weekend and summer are just around the corner. Make sure you and your family stay healthy while traveling this year with these tips from our experts:
Gail Anderson, PT, OCS, Physical Therapist
“When on vacation schedule time for exercise – shoot for at least 45-60 minutes a day. Try to book a hotel with a gym and use it for your exercise session (it doesn’t have to be grueling, just moving). Plan to walk to most places within a mile or so and that can count for exercise. Plan fun activities for the whole family like swimming, snorkeling, football or volleyball. On a long car ride, take every opportunity to get out to stretch and move. When you are filling up the car with gas, get out and do squats, jumping jacks or fender push-ups. Take short walks during stops at rest areas especially if they have a walking path or grassy area.”
Susan Pruitt RDN, LD, Dietitian
“My family and I enjoy vacations that include lots of activity such as walking, hiking, and biking so we engage in some sort of physical activity most days. During long car rides, we stop every couple of hours for a short walk to stretch our legs. Any activity is better than no activity! We often take our own snacks such as trail mix, fruit, and granola bars to avoid getting caught in the not-so-healthy options at the next gas station. We tend to allow ourselves to have one meal per day that we indulge in, but even then we will share a meal or watch our portion sizes of high-calorie foods.”
Justin Weber, RPSGT, Sleep Technician
Jet lag can be a real concern for travelers who may be changing time zones. Our bodies have natural biological clocks termed “circadian rhythms” which can be influenced by a change in time zones. Many of our bodies biological conditions are influenced by sunlight, which lets us know when to sleep and when to wake. When we change time zones, our clock can take several days to adjust. Here are some simple ways to help:
- Change your sleep and wake time several days before the trip
- Select a flight with an earlier arrival time and set a later bed time
- Change your watch to the destination time zone before you fly
- Decrease caffeine intake and Stay hydrated
Amy Ward, RN, Infection Prevention Coordinator
To stay healthy when traveling, always make sure to wash your hands frequently with either soap and water or alcohol hand rub. Be sure to check the CDC travel website for vaccination suggestions. It allows you to select both your destination and your health status to determine what vaccines you may need to ask your health care provider about. It also gives other important tips for staying healthy in specific destinations. There is also a fun app called ‘Can I eat this?’ that will help you to avoid traveler’s diarrhea.