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Traveling can be a really exciting time! We save all year long to have that long awaited vacation. So when cold and flu season arrives, we still travel. Therefore, lets learn about our 11 Flu-Proof Travel Tips. These tips will help you stay healthy throughout the travel season.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that each year the typical adult can expect to contract two or three colds. Skip the flu vaccine and you may get the flu as well. Below are our 11 Flu-Proof Tips that can help you stay healthy!

Hand Washing

The first one is one everyone has heard of, wash those hands! Your hands need to be washed for a minimum of 20 seconds. You can sing a song, say a prayer or maybe a few inspirational quotes. It doesn’t matter how you get through the 20 plus seconds, just that you do.

All of the cruise ship we were on, as we would enter the dinning room a crew member would be waiting for us with a container of hand sanitizer. I remember one crew member saying, “Washy, Washy, Happy, Happy.”

Eat Healthy

Secondly, traveling doesn’t give you a get out of eating healthy free card. It is important to give your body the nutrients it need to run in optimal condition. No one likes to be sick, but being sick and away from home is the worst!

Turn Away From The Sneeze

Next, turn away from people who are coughing and sneezing. Did you know that the germs in a sneeze can travel 20 feet? It is best to turn and say, “I’m sorry, I catch colds super easy.”, and walk away.

When you can get some fresh air, go for a walk or open a window to get those germs circulating. If the germs are on the move they will be harder to catch.

Stop Touching Your Face

Stop touching your face. It is important to be aware of how often you touch your face. Did you know most people touch there face three times an hour? Your eyes, nose and mouth are the most common area that germs enter the body. By being aware of this one simple action, you can cut down on what you are introducing into your body. A great flu-proof travel tip.

Regular Sleep

I know my favorite motto is “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” But this can be a major contributor to illness. A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that subjects who slept for less then seven hours were three times more susceptible to colds than people who slept for at least eight hours. Sleep is when the body repairs and rejuvenates itself. Make sleep a priority, it’s worth it!! Lets take a look at more flu-proof travel tips.

Zinc Supplements

Start taking Zinc as soon as you start to feel under the weather. The recommended dose is 75 milligrams daily. The pharmacy sells zinc in lozenges or tablets. You should start taking zinc as soon as you start to feel under the weather can reduce the length of your illness.

Stay Hydrated

Load up on fluids! Fluids help many aspects of the human body and it does the body good! The fluids help flush toxins out of your body to maintain good health. If you are beginning to feel under the weather, fluids also help thin out mucus and makes it easier for the body to clear it out of your system.

I always hear drink liquids and it will help flush it out of your body. But liquids aren’t just drinking clear fluids (water). Think about having chicken soup, orange juice (vitamin C) and tea with honey.

Regular Exercise

Did you know a brisk walk can actually boost your immune system? For that reason, even if you feel under the weather a small brisk walk can do wonders for you.

The fresh air will help your body and doing something good for yourself is good for the soul. It is ok to take a break from the strenuous exercise. Your body need to repair itself. Exercise is a gift that you give your body!

Disinfect

When I get on an airplane, the first thing I do is pull out a small package of lysol wipes and wipe down everything that I am going to touch. This may seem like something a germaphobe would do, but think about it, how many people sit in that seat a day? Have they been coughing or sneezing?

Remember, the 20 feet a sneeze can carry germs, ugh!! I’m not willing to stop traveling and no one wants to pay good money to get sick away from home. Also, remember those lysol wipes can be used on door knobs, light switches and other surfaces that we touch regularly.

Don’t Share

Have you ever shared a water bottle with a family member and the next day they were sick? Then your left wondering uh, am I going to get sick next? I’m sure you have seem someone double dip in the salsa.

Have you ever seen someone pick up there childs binky from the floor and put it in there mouth to clean it, gross! We are taught to share at a very young age. But it’s ok to not share somethings, like our germs. Just food for thought! 😁

Cell Phones

Now a days that cell phone goes everywhere with us. The phone is a germ magnet. We put it down on surfaces that may not be clean or we handle it with dirty hands.

Now with all those germs, we put it up to our face and what did we say at the top of this article, that the face is the most common place that germs enter the body. Please clean your cell phone!

I know these 11 flu-proof travel tips will help you stay healthy during your travels. Make sure to stop and smell the roses, while enjoying the view!

Happy Travels!!!

For more key facts about the Flu (Influenza), click this link: http://www.cdc.gov