Your international holiday travel will be unforgettable, but you don’t need to put your health on hold while you explore a new country—and you shouldn’t. Making time to move your body in a local gym, eat healthy snacks between indulgent meals and take vitamins that support your system on a big trip ensures that you have all the energy you need to see every monument and enjoy every late-night dinner.
As you prep for your trip, do more than pack your suitcase. Plan ahead for a healthy international holiday trip with these simple tips.
5 Plan-Ahead International Travel Tips
1. Find a gym or plan to move without one
You’d be amazed at how many gyms you can find internationally. From Asia to Europe, most cities have a few gyms to choose from, even Crossfit Boxes. Even better, most have affordable day pass rates. Before heading out, find a gym in your area so you know where it is and how to get there—one less thing to worry about upon arrival. If you’re visiting family, they may already be members at a gym nearby, making this step even easier.
If you find that there is no gym, adjust accordingly. Seek out some running routes or plan to do bodyweight workouts to stay moving and feeling good. Check out Vitacost’s list of bodyweight exercises or find free workouts on sites like FitnessBlender.com.
2. Ask someone to be your workout buddy
The hardest part about staying healthy during international holiday travel is finding the motivation to get up and move your body. Before boarding your plane, ask around to find a workout buddy within your group. You can offer motivation for them and they can do the same for you, providing accountability to stay active for the duration of your travels.
3. Pack your vitamins
You can travel with vitamins to international countries, but you may want to create a new vitamin blend specifically for your trip. Joni Sweet, health writer and traveler, suggests the following supplements:
- Melatonin: To help your body stay on track as you cross into new time zones. It can also help with immune function.†
- Probiotics: To prep your body for all the new foods you’ll be eating.
- Turmeric: To support healthy inflammation processes and give you a boost after flying.†
- Magnesium: To keep your body in neutral. Magnesium plays a role in more than 600 reactions in the body, including energy creation and nervous system regulation.†
- B Vitamins: To boost your energy levels for all the sightseeing and adventuring.†
4. Travel with healthy non-perishable snacks
You know you’ll be indulging in all the delicious foreign and holiday foods on your travels, but between meals, you can be nourishing yourself with the healthy snacks you love at home. You may be surprised when you realize how many items you can take with you on a plane, that will also stay fresh without refrigeration. A few stand-bys include:
- Protein or health bars
- Nuts and seeds
- Bananas and oranges*
- Beef jerky
- Granola/cereal
- Greens/protein powder
- Dried fruit
There are two things to note as you pack your snack bags. The first being that whether you can bring fresh fruit will depend upon the country you’re going to. Some won’t care while others will make you toss it out upon arrival at customs. If anything, it makes a fresh plane snack on your way there.
Secondly, make sure your protein or greens powder is in the original container so security knows what it is. Once you’ve gotten to your destination, you can buy yogurt and use it to get an extra morning boost before heading out for adventuring and indulging.
5. Find the nearest grocery store
Supplement your snacks from home with healthy foods from the grocery store. Plan on starting each day with a healthy breakfast at home, setting you up for success before heading out to explore. Nearly every grocery store will have eggs, yogurt, milk, toast, jam and nut butters, making it easy to grab the foods your body prefers in the morning.
Stay healthy this holiday season
International travel is no excuse to let your body suffer. Instead, use these holiday travel tips to make sure you have all the energy you need to explore and sight see, and then return home feeling ready for the new year.
†These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
Be prepared for international travel -- or any travel -- with help from these bring-along products available at Vitacost.com:
