Wellness Practices to Take on Your Travels

Getting into a healthy routine at home may take some work, but it's doable. Then you go away on vacation and fall right off the bandwagon!

So how do you keep yourself healthy and continue your wellness practices while you're traveling?

Taking a wellness vacation like a yoga retreat, or active travel retreat, is a great way to improve your health and wellbeing while taking a break and having fun exploring a new place. But staying healthy while travel on a general trip is something that many of us struggle with. Luckily, with a few simple steps, you can continue to stay well, or even improve your wellness while you’re traveling.

Before you go

It’s important to start your vacation off on the right foot, and having a healthier vacation starts at the planning stage.

Choose your accommodation with health in mind

Look for options that include a kitchen, like an Airbnb or a studio apartment. That way you can shop locally, which saves you money and helps you to stay on track with your healthy eating. If you prefer hotels, try somewhere that has a gym, or book in a location near a park or waterfront where you’ll enjoy walking.

Look after yourself during the flight

There are plenty of things you can do to help you survive a long haul flight. Staying hydrated during the flight and moving around to help your circulation are just a couple of ways. These apply to short journeys too of course!

Pack your yoga mat

If you’re a regular yoga practitioner then it makes sense to take your mat on vacation with you. Packing a yoga mat for your vacation is a useful reminder to take a few minutes out from all the sightseeing and exploring to stretch out and relax.

Bringing your yoga mat on vacation will also give you somewhere comfortable to do at least a few stretches in the morning or evening, or even a full yoga routine if you like!

Buy a reusable drink bottle

Having a refillable drink bottle is useful during a flight, as you may be able to ask the flight attendants to refill it for you, but you can use it at your destination too. The ability to fill a water bottle that you know won’t leak and take it out with you will remind you to stay hydrated throughout your vacation. Just be aware of the quality of the water wherever you are. If you need to, buy a big bottle of drinkable water to refill your bottle with.

Take workout clothes

If you’re trying to stay on top of a workout routine, then you definitely need to pack some workout clothes next to your other vacation outfits. Having exercise gear means no excuses for taking a walk somewhere or using a hotel gym. You never know what you’ll feel like doing, so don’t rule out some exercise by not taking the right gear!

We recommend taking quick dry clothes, so you can easily wash them in the sink if you need to and get another workout in.

Have a journal to write in

Wellness is about making active choices towards leading a healthy life, in mind and body. Writing in a journal while you travel is a great way to be present and clear your mind, while also recording your trip.

During your vacation

There are plenty of ways to take the wellness practices you engage in at home on vacation with you.

Stretch

Have a few simple stretches that you can do in the morning and evening to help you relax. Being on vacation can mean drastic changes to your normal routine, and taking the time out to stretch will help you to be more mindful and make your body feel better. Especially if you’re walking a lot more than normal, or trying new activities.

This is why packing your yoga mat is a great idea!

Be active

Being active while you’re traveling is a great way to increase your wellness and stay healthy on vacation. Even if you didn’t plan an adventure holiday make sure you add in some active activities like walking, swimming, or trying new things, like paddleboarding.

Meditation

Just because you're not on a retreat doesn't mean you shouldn't take time out for meditation. Set aside a little time in the morning when you first get up or just before bed to sit and meditate. Sit somewhere comfortable, pay attention to your breathing without seeking to control it, try to clear your mind or repeat a mantra. Check in with your feelings and try to release any tension or negativity.

Get lots of rest

We might spend some vacations lazing on a deck chair by the pool, or under an umbrella at the beach, but at other times we run around trying to see all the new and exciting things we can find. Remember to get lots of rest on your vacation. You should come back feeling better than when you left!

Eat well

Going on vacation often means giving ourselves a break from our healthy eating routine. However, if we go crazy with eating whatever we like it can be really hard to get back into the habit once we return home again. Eating well on vacation doesn’t have to mean missing out on trying new foods or having an ice-cream here and there, it’s all about moderation.

Take healthy snacks with you (if you’re allowed to take food to where you’re going), like what you would normally have at home. This means you have something healthy to turn to if you find yourself hungry when you’re out sightseeing, and you don’t have to grab the first (possibly unhealthy) thing you see.

Research the local cuisine before you go, and plan to have a meal or two out to enjoy it. Look into the healthy food options for wherever you’re going, and check out some restaurants before you even get there. You can always try setting yourself a goal like eating one salad every day, just to help you stay on track.

Eating out is a great part of traveling, but you can also go to the supermarket for a cheaper option and to see how the locals shop.

Next time you're preparing for a vacation, follow this simple list to keep your health on track. Better yet, think about taking an entire wellness vacation like a yoga retreat!