Health-Travel

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By Brian Gokey, CFT, BSMET

Foot Health while Traveling

Whether you are going on a National Park adventure or traveling abroad to see the sights of the world, traveling takes a toll on the feet, and if you have sore feet, it can ruin your vacation. Here are some tips to travel smartly with your feet:

Wear comfortable walking or athletic shoes
Do not pack shoes that need to be "broken in"
If shoes do not have sufficient padding or support, improve the performance of your shoes by adding inserts/devices
Moisturize and exfoliate feet
Soak feet if needed for further relief at the end of the day.

Be Nice and Smile

I heard this tidbit from Brian Tracy, world famous expert on Personal and Professional Development. Brian says that when traveling, always be extremely nice to those who you meet while traveling. Learn the words for “thank you” and “friend” in the languages of the places you will be going. Treat all the people you meet as if they are distinguished guests in your house and you will never have problems when traveling. Above all – Smile! It works, and smiles are contagious. It is proven to work, and it is simple. We all have heard of people having horrid experiences while they traveled, but we suspect it might not have been so bad if they had adhered to this simple tidbit no matter what the situation.

Jetlag – What’s that?

Jet lag, also jetlag or jet-lag, is a physiological condition which is a consequence of alterations to circadian rhythms; jet lag results from rapid transmeridian travel, as on a jet plane. The condition of jet lag may last many days, and a recovery rate of "one day per time zone" is often mentioned as a fair guideline to be totally recovered.

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Natural Body Patterns

When traveling across a number of time zones, the body clock will be uncoordinated with the destination time, as it experiences daylight and darkness contrary to the rhythms to which it has grown accustomed. This causes the body's natural pattern to be upset, as the rhythms that dictate times for eating, sleeping, hormone regulation and body temperature variations no longer correspond to the environment nor to each other in some cases. To the degree that the body cannot immediately realign these rhythms, it is jet lagged.

The speed at which the body adjusts to the new schedule depends on the individual. Some people may require several days to adjust to a new time zone while others experience little disruption. Crossing one or two time zones does not typically cause jet lag.

Symptoms of Jet Lag

The symptoms of jet lag can be quite varied and may include the following:

* Loss of appetite, nausea, digestive problems

* Headache, sinus irritation

* Fatigue, irregular sleep patterns

* Disorientation, grogginess, irritability

* Mild depression

Jetlag Remedies

Drinking plenty of alkaline rich water during the flight can eliminate many of the symptoms before they even occur. Melatonin has also been shown to help you get back into a regular sleep schedule once at your destination.

More information on Travel Health

You can find more Travel Health information in the Health articles section of www.wellness4everyone.com.