How to Stay Healthy While Travelling
Sun, Skin and Sense
Your friends may all admire your suntan when you return home from vacation, but too much sun can result in three different types of skin cancer. To reduce the risk of skin damage due to the sun, avoid the strong midday sun from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Don’t let cloud cover fool you, as 70 percent to 80 percent of the ultraviolet rays can get through. Even a beach umbrella offers only about 50 percent protection, because UV rays reflect off the sand. Take care too when swimming or snorkeling, because UV rays pass through more than 30 feet of water.
Scrupulous use of sunscreen greatly reduces your risk of skin cancer as well as the likelihood of premature skin aging. Sunscreen should be applied at least 30 minutes before exposure so it can be absorbed.
Stop rocking the boat!
Motion sickness is explained by doctors as a mismatch between the message reaching the brain from the eyes and the contradictory information arriving from the ears, which register balance. When the inner ear is jostled when sailing on rough waters or flying through turbulent skies, it sends signals to the brain letting it know the body is off balance.
Eating heavily is to be avoided, as large quantities of food or drink sloshing in your stomach tend to increase the feeling of motion. Many people say fresh air helps, as does keeping your eyes on the horizon.
Ginger continues to be a popular cure for motion sickness, soothing the stomach and reducing the likelihood of nausea. For some people, it combats queasiness just as effectively as over-the-counter medications. Ginger can come in the form of pills, ginger ale or ginger candy.
All zoned out
Jet lag is experienced when a person travels by air across more than three time zones. It occurs because many of the functions of the human body (such as temperature, pulse rate and emptying of the bladder and bowels) are regulated by internal 24-hour cycles called circadian rhythms.
The direction of travel is a major factor. For most people, heading east will disrupt the body more than heading west. This is because when traveling west you are essentially lengthening your day, something your body can cope with for between 24 and 27 hours; traveling east, however, your day soon becomes shorter than 23 hours.
To alleviate jet lag, use natural and artificial light to trick your body into adjusting to the new time zone. If it’s nighttime at your destination, pull down the window shade and cover your eyes with an eye shade. If it’s daylight at your destination, turn on the light above your seat for the duration of the flight. When you arrive, don’t revert to your old time zone and crawl into bed. Instead, force yourself to get outdoors and soak up as much daylight as possible.
Beware the aching back
Travel is tough on your back, but there’s no reason for back problems to ruin your journey. Pack suitcases near the door to avoid stairs, doorways and extra walking. Take as little as possible, never more than you can comfortably manage. Porters and bellhops are not always available.
As a rule of thumb (or back), don’t take more than you can carry three blocks without strain. If you’re on a long journey, have the hotel wash three or four days’ worth of your clothing and plan to wear everything twice.
Two smaller suitcases are generally easier to manage than one large, heavy one. To lift luggage, stand close to it, squat down, keep your back straight and use your legs to push yourself up. It’s best to avoid lifting heavy objects above your waist. For hand luggage, choose items with both center-grip handles and shoulder straps, so you can switch off when an arm or shoulder gets tired.
Take a lesson from pilots and flight attendants – use a bag with wheels to minimize lifting. After three years of consistently using a bag with wheels, I’ll never go without one again!
