With more borders reopening and tourism quickly picking back up, it’s no surprise that travelers everywhere are already preparing their vacation plans for the year.
Aside from making up for the lost time, many also travel to improve their physical and mental health. It is a great time to look at can be done for better heart and lung health for travelers.
In a 2020 survey, 97% of people felt happier simply planning future travel. Another survey found that the period of 15 to 45 days after a vacation helps decrease stress and improve overall well-being.
However, even though traveling can benefit your mental health, travelers need to stay healthy while on the go, especially as the world continues to grapple with the effects of COVID-19.
Let’s take a look at five must-know tips and tricks for travelers to maintain good heart and lung health:
1. Make Sure Your Vaccinations Are Up To Date
Depending on where you plan to travel, you may encounter diseases that aren’t common where you live. At the same time, other places may also require vaccination proof to travel there.
Getting vaccinated in Canada before you leave will help protect you from catching preventable diseases while traveling and eliminate the possibility of you bringing any severe conditions home to your loved ones. Vaccines can also protect your heart and lungs, boosting your overall immunity.
For instance, researchers have also found that yearly flu vaccines can lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart-related deaths for people with heart diseases. A simple flu shot can also help prevent lung-related complications like pneumonia.
Be sure to research the health requirements of visiting a new place and get the preventive shots you may need to avoid coming in contact with unfamiliar diseases.
2. Wear Appropriate Gear
As with other aspects of your travel plans, remember to look up the climate and temperature of the place you plan to visit. While cold climates have their benefits, they can harm people with pulmonary conditions.
Cold weather and dry air can negatively affect one’s lungs, mainly if you aren’t used to the weather. Taking the time to research will let you pack more efficiently, giving you ample time to go out and buy appropriate gear if you’re going somewhere climate-sensitive that your body may need to get used to.
3. Give Up Cigarettes
Cigarettes are harmful to your health and to the environment you’re visiting.
In bigger travel groups, the smell of cigarette smoke may be off-putting to some people. That said, it can be challenging to quit the habit by simply going cold turkey. Smokeless nicotine alternatives such as nicotine pouches, gums, and lozenges are great alternatives to satisfy you on your travels without harming your lungs, heart, and the environment.
The Rogue nicotine pouches online at Prilla are manufactured by harvesting fresh tobacco leaves and extracting the nicotine using advanced steam extraction technology. This means the pouches have the potency of nicotine without the side effects of tobacco.
Nicotine pouches can be bought in tins, so you can also dispose of them quite easily without littering, which is great because you can get fined abroad if caught littering.
The new Sesh+ nicotine replacement gums in Canada are another viable option, especially as these are now more widely available across the country.
4. Eat Healthy
\It’s always great to experiment and keep an open mind when traveling somewhere new and seeing dishes you’re unfamiliar with. However, it may be wise to ask around if you’re watching your health. We’ve previously written about our tips and tricks on how to Choose the Best Restaurants While Traveling and how locals know best.
Locals are always more than willing to share the good food they know about and the potential health benefits of these delicacies. Nutrition can significantly impact your heart and lung health, so taking the time to learn the ingredients or method of preparation for a new local dish you’re trying can save you from a trip to the doctor once you get home.
When in doubt, opt for healthy staples like leafy greens and omega-3-rich fish like salmon or tuna, which can help your heart and lungs stay strong.
5. Stay Active
Finally, staying active while traveling can help you maintain good heart and lung health. Plan vacations around places that will allow you to be active, such as the beach, hiking trails, and mountains. Staying physically active is a fundamental and great way to give your body the exercise it needs to keep fit.
That being said, a relaxing staycation is always a guaranteed good time, in which case you can save the physical exercise for after you come home from the vacation to stave off potential jetlag or to keep yourself moving after your travel experience.
Which of these Tips & Tricks for Better Heart & Lung Health for Travelers would you be most likely to follow? Did we forget anything important? Comment below and let us know.
