How 10 Wellness Pros Stay Healthy While Traveling

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The struggle to stick to your healthy routines while traveling might not feel so real if you're staying at, say, a wellness-focused hotel or a resort whose gym has a truly epic view. But for the most part, it's hard to keep up your HIIT workouts or find maca smoothies while living out of a suitcase. If only there were some globe-trotting wellness gurus willing to share the secrets to how they stay fit while racking up frequent flyer miles....

Enter the Well+Good Council, our handpicked health squad of wellness pioneers, influencers, and pros. They'll be sharing their insider intel—tips for everything from keeping your pantry stocked with healthy foods 24/7 to cocktails they'd actually order at a bar, plus (most importantly at this moment) their go-to hacks for keeping your travels from derailing your health, digestion, or sleep. (And yes, there are mentions of liters and liters of water.)

Read on to see what our Well+Good Council members do to stay healthy on the road.

Graphics: Abby Maker for Well+Good

Joey Gonzalez, CEO of Barry’s Bootcamp

The fitness pro says the trick is to make it part of your travel experience: "Pick something fun based on your destination—go running on the beach, spend the day cross-country skiing, climb a mountain," he suggests.

Jill Blakeway, DACM, acupuncturist and women's health expert

Nothing puts a damper on your  travel plans like jet lag. "It affects the body's circadian rhythms and adjusts our internal clock," Blakeway explains, which is why she swears by melatonin to cure hers.

Kimberly Snyder, CN, celebrity nutritionist

Since traveling usually means being out of your kitchen and out of your comfort zone, Snyder's travel musts include supplements like SBO probiotics, which she takes every day—especially on the road. Why? "If your belly is off or if you don't poop while traveling, nothing goes as well!" she says. 

McKel Hill, RDN, founder of Nutrition Stripped

To keep your hormones and digestion in check, Hill advises you to "drink plenty of water and keep your 'normal' eating routine as much as possible when it comes to meal times." Her non-dietary advice? "Have fun, soak in the culture, and unplug from technology." 

Candice Kumai, rockstar healthy chef

Traveling for pleasure often means giving yourself some leeway to enjoy things you don't get to do, see, or eat every day. Kumai says the key to finding balance while traveling is to "make time to be bad, make time to be good."

Lila Darville, sex expert and relationship coach

The Australia native, currently living in Los Angeles, stresses the importance of grounding yourself post-flight, boat ride, or road trip. How? "Walk barefoot, swim, or at the very least, take an epsom salt bath," she recommends. 

Norma Kamali, fashion icon with a (healthy) wellness obsession

The legendary designer advises you to"bring food with you as a backup when the time zones are off and you get hungry! Have something healthy to snack on for a reliable pick up." 

Claire Wasserman, career expert and founder of Ladies Get Paid

"I like to go for a jog in every new city I travel to," says the career coach. "It's a great way to experience the city like a local." Plus, it could help you live longer, which of course means more travel time!

Robin Berzin, MD, functional medicine doctor

The pitfalls of healthy travel start presenting themselves pretty much as soon as the first pack of peanuts is placed on your tray table. To avoid the sodium-rich food typically served on airplanes, the women's health expert recommends you "pack your own plane meal so you don't end up snacking on the food they give you." And it might not be a bad idea to book an aisle seat since she also says to "hydrate five times more than you think you need to on the flight." 

Elle Macpherson, supermodel and co-founder of WelleCo

"Go for a walk or exercise when you land," she suggests. "It's a great way to feel grounded in a new city, and it helps with jet lag."

If you're looking for advice on how to up your H2O intake, try these genius hydration hacks. And plan to pack these healthy snacks for the plane

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