How to stay
HEALTHY
on the road
Don’t let your summer vacation plans
derail your healthy everyday regimen.
Instead, remember these expert tips and
stay well no matter where your journey
takes you.
Pack your water bottle. Ideally, you need to drink
at least 8 ounces of water four times per day, says Michael P.
Zimring, MD, co-author of Healthy Travel (Basic Health, 2005).
But remembering to stay hydrated on the road can be tricky,
so always carry a refillable water bottle. To avoid picking up
infections and foreign germs, Zimring recommends buying
bottled water while traveling in developing countries.
Squeeze in daily workouts. A hotel gym is great,
but a nearby park, playground, beach—or just a bedroom—
work just fine. “Your body is the best equipment you have,”
says Melyssa St. Michael, co-author of Becoming a Personal
Trainer for Dummies (For Dummies, 2004). To squelch
stiffness while traveling, she recommends doing a daily
30-minute circuit of push-ups, crunches, and squats—ten
reps per exercise. These days, some hotels (such as Hilton,
Marriott, Kimpton, and Omni chains) even provide guests
with fitness kits, complete with a yoga mat, Pilates band, and
instructional video.
Eat right. Ward off the temptations to gorge three
times daily by checking out healthydiningfinder.com,
which lists restaurant meals that won’t explode your
calorie count. Or find nearby natural grocery stores, fruit
stands, and farmers’ markets. “Don’t overdo it on food,”
says Zimring. Stick with simple, nutritious meals, and
allow yourself one splurge per day. —Melody Warnick
