One of the greatest mysteries about humans is that we always feel tired coming home from work even on days when all we did was sat and read emails. But when we are traveling, even if we walked off our feet an entire day and party all night, we still manage to get up early the next morning, bright and excited for the day ahead. We even forget to eat in our rush to take in as many sights as possible.
But when we do feel the energy drain, it’s more inconvenient when we’re away from home, far from our familiar support systems. This is what we should avoid.
Don’t forget that even if you don’t immediately feel the exhaustion, your body systems are already affected. When you sleep less, skip meals, and push your body to its limits, your immune system is working overtime. That’s why a little trigger could push your health over the edge. You’d get sick in the middle of your vacation and have to spend days recuperating in your boring hotel room or worse, on a hospital bed.
Get enough sleep.
As has been stressed early on, you need to have enough rest. If you want to run around the entire day, it’s ok as long as you make sure you get to sleep for seven to eight hours at night.
You could have a great clubbing experience without having to do it every night. Similarly, night attractions like the theater, the orchestra, and some night markets don’t end very late. You have enough time to wind down and sleep to get up early the following day.
Bring vitamins or dietary supplements.
For different reasons, our nutrition could get off-balance when we’re traveling. Sometimes, we’re budgeting our meals, so we don’t get a well-rounded diet. We might eat the free eggs and buttered bread the hotel offers for breakfast, then we might grab a donut or a croissant for lunch, and enjoy a local delicacy that isn’t always healthy for dinner.
However, our need for the right amount of nutrients is not put on hold just because we’re not at home. The body will keep looking for them to function well. For this, even if you’re strict on being all-natural in your diet back home, you need to bring some vitamins and dietary add-ons. Some chewable iron food supplements and vitamin C should be a basic part of your medicine pack. Throw in some Vitamin B complex capsules as well to boost your energy levels.
If you anticipate that you won’t be getting the dietary requirements you need for some health reasons, bring along supplements. You don’t want to faint or have a breakdown because you’re limited in your food choices.
Keep yourself hydrated and eat on time.
Since water plays a significant role in our body’s capacity to assimilate the nutrients we take in, if we don’t drink enough, our dietary supplements would be useless. Water also keeps us cooled down enough to keep exploring even under the heat of a tropical sun. Proper hydration will also lessen the muscle and joint aches we feel at the end of the day.
To avoid having stomach problems, drink only purified water even if some restaurants offer service water. Additionally, you might want to keep off those delicacies with shaved ice or anything ice. The water they use might be purified but the ice sometimes is not.
Alternate high energy and low energy activities.
If you went trekking one day, you might want to just chill in a museum or go people-watching in a café the following day. Let your muscles rest and recuperate enough energy to go scuba diving or maybe biking in the countryside later on.
Parties — and wild drinking sprees — could be considered high energy activities. Alcohol wipes out a lot of your energy and also affects your immune system. Better spend a day on a serene park bench, taking in the local vibe, after a night of beer pong or bar hopping.
Bring chocolates or candy bars for emergencies.
As has been mentioned, there are times you forget to take a meal in running through your itinerary for the day. At the height of your running around, you might not feel it, but at some point, you might feel faint although not hungry. Have some chocolates with you for that emergency sugar rush. However, you should not depend on it for nourishment throughout your trip.
Taking care of yourself while on the go is not too hard. You just have to keep to the biological routines you have been doing when at home — that is, eat on time, take your supplements, and rest when you should. Here are a few more tips on how to keep your energy up and your body functions in good shape while traveling.
