My 5 Top Tips for Staying Healthy while Flying
For some reason, 2015 has been a year of air travel for me. Typically I take TWO trips a year via plane – one for work and one for fun. This year, I’m scheduled for my 8th flight by the end of June. 
To say I’ve gotten better at healthy air travel would be quite accurate.
My Top 5 Tips for Healthy Flying:
1. Bring a water bottle. For some reason this idea eluded me until one of my most recent flights. I had thought about it before but it just seemed like too much work. On this trip however, I had almost finished a bottle of water when I hit security in the San Fran airport, and right there (so convenient) was a place to dump out the rest of it so I could take my bottle through security and then refill it at one of the water fountains. It wasn’t a hassle at all. Now I make sure to bring an empty one along. Better hydration for me and I save $3 a bottle too!
2. Wear walking shoes. Even if I’m traveling for business, I’ll at least put some good walking shoes in my carry on. Then I can take advantage of time waiting at the gate by walking all around the airport. I get extra exercise and am less likely to get bored and eat chocolate (that never happens . . .)
3. Wash your hands frequently. Stop for a moment and just THINK about how many people walk through airports and touch things daily. Some of them are probably sick. I’m not a big germaphobe, but I do believe that washing your hands well will help cut down on the risk of picking up a bug in such a public environment. Being sick while on vacation or traveling for business is miserable! Once I’m about to get off the plane, I’ll sometimes spray my hands with my favorite Thieves Spray to help combat all the icky germs around me.
4. Pack healthy snacks or partial meals. I have gotten pretty sick of the food selection in most airports, so the last trip I took, I packed a little lunch bag full of cut up fruit, hummus & guacamole packs and a bit of cheese and crackers. Once I was through security, I filled up my water bottle, picked up a side of cut veggies at a food kiosk and had a nice little lunch. The bonus was I used the ice pack later in the week to ice down a sore shoulder and then re-packed my bag for the trip home with a few goodies from Trader Joe’s.
5. Splurge on a massage. Or at some airports, you can even take a yoga class! Yes, these are quite expensive, but if you have a very long layover it’s a great way to spend some of the waiting time. Help yourself justify it this way: at home, you may not have hours of free time to fill like you would if you have delayed flights. You’ll feel more relaxed and sore, and what a nice treat!
Hopefully, some of these tips will help you out the next time you take off on a trip that involves airports. What are YOUR best tips for staying healthy when flying? Share in the comments – I’d love to hear what you do to stay a little healthier when you are on the road.
