Healthy travel: jet lag, food, movement and routines on the road

Jet lag in two days instead of a week

The inner clock shifts on its own by about an hour a day. With light it goes faster: eastward the clock needs light in the morning at the destination and darkness in the evening, westward light in the evening and avoidance in the morning. Meals by local time immediately, even if hunger says otherwise, because digestion is a second clock. Melatonin, 0.5 to 1 milligram at the destination’s bedtime, for three days. Caffeine only until noon, skip alcohol on the plane, drink water. And on the first day do not sleep before it is dark, with a walk if necessary.

Movement without a gym

Travel is walking: whoever explores a city on foot reaches 15,000 steps, more than at home. For strength 15 minutes in the room suffice: squats, push-ups, lunges, hip thrusts on the bed, plank, three rounds. A resistance band weighs 100 grams and replaces rows and pulls. Stairs instead of elevator, swimming in sea or pool, hiking instead of bus. Whoever goes two weeks without strength loses hardly any muscle; the head loses the habit, so better short than not at all.

Eating on the road

The breakfast buffet decides the day: eggs, yogurt, fruit, nuts instead of croissant and juice. Buffets in two courses: first vegetables and protein, then a small plate of the rest. Local cuisine beats hotel cuisine, in almost every country the traditional food is healthier than the tourist version. Water instead of soft drinks, and in countries with unsafe tap water bottled water for brushing teeth too. One meal a day may be pleasure without rules, the other two follow the rules from home.

Three routines that travel with you

Morning light outside, ten minutes, wherever, sets clock and mood. A walk after dinner, the paseo, digests, lowers blood sugar and shows the city. A fixed bedtime by local time, with a dark room, sleep mask and earplugs in the luggage. Whoever holds these three can relax everything else and comes back rested instead of exhausted.

The travel pharmacy and prevention

Painkillers, electrolytes for diarrhea, sunscreen factor 50, insect repellent, own medication in double quantity, plasters. Check vaccinations four to six weeks before by destination: hepatitis A and B, typhoid, rabies, yellow fever. On long-haul flights stand up every two hours, drink plenty, compression stockings with thrombosis risk. And a word on sun and altitude: both are often stronger at the destination than the body is used to.