Travel Tip #5: Train Your Body

Whether you're going near or far, it is always best to prepare your body for the trip you have in store.  It's about two weeks before your trip and by now you have a pretty good idea in mind of what you'll be seeing, what you'll be physically doing, and what you will be eating.  Diet, exercise, and rest are going to be your three favorite things to do before leaving on your trip.  Trips that are within the country or only a few time zones away will not be as detrimental to your body as opposed to a trip on the other side of the world.

If you know you're going to be doing a lot of walking, hiking, or any other physical activity, be sure to take some time to walk a few extra feet or maybe even do a little cardio.  By doing this you will be able to boost your stamina and endurance, all so you feel lest winded and less exhausted will you're on your trip.  Any time you travel somewhere there is usually always a vast amount of walking involved, especially if you are doing a lot of site seeing.

Make sure you get plenty of rest within the week or two prior to your departing date.  If you're driving, you'll need to rest to stay focused on the road.  If you're flying, you want to make sure jet lag doesn't take it's toll on you making you exhausted and sick.  If you happen to be in a time zone that has a great different from your home town, take the few days before leaving to start adjusting your body to that time zone.  Stay up later or go to bed earlier--depending on if you're traveling East or West or even beyond the International Dateline.

Lastly, keep your diet in tip top condition.  If you know you're going somewhere where the food is extremely different from your everyday diet, invest in supplementary vitamins and other supplements that control gas and bowel movements (sounds gross, but you'll thank me later).  Make sure you're eating well balanced meals before you leave that are full of protein, vitamins, and all the good stuff you need!  Stay well hydrated as well, traveling by car as well as by plane can easily dehydrate you.  One common side effect from jet lag is dehydration, which I happened to experience when I returned from Australia.

Take all these pointers into consideration.  You'll feel great and not miss a beat while on your trip you have been looking forward to for weeks or months!