4 Healthy Travel Tips

86 hours. 1 cancelled flight. 5 delays. 2 airport changes. To top if all off the last flight home had this...

What you see is a duct taped tray table. It will be staying in its full upright and locked position!

The flying portion of the trip may have stunk, but we had a wonderful time with our family. Meghan and I were able to see our parents, siblings, niece and nephews, and be at the baptism of our godson, Wyatt. 

Along the journey we practiced a few healthy travel techniques to see how well they worked. We also stumbled upon a few more that you may find useful for staying healthy and sane on your travels.

1. Pack It

Benjamin Franklin says "If you fail to plan; you plan to fail". This holds true in your preparation for vacation. It was the late Wednesday night pack session when I asked Meghan if we were packing exercise clothes for our quick trip home. We agreed we would. Step one... check. Just as important as packing the clothes is actually thinking about a time when you can exercise. We hate to miss out on family time so we know if we exercise it will be early in the morning. Meghan enjoys using her Nike Training App on her iPhone because it has quick 15 minute workouts. This weekend I did a few push-ups, jump squats, and jumping jacks in the basement before heading out for a brief 1.5 mile run. Whether in your parent's basement or in a hotel remember something is better than nothing. Pack your clothes and designate a time to exercise.

2. Snacks

We spend quite a bit of time in the airport. We packed an apple, two plums, a pear, and some homemade trail mix. Partially for health and partially on account of being "thrifty". To birds with one stone. I love it. Snacks are great because they pass security and you can control their level of health. Sometimes with airline snacks you just never know what your gonna get.

Hold the "lightly"

Here is our trail mix-

• 1 Cup Cheerios
• 1/4 cup Almonds
• 1/4 Cup Raisins or Cranberries
• 1/4 Cup Chocolate Chips/White Chocolate Chips or a mix of the two

Snacks can hold you over in case you encounter a delay as well as save you from the salt mine pictured above.

3. Water

How many 3 ounce bottles do you have to carry through security to stay hydrated? Zero. Pack an empty plastic or reusable bottle and fill it once your through security. Drinking water keeps you from feeling so hungry. I miscalculated my hydration on this trip and was left licking my lips and dreaming about cookies. 

Water is also offered on the flight. I know it is tough to turn down free soda. Especially if you get the good stewardesses that give you the can, but it isn't worth it, soda is bad for us. On a plane you are sedentary for hours on end. The salt from the previous picture, the soda, and the sedentary-ness will cause swelling. Meghan made the mistake of taking her shoes off on a recent trip and was left struggling to squeeze back in after her long flight. Stay hydrated for the sake of your health and your shoes. 

4. Walk It Off

Sitting, especially in a plane, leaves one sore, sleepy, and stiff. Utilize your time at the airport get in some extra activity and loosen up for the next flight. We had a 2 hour layover in Atlanta and we spent over half of that time walking the terminals. We saw a cool walking museum, meandered through the international terminal, and burned about 200 calories.

The walk was also SUPER helpful as a stress reliever. 6 flights and 5 delays leave one a bit on edge. The walk was a great way to our mind off the trip and just hang out in the time we had. 


You can't plan for the countless obstacles that pop up when you travel, but you don't have to sacrifice your health or your sanity because of them. Plan ahead, bring your own snacks, drink water, and when the planes fail just walk....we may have made it as quickly walking this weekend.

What other healthy travel tips do you know?