How to stay comfortable, healthy during travel
Published On February 8, 2014 » 2869 Views» By Davies M.M Chanda » Features
 0 stars
Register to vote!

Beautifully Healthy LogoHELLO dear friends! I trust that you are all well. This week we look at how to ensure that you stay healthy and comfortable when travelling.
I know that with globalisation and increasing trade avenues, many people are travelling more and more.
Travelling can be either by road or air, short or long-distance, can be very stressful and is known to wreak havoc on your skin and health sometimes, especially those long trips.
So I garnered some tip for you to stay afloat when travelling.
First wear comfortable clothing. Tight clothing restricts your blood circulation which, coupled with sitting for a long time, is not healthy.
Invest in leggings, sweat pants, track bottoms, comfortable shirts and canvas or sneakers.
Wear comfortable shoes which you can take off to give your feet room to breath.
Pack a little First Aid Kit, Imoduim and Flagyl (for those emergency bouts of diarrhoea), and band aides in case you hurt yourself, and some painkillers.
Also try not to travel if you have a head cold, flu or sinus infection because the intense pressure in the cabin will worsen your symptoms.
Carry your medications and also coat your nasal area (in your nose) with petroleum jelly to avoid extra tenderness.
In the same vein, make sure that you drink a lot of water to keep yourself hydrated.
I know that a lot of people like to drink when travelling, but travelling dehydrates you (especially if there is an air conditioner), so drink a lot of water.
airtravel.about.com advises travellers to stretch saying: “Not only will it help keep the blood flowing, but it will alleviate the cramping and pains that come from sitting for an extended period of time.
Move around the cabin every once in a while, see if there are pockets of air on the flight that seem fresher than the air around your seating area!
Invest in a neck pillow, an eye mask for blocking out light, and warm socks (it can get chilly down near the feet during a long haul flight).
This is especially important for long-distance drives and flights and these are available in most major supermarkets, stations and airports, they are worth every ngwee.
Stay away from caffeine as it will hamper your sleep. Avoid it before and during the flight. Most soft drinks and tea also have caffeine, stick to water.
If like me you have bouts of motion/travel sickness, speak to a chemist about medicine you can take to ease the discomfort.
The change in air pressure in the cabin as the plane takes off and lands can be painful as your ears adjust. Yawning, swallowing, sucking a boiled sweet or chewing gum can help.
If you are travelling while pregnant, notify the cabin crew so that they provide you with a comfortable seat, and also because in case of any emergencies they need to know how far along you are.
Babycenter.com has a tip for people driving and travelling long distances: Keep your blood circulating by taking a break from driving at least every 90 minutes (you may need to stop more often than that for bathroom breaks). Pull over at a rest area to walk around and do some simple stretches.
If you’re a passenger, wear comfortable shoes you can slip off, such as flip-flops or slippers. Keep your seat reclined to a comfortable position (with your seat belt on), and try these simple exercises:
Extend your leg, heel first, and gently point and flex your foot to stretch your calf muscles and get blood pumping. Then rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes.
Ladies please ensure that when travelling, you don’t wear much make-up as this will bloat your skin, rather keep it sans (without) make-up and regularly sprinkle some water on it and apply moisturiser.
Ditch the heels as well, not only do you look ridiculous when you are over-dressed for a trip but who are you kidding? It is uncomfortable as well.
Actually moisturise your hands and feet as well, same goes for you gentlemen – slap some lotion on your skin because travelling can dry you out so bad.
www.parenting.com has the following advice for Pregnant Women:
Book an aisle seat, so it’s easy to get up to go to the bathroom and walk around when you need to.
If you have trouble with nausea related to motion or pregnancy, talk to your doctor about prescribing an anti-nausea medication to have on-hand. There are several that are safe to take during pregnancy.
And for parents totting their little ones with them, dress your baby in simple clothing and do not put shoes on them.
Ensure that your baby is sucking or chewing something when the flight starts ascending or descending as extreme air pressure can affect their ears severely.
Ensure that you travel as lightly as you can possibly manage so that you are comfortable.
So that’s it for this week, stay safe and remember lets chat in divadiarys@gmail.com.
Follow me on twitter@arushapot and catch up on my blog divadiarys.blogspot.com.

Share this post
Tags

About The Author