On a recent wellness travel trip, I had a discussion with fellow writers and competitive runners about your “non-negotiables” of traveling for races, or the things you have to do every single day to be at your best. For them, it was doing a practice run of the course beforehand.
For travel, it could be as simple as untucking your bed upon entering your hotel room or packing your own snacks from home. It got me thinking about how to travel as your best self overall and what your non-negotiables are.
Get Enough Sleep
Do you really think you’re going to be able to function at your full capacity without sleep? Staying out late on a pub crawl may seem like a good idea, but it can make you more susceptible to theft, make you miss a turn when looking for your hotel and turn a nice person into an unpleasant one. And sleeping in all morning cuts away from your precious time on the road. Don’t waste it!
Eat Right
Obviously this goes hand in hand with sleep. Heavy food for a long period of time can make you bloated and sluggish. Fast food is okay in moderation, especially if you’re looking for something on the go, but it’s important to eat better every few days.
I like how Westin Hotels offers a Recovery menu for races and workouts that include light eats like this whole wheat pasta, salads and juices. When I’m traveling on my own and staying at hostels, I like Boost smoothies in Australia and Asia and to cook my own meals.
Stay Organized
I feel better when I’ve been able to unpack fully, even if I’m only in a place for one night. This is when packing cubes come in handy because I only have to unpack what I need and everything has a proper place. It keeps me from misplacing things as well. Develop a system before you leave so that you can keep organized on the road.
Move Around
I don’t feel well when I’ve spent too much time sitting, especially after extended flights. I’ve started wearing compression socks because they kept my blood circulated and less at risk for deep vein thrombosis. And while I’m not as diligent as I once was about going running and working out while traveling, I do my best to at least stretch my legs every morning.
Keep Up a Routine
No matter where you are or what time zone you’re in, it’s nice to develop a bit of a routine. For me, I wake up when I can, have a cup of tea and catch up on reading travel blogs on Bloglovin. If I have a newspaper, I’ll also read that, as well as check my emails. I also try to wash my face every day to start and finish my day in the right way.
I think these are some great tips and important things to think about for each of us. What do we need to be our best each day, and how do we need to do while traveling to stay consistent. I tend to drop workouts and eat much heavier. I’ve been trying to be better at this but it’s still something I’m working on. Thanks for sharing.
Agree wholeheartedly with all of these. On a recent trip, I ate at McDonalds more times than I care to admit and felt awful most of the time. Eating healthy on the road can be tricky when you don’t have cooking facilities.
And routine is very important!