How to Make Healthy Choices While Traveling & Stay on Top of your Goals

Whether you travel frequently for work or you go on the occasional family vacation, it’s important to know 2 things; 1. That you can actually make healthy choices while on the road (or in the air) and also 2. How to actually make those choices.

So today let’s talk about 3 ways you can set yourself up for success when traveling!

The truth is, travel presents a lot of situations that are simply out of our control and it can make putting your fitness foot forward or putting your health first when you’re traveling.

There’s going to be a lot of things out of your control.

You’re not going to be able to control if the flight gets delayed.

You’re not going to be able to control if somebody sitting in the row next to you is keeping you awake and you’re trying to get some sleep.

You’re not going to be able to control the fact that there’s a child on the plane who’s having some challenges and they’re crying or just being loud.

But there’s a lot of things that are in your control. Those are the things we’re going to focus on; control the controllable!

1. Sleep

Have you ever experienced jetlag? It can throw off your entire routine and make traveling a bit rough. One of the best things you can do before you travel (especially if you’ll be crossing multiple time zones) is getting adequate sleep beforehand!

Don’t go into your trip sleep deprived. When your body’s clock gets thrown off a little bit during travel, you’re going to be well prepared to buffer your sleep. The more you focus on your sleep beforehand, the better off you’re going to be on your trip. You can even try to shift your body’s clock a few days before you travel to prepare yourself for a new timezone by going to bed 30 minutes earlier or waking up 30 minutes earlier.

You could also be more intentional with flight times if you have the option. If you have a 6 or 7am departure, you’ll probably need to wake up around 3 or 4am to get to the airport in time. As opposed to picking a 10am flight which would afford you more sleep and set your travel day up better for success.

2. Hydration

Hydration is underrated. Especially if you’re at a high altitude. So be sure you’re hydrating appropriately with adequate water intake. Hydration isn’t just about water intake, though. Electrolytes play a big role. We suggest making sure you have a good ratio of sodium, potassium, and magnesium. This is especially important for those traveling for athletics or exercise.

Now, let’s talk about that drink cart on the plane. It is very common for people to drink things whether that’s alcohol, soda, ginger ale, orange juice, or any of the other drink options that are complimentary on your flight. If you can avoid those highly sugary drinks on the plane, that’s going to set you up so much better to feel better during your travel.

3. Snacks

Packing your own snacks when traveling can help you stay on top of your goals and provide quality fuel and energy throughout your day. When choosing your snack, prioritize protein and healthy fats if you can. Here’s a few travel snack ideas:

Beef jerky

Greek Yogurt

Nuts

Protein powder

These types of snacks are going to sustain you, satiate you and make you feel full significantly longer. The more we can reduce the highly processed sugary carbs that are going to be very easy and quick and convenient during travel, the better.

So there you have it! Three simple ways you can set yourself better for success when you travel so you don’t feel sluggish and completely depleted of energy when you’re on your way to your destination.

Did you find this helpful?

If so, share this blog with a friend that could benefit. It’s the small choices we make daily that make the biggest difference. If you master those, you’ll be unstoppable – even when life becomes out of our control.