Staying Healthy On the Road

We should admit that sometimes travelling brings out the laziness in us, regarding our health. It's easy to say, "Oh, I'm on vacation! I'll exercise when I get home.It's still a good thing to do if you only have 1 or 2 weeks spent on travelling. But if you're traveling long-term, living abroad or if you travel often with work, you will probably find yourself in a fitness funk at some point. I know I have. So here are some practical suggestions on how to stay healthy while you're on the road.

Experience local forms of exercise. Yoga in India. Tai Chi in China. Karate in Japan. Soccer almost anywhere. You can both experience a fantastic to stay in shape and at the same learn new things abotu different local culture, Try enrolling in a class when you can do some local exercising. Other times, you might simply happen upon a chance to participate by visiting a local city park. There are lots of people doing Tai CHi early morning in China. Why not give it a try?

Use your feet to get somewhere. Whether you are just walking from the train station to your hotel or trekking up a jungle path to a mountaintop temple, simply using your feet as a mode of transportation is a wonderful form of exercise. Extra points if you're carrying your rucksack. Consider as something to save money as well.

Eat locally. More often than not, choosing to dine in small restaurants that serve local food is a great way to stay healthy. In most cultures, indigenous cuisines are incredibly healthy and compliment the local lifestyle and climate very well. Take a nod from the people who live on the ground day in and day out and take on the local diet. And I should not have to tell you to stay away from international fast food.

Bring a pair of rubber shoes with you. You have probably already packed a pair of tennis shoes or trainers with you for the simple purpose of walking, but you can put them to good use by going for a morning jog. In most of the countries you can go to prefer seeing the real life in the streets early in the morning.

Don't drink too much. This is considered as a big temptation particularly when you stay in hostels most of the time. Beer is just not good for you, plain and simple. It also lulls you into terrible sleeping and eating patterns and keeps you from getting up for the aforementioned early morning jog. Obviously, enjoying the nightlife is an integral part of travel, but try keeping it to one or two days per week, rather than everyday, and you'll definitely feel the effects in a good way.

Hydrate. This could not be a simpler or more overlooked way to stay healthy. Even in countries where tap water is not that potable, you can usually find plenty of purified bottled water for cheap. Keeping water in you, even when you don't feel thirsty, is super important for your health!