Traveling is one of the great joys in life. It allows you to see and experience cultural treasures from all around this incredible planet, enriching the mind and soul. However, there are some things to consider when preparing for a trip.
The truth is that extensive traveling can be hard on the body, especially if you already have challenging health conditions. There are some basic medical tips you can use to help you prepare your body and mind for the rigors of traveling.
It’s not all bad, though. There is also a synergistic relationship between traveling and health in which traveling can actually dramatically improve your overall mental health.
Preparing for a Trip – Getting Your Mind and Body Ready
Get Your Circulation Going
Whether you’re traveling or not, blood circulation is one of the most important processes in your body. Poor circulation can affect everything from your energy levels and concentration to problems with diabetes and other diseases.
Optimal blood circulation is so important to our bodies that healthcare professionals have developed cutting edge technologies and treatments like bio-electromagnetic therapy.
This non-invasive “microcirculation” procedure, called Bemer therapy treatment, uses electromagnetic pulses to stimulate healthier blood flow, which results in oxygen and nutrients being pumped throughout the body.
Many kinds of hot yoga and Hatha yoga can also help to improve circulation in your body, as some of the postures are specifically calibrated to help release freshly oxygenated blood into various parts of the body.
If you’re going to be an avid world traveler, you need your energy levels to be sky-high. Poor circulation can dramatically diminish the excitement of a new adventure.
So, improving your circulation is one way to get your body ready when you are preparing for a trip. And if you do that through meditation, you are also helping to calm and focus your mind. Both will allow you to enjoy your trip fully.
Beating Jet Lag
Jet lag is one of the first things most people think of when traveling comes to mind. But there are ways to anticipate jet lag and reduce its adverse effects.
For example, medical professionals advise travelers to adjust their sleep schedules prior to leaving so that they incrementally take on the sleep hours of their destination. This is important since adequate sleep also plays a big role in your energy levels.
Medical professionals also recommend resetting your internal clock by adhering to a fasting diet called Argonne Anti-Jet-Lag-Diet. This diet involves alternating feast days and fast days.
On feast days, you are supposed to consume meals full of protein and carbohydrates while on fast days, you consume extremely light meals of little more than broth or toast.
You can also try the “stretch method,” which involves consolidating your fasting diet into a single 12-16 hour chunk of time.
Once you arrive at your destination, it is advised that you try to acclimate to your new environment. There are several ways to go about doing this.
For example, don’t immediately go to sleep unless it is actually bedtime there, and only eat light meals at first, especially in the morning.
Other tips include avoiding alcohol and caffeine (at least initially) so that you can adjust your sleep schedule without difficulty and, in general, just take it easy that first day.
Ideally, the end result of modulating your sleep and diet in these ways will be that you reset your internal clockwork and prepare your body for the rigors of jet lag.
You should also look into certain yoga postures that can help to stabilize your mind and induce healthy sleep cycles.
Preparing for a Trip – What to Expect in Return
Traveling Is Good for You
While traveling can be hard on the body and mind, it gives back much more than it takes. Traveling affects your personality and changes your psychology in overwhelmingly positive ways.
Psychologists believe there are five dominant characteristics to the average human personality – neuroticism, openness, extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness.
Traveling, they believe, affects the openness trait in beneficial ways. Being exposed to new cultures and global adventures expand a person’s psychological profile and makes them more receptive to all kinds of positive new experiences, communication, and happiness.
Many healthcare professionals and doctors also believe that traveling reduces anxiety and improves emotional health overall.
While traveling can be tough on the body, it ultimately has positive health effects on the mind. Studies show that vacations lower the risk of death in men by 21 percent and decreases their chances of cardiovascular disease.
Studies have also shown that women tend to be happier and less anxious after traveling. Additionally, people who travel frequently often experience greater creativity and feel better about their physical health, which has a reciprocal effect on their mood and mental health.
While you are preparing for a trip, get your mind and body ready for the difficult parts, plan for staying healthy while you’re traveling, and look forward to the benefits you’ll reap.
