Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand Dec / Jan 2017: Special Edition | Page 18

Health & Wellness

TIPS FOR

HEALTH
CONSCIOUS
TRAVELING
At home, we fit in two to four days of exercise per week; we
glug our green smoothies; and we monitor the foods we eat.
But when we travel, we disrupt our usual diets and exercise
regimens. What can be done? In this article, learn how easy
it is to prevent the common health pitfalls of traveling.
by ROR ALEXANDER

T

ravel tends to lead us towards
torpor and poor food choices: We stand in lines and spend
hours sitting in cramped airplane,
bus or train seats. And when we can’t
hit the gym, yoga studio or our favorite running trails, we might not exercise at all. Then there’s the food—the
terrible flight food, convenience store
snacks, and the temptations of room
service and alcohol. It’s no wonder
that we put on weight and feel sluggish when traveling abroad.
Are inertia and unhealthy diets
unavoidable facts of tourism? Not
necessarily. With a few simple actions—despite the deterrents to
health you’ll encounter—travelers
can keep their weight in check and
energy levels sky high.

18 WANDERLUST

TRAVEL EXERCISE
HACKS TO
PREVENT PAIN
Obviously, you can’t take the gym on
the road (or to the skies) with you.
Here is what you can do to stay active
and curtail the aches and pains that
emerge on long-haul trips.

1

FLIGHT EXERCISE
On the plane, try a couple of very
simple exercises. A few squeezes of the bum (also known as “glute activations”) will go a long way to
prevent lower back pain. Common
back pain from sitting is due to the
relaxation of the large glute muscles, which places the load of sitting
up squarely on your lower back. But
it’s easy to combat: Simply perform a

set of 5-second glute squeezes about
5 times per hour. Also make sure to
stand up and take a walk at least
once an hour. When you get to the
back of the plane, take a good long
stretch, like you’re just waking up in
the morning.

2

WALK, DON’T RIDE
There are moving walkways in
many airports. Suppress the
temptation to ride on the human
conveyor belt and walk instead. Why?
When you disembark a plane, you’ll
have been sitting for an extended
period. That means your body is begging you for movement when you
arrive at the airport. (Bum squeezing
and stretching help, but your body
needs more motion!) So get your
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