7 Ways To Make Travel Easier On Your Body

Those of us who love travel often find it revitalizing and inspiring. Not to go all ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ on you, but travel really is balm for the soul sometimes.

But that’s once you get where you’re going. On the way there it can often be grueling and exhausting, leaving you a physical wreck, greasy, sweaty and completely wrung out.

No matter how much you love to travel, no matter your age or fitness level, travel will take a physical toll on you.

And with good reason: you’ll end up walking a lot more than usual, you get thrown into more stressful situations, you cram yourself into a variety of increasingly laughable seating arrangements on various forms of transport, you lug around bags or a backpack – travel is actually kind of brutal when you get down to it.

But there are some tried and true travel tips for helping you to minimize the physical demands travel exacts from your body to help you maximize your enjoyment once you arrive.

1. Pack light

Do some careful planning before you pack up a massive bag for your travels. I’ve witnessed people in their 60s and 70s trying to haul suitcases nearly as large as they were up and down staircases – bags that when I went to lend a hand were heavy even for me.

Sure, it’s nice to have every little thing with you when you arrive at your destination. But you have to remember that you’re going to be spending a fair amount of time getting in and out of taxis, on and off buses, into and out of airports, and to and from your Airbnb or hostel. Do yourself a favor and make sure it isn’t going to cost you an extra recovery day as if you played in an NFL game every time you change locations.

Also, look into buying lighter weight luggage to give you a little extra edge.

2. Let’s talk DVT

If you haven’t heard of deep vein thrombosis and you’re planning a long-haul flight, do yourself a favor and read up on it. It’s a condition in which blood clots can form in your legs after prolonged periods of sitting still, clots that can be extremely dangerous. If they break off and travel to your lungs they can even be life-threatening.

Some of the risk factors for DVT include people who:

• are overweight or obese
• are pregnant or in the first 6 weeks of postpartum
• smoke
• have recently had surgery
• take certain birth control pills (OCCP)
• have a family history of DVT

Some people swear by compression socks to keep the blood flowing and prevent DVT, but at the very least you should be aware that a few simple air travel tips will help reduce the risk, and also help you arrive at your destination less stiff and cramped even after a long-haul flight:

• move around the aisles as often as possible
• avoid crossing your legs (as if you even could in today’s airline seats…)
• stay hydrated and avoid alcohol
• frequently stretch and flex your legs even while in your seat

Personally, I say go beyond just stretching your legs. Whenever I get up to move around or go to the bathroom I try to take the opportunity to find a little space near the galley or at the front of a section to touch my toes, rotate my trunk, stretch my arms – anything to get the blood flowing and avoid arriving feeling like you ‘slept wrong’ on your entire body.

3. Schedule your flights carefully

Jet lag is real and it’s a bitch, for some people more than others. It can cost you days of feeling groggy, tired and unable to think clearly.

But you can help yourself by scheduling your flights in such a way that you’ll arrive closer to bed time in the new time zone where you’re going to get yourself on the correct schedule sooner. Avoid tight connections and really early flights or red-eyes that take you way off of your regular schedule too, as they just make the process of adjusting to your new time zone more difficult.

There are even people who suggest booking an extra layover day if you’re going on a particularly long trip to help alleviate jet lag. For instance, if traveling from London to Australia, you might stop off for a day or two in Bangkok, breaking up a 21-plus-hour trip into two parts – and seeing the Thai capital in the process, however briefly.

4. Sleep if you can

Some of us have an easier time sleeping on airplanes than others, but there are some ways you can increase your chances of catching some much-needed shut-eye, helping your body to recover even while you’re still in the air.

Get ear plugs, get a sleep mask, and get an inflatable neck pillow for starters. Also, some people strategize their airplane sleep by getting a window seat. Hit the bathroom right after the meal, then curl up in your corner and you won’t have to worry about people banging into you as they pass by in the aisle or climbing over you.

5. Take a cab or Uber

Of course one of the prime directives for dirtbag travel is keeping costs as low as possible, which means we lean toward public transportation.

But when you arrive in a strange place where you don’t know your way around, hauling all your shit and trying to navigate a bus or other public transit can be a nightmare, physically as well as mentally. Once you get settled and have a moment to get your bearings, you can rely on public transportation — and I usually end up finding public transport way back to the airport when it’s time to head out too.

But unless you’re solid on how to get from point Airport to point B – and certain that you’ll be able to easily wrangle your suitcase or backpack on a crowded bus or train – it’s often worth it to just say fuck it and call an Uber or take a taxi.

Yes, it costs more, but to be able to toss your bags in the trunk and be assured that you’ll get to where you’re going, door-to-door, without having to fret over the map or wrestle your bags through a commuter crowd is sheer bliss at the end of a long day of travel.

If you do opt for a taxi, make sure it’s a legit, registered cab with a meter that works, or negotiate a price before you get in. Avoid going with the touts that come inside the airport and try to grab tourists coming off of international flights, because sometimes they’re scammers or worse.

6. Exercise before and after

I like to get in a run or a workout the day before or the day of travel, so as to stave off the inevitable physical compromises you’re bound to make when you’re on the road and taken out of your schedule.

Also try to get in some kind of exercise once you’ve arrived, even if it’s just a walk around the neighborhood where you’re staying, a swim or a short run – anything to break out your muscles and joints from the stiffness that sets in following hours of inactivity on the plane. Sleeping on that stiffness instead of working it out may be what you really think you want, especially if you’re exhausted, but often makes it even worse when you wake up the next day.

And if you’re traveling longer-term, it’s a good idea to try to stick to your workout schedule as much as possible to help your body stay in the best possible shape for faster recovery from travel days. I bring a TRX cable system and a jump rope with me wherever I go. It’s not as productive as going to the gym, but along with push-ups, lunges, and chin-ups and of course running, it’s a whole lot better than nothing.

7. Eat right

Travel means yanking yourself out of your routine, and that of course includes your diet. You’ll want to try new foods and you’ll probably eat more and worse food than you normally would, that’s a given.

But that doesn’t mean you have to throw everything in the shitter the moment you hit the airport. Pack some fruit and nuts and other healthy snacks in your carry-on, and do your body a favor and limit the junk food. You’ll feel better physically and recover faster than you would if you load up on tons of sugar, salt and fats.

Safe travels!

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