Fit To Fly: Your Essential Guide To Staying Healthy While You Travel 

The traditional idea of a holiday has always been a ‘flight and flop’ scenario where we dream of sunny beaches and warm weather and think only of relaxation and indulgence. But the world is a big place and there are plenty of places to explore. Furthermore, health and fitness fanatics can now enjoy their interests overseas and tailor a holiday to suit.

A holiday doesn’t have to mean you completely forget about health and fitness, and to many people this can mean an adventure holiday, fitness retreat or sporting vacation. Whether you fancy hiking in Peru, a yoga retreat in Bali or playing golf in Vietnam, you need to plan your travel accordingly.

No doubt you will already have a training and nutritional plan in place and will be able to adapt this to your holiday, but long-haul adventures to more exotic climates do carry a health risk, and so you have to think about preventing illness too. 

We have put together a list of the key health considerations to ensure an active holiday gives you everything you want, and you return home fit and healthy in every sense.

Before you travel

Although you know your own body better than anyone and you are able to make adjustments to changes in your day-to-day lifestyle which will affect your health, such as travelling, eating different foods and enjoying a different climate, it is essential that you thoroughly research your destination and take suitable travel precautions.

While the more exotic parts of the world offer unique cultures, landscapes and experiences, they also unfortunately present unique health risks. You need to research your specific location and take professional advice on the health risks that are unique to South America, central and eastern Asia or Australasia and the Pacific, for example.

Wherever you are going, there is likely to be different health risks compared to the UK, and you need to guard against common illnesses such as Diphtheria, Hepatitis A and B, Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid or Yellow Fever. You can then include a vaccination programme in your pre-travel checklist. It could take a number of weeks to complete the appropriate course. Be sure need to plan ahead and start thinking about this at least a couple of months in advance, if possible.   

In addition to this, your pre-travel health plan should include:

• Immune system – A healthy diet and plenty of exercise in the days and weeks leading up to your active holiday will help to support your immune system. 
• Sleep – Make sure you get plenty of sleep prior to your trip to help allow for jetlag and long travel, and to ensure you feel rested. You could also consider adjusting your normal sleep schedule if you are undertaking a long-haul flight, to help your body adjust to the different hours. 
• Pack some travel essentials – Think about health essentials you may need and might not be able to get hold of overseas, such as a small first aid kit, a reusable water bottle, health snacks, hand sanitisers and essential medication.   

Whilst travelling

Long-haul flights can be exhausting and can impact on your health and fitness. It is essential that you look after yourself during a flight or during a long land transfer to your accommodation at the other end. This is particularly important where you need your body to be ready for the fun and adventure to come. 

• Hydration – Cabin pressure and air conditioning can dehydrate you without you even noticing. Drink plenty of water and avoid excessive alcohol or caffeine. 
• Exercise – This might sound daft, but it is important that you stay active as much as you can. Walk around the aisles and the cabin where possible, and stretch your arms, legs and neck. This helps to improve circulation and reduce the risk of blood clots. 
• Rest – Prioritise sleep where you can, take a travel pillow and if you feel tired go to sleep, even if it seems a strange hour to do so. Travel and lack of sleep can cause stress, and this won’t help your immune system when you reach your location. 

On your holiday

Once you arrive at your destination, the chances are you will be straight into your activity, whether it is adventure, wellness or your favourite sport. How you manage your body will be very much dictated by the holiday you are now enjoying, but in general terms you should:

• Eat healthily – Maintain a good diet and think about healthy snacks to enjoy during the day. 
• Listen to your body – Although you have planned an active holiday, make sure you react to what your body is telling you and don’t overdo it. Travel can do funny things to the body, and you can cause major health impacts if you don’t treat your body properly.
• Hygiene – Many of the local viruses and illnesses are caused by poor hygiene. Do some research on specific precautions and carry hand wipes and hand sanitiser with you everywhere.
• Don’t take risks – While you might want to indulge in local cultures and see and touch local animals, this could be the highest risk thing you can do. Again, do your research and find out what risks are presented by your location. Food hygiene and animals are the most common means of carrying viruses in many overseas locations. 
• Medication – If you are still required to take medication make sure you have the means to do this safely and hygienically – and don’t forget to take your prescription.    

The ultimate pre-travel health checklist

A specialist active holiday is often the holiday of a lifetime, something you have saved for and planned for many years in advance. It is essential that you plan ahead and ensure travel health is a high priority, not only so that you can enjoy the holiday, but that you don’t have significant health impacts when you return home.

The ultimate pre-travel health checklist should include:

• Professional advice – Arrange a consultation with a travel clinic to receive destination-specific advice on health risks and vaccinations. This should ideally be a couple of months in advance, but a minimum of four to six weeks.
• Vaccinations – Get the necessary vaccinations for your destination and complete the course.
• Travel insurance – Update your travel policies to ensure you are covered for your destination and your activity. 
• Pack the essentials – Pack all your travel health essentials, including hand sanitiser, sun protection and insect repellent.   
• Hydration – Prioritise hydration and make sure you always have a safe and hygienic way to do it.  

Staying healthy for your active holiday is not just about fitness; it is also about managing potential illness while overseas. That’s why getting good advice and the correct vaccinations before you travel is essential.