How to Stay Healthy While Traveling

Traveling on a regular basis can be fun, but it gets tiring. It can also really knock you down. One of the biggest problems for people who travel often is that they get sick often as well. And there's nothing worse than traveling when you don't feel well!

Jet setting around the country - or the world - can knock down your immunity and expose you to huge amounts of new and different germs. If you or someone in your office is traveling a lot, try following these tips help keep you healthy and strong.

1. Get your beauty rest

Do your best to keep to a regular sleeping schedule. It can be hard to sleep while on a plane or in a hotel, but it's very necessary to help keep your immunity up. Try bringing some herbal Chamomile tea with you. Sipping on it will help you relax. There are many vitamins and herbal supplements that are non-habit forming that can also help you adjust to time differences, relax and get sleep. And remember your eye mask! Blocking out the light can really help you if trying to sleep on an airplane.

2. Eat well

This is a hard one when you're on the road. It can be easy to grab junk food because it's fast and cheap. But taking a few extra minutes and spending a few dollars is well worth the nutritional value that higher quality food offers. You can eat healthy (well, healthier) almost anywhere. Pick up a salad at McDonalds, a bowl of soup at a café, or a fruit smoothie at the local juice shack. These things aren't perfect, but they provide a little more value than hamburgers and French fries. Remember that it's also ok to bring food with you. Take a box of granola bars, an apple, or a bag of trail mix to keep you from reaching for chips and cookies from the local mini-mart.

3. Drink a lot of water

Water helps flush the system of toxins. So if you're eating a lot of bad food and encountering a lot of crazy germs, water can help wash it out. Travel can also be very dehydrating. Have you ever noticed how your mouth feels dry and your lips chapped after a flight? Be sure to drink a lot of water to help rehydrate. Don't be afraid to ask for a bottle of water when the flight attendant comes by. It's fine to request it in addition to a "fun" drink like Ginger Ale or Tomato Juice. It's also very helpful to avoid alcohol which is also dehydrating.

4. Take your Vitamins!

Be sure to pump yourself up with immune boosting Vitamin C and other antioxidants. Airborne is one of the most popular supplements, full of vitamins and minerals and available over-the-counter. You can take it with you everywhere. Another great supplement is Emergen-C, which comes in a powder. Like Airborne, adding water makes it fizz a little. It's available in several different flavors and can be found at many grocery stores.

5. Stress less

Stress is incredibly hard on the body. Travel inevitably causes it but keeping it in check will really help maintain your health. Organizing for your trip can help reduce stress immensely. Check out OfficeArrow's Business Traveler's Checklist to help you. Practice other stress management techniques such as deep breathing and mild stretching.

6. Exercise

It's very hard to maintain a consistent exercise habit when traveling. You're in a new place, you're tired, you're busy. Do what you can to get some form of exercise each day. Even just a short walk will help keep you feeling strong. Exercise also boosts your endorphins (the feel good chemicals in your brain). It can help boost immunity and keep you energized as well. Most hotels have workout rooms but if there just isn't time for it, do the small things - take the stairs instead of the elevator, do a few luggage lifts while waiting in line at the airport, or even better, pretend you're running late and sprint to the gate.