The world is in a frenzy right now with the effects and impact of Covid-19 stretching all across the globe. People are rushing to cancel or reschedule their flights for fears for exposing oneself to the virus.
The situation in Singapore has somewhat stabilised, so I’d understand if you’re not reconsidering your travel plans and have decided to go ahead with your trip. Regardless, we still have to be careful and prudent and trying to stay germ-free on the plane can only go so far.
So, what else can we do? A logical step would be to boost your immune system for travel so as to reduce your susceptibility to viruses.
No one really wants to be sick and unwell on holiday so here are a few tips and tricks to get your body in the best possible state.
1. Maintain a Good Diet to Boost Your Immune System
The food we eat may be the single most invariable factor to good health and building a strong immune system. Like the saying goes, “you are what you eat”.
What we recommend is a high protein, high fiber, and low carb diet filled with fruits and dark leafy vegetables to get all the key nutrients you need to keep your body feeling the best. Try to limit the amount of processed foods and sugar you take in as these can weaken your immune system.
It’s certainly a little more difficult to achieve this when you’re travelling as you’ll be most probably eating out most of the time, if not throughout the entire trip. And this is fine, it’s not a holiday if you don’t indulge and try all the wonderful (often times unhealthy) food that the country has to offer.
What you can do is consider portioning out your meals. If you know that dinner is going to be heavy, perhaps a lighter lunch would be good, or you can even share dessert with your friends and family! In that way, you’ll still get to taste the unbelievable food without overeating.
If you’re a snacker, raw almonds are the perfect travel food companion. They are high in protein, iron, fiber, and provide healthy monounsaturated fat.
Don’t forget to hydrate regularly as well, especially when on board the plane. Drink loads of water pre-flight and it would be good to keep a handy bottle with you.
2. Don’t Underestimate Having Enough Sleep
Sleep is a component that is important for both before and during your travels, yet somehow incredibly overlooked, especially amongst young travellers.
Being well rested can greatly aid in building your immune system as well as managing inflammation. It is during sleep that our body repairs itself, so it’s a crucial process shouldn’t be overlooked. The more tired we are, the more our bodies become susceptible to the many viruses out there.
Having a good seven to nine hours of sleep before your flight will help your immune system combat any potential viruses that you may come into contact with on the plane. Research has shown that insufficient sleep can increase your risk of catching the flu.
So, don’t miss out on your beauty sleep folks!
3. Exercise Regularly
It’s good to keep up a consistent exercise schedule to keep your body in the best shape that you feel is possible. If we were to see building your immune system as a clap, then having a good and balanced diet is the left hand, while exercising is the right.
And well, it takes two hands to clap.
Exercising helps to improve cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, and manages your weight. You don’t have to be a gym rat to enjoy the benefits of exercising. A light jog or even a brisk walk may be what you need at the end of every day just to get your body loose and feeling lighter.
During your travels, granted, it’s a holiday and the last thing anyone wants to do is engage in an intensive exercise that just leaves you exhausted. It could be a casual swim in the pool or an aerobic session in the gym to improve your body’s lymphatic flow, which helps to clear toxins out of the body.
4. Know When It’s Too Much
Because we have a finite time on our trips, we want to see the most we can with the least amount of time.
Hence, we tend to pack our days to the brim with activities and commuting. When we do this however, there’s a tendency to push beyond the comfort levels that our bodies can take, which can tire us out physically and mentally.
Overexerting our bodies when travelling can result in weariness which weakens our immune systems hence exposing us to a higher risk of contracting various viruses. Take ample rest between each activity and remind yourself that it’s a holiday, you’re not conquering the world.
5. Most Importantly, Practice Good Hygiene
Maintaining good hygiene is without doubt one of the best things you can and should do when battling germs and viruses.
Of course, the simple action of washing your hands with soap is the basic requirement that everyone should start with. This ensures that any microorganisms on your hands that can be transferred when you touch your face will be washed away.
Hand sanitizers and baby wipes also go a long way to help keeping your hands clean. It’s also good to get into the habit of wiping things down, from your airplane seat to your hotel’s television remote. The number of germs that linger in the environment can be rather scary, so you can never be too safe. And don’t forget your phone.
Lastly, be sure to cover your mouth when you’re sneezing or coughing, especially when you’re in public. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to wear a mask in public just to be safe.
