Baby boomers, do you think things have been a little quiet around here for the last two weeks? If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you’ve certainly noticed my absence. Ever since returning from a Chicago weekend attending BlogHer and Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX), I’ve been coughing, sleeping and slugging down the meds. How did a healthy baby boomer like me come down with such a nasty throat and sinus infection? I didn’t follow my healthy living routine. That’s right, I threw caution to the wind and pretended like I was a 29-year-old. Here’s what I did to sabotage my own health:
Not enough sleep
I found the noise level at BlogHer to be over-stimulating, which meant it took a long time for me to wind down at night. I stayed up till midnight each night cruising the internet, waiting for sleep to come. By 6 a.m., I was up taking care of blog business before attending daily conference sessions. A better choice would have been to turn off the computer, read a book and forget blog business for the weekend.
No exercise
No, I didn’t pay to visit the hotel’s gym. And, I didn’t skip out on an afternoon BlogHer session to walk the vibrant streets of Chicago. Instead, I took a nap in the room when exercise would have been a better choice.
Poor nutrition
What possessed me to think that appetizers and a glass of wine would make a good substitute for a healthy meal? No matter, now you know what I ate each night. The conference food was loaded with carbs and empty calories plus too many cups of coffee, which I drank endlessly because “it was there.” What about the bag of vitamins I brought with me? Got busy. Didn’t take them.
Inadequate hygiene
With 1500 participants touching handrails, shaking hands, passing out swag, how many times did I wash my hands? Obviously, not enough. Alan always has a small bottle of sanitary hand wash with him. Ok, I’ll admit it. I’m embarrassed when he pulls it out in a restaurant. Well, not anymore. From now on, I’ll be packing a bottle of my own.
So, what does this have to do with baby boomer travel? It’s easy to make these same mistakes when you’re on that trip of a lifetime. You want to see it all, eat what you shouldn’t and not miss a moment. Before long, you’re postponing or skipping your regular routine. But, you know what? There’s only so much that our aging bodies will take. So, learn from my mistake. Keep up your healthy living routine while on the road.
These sites might keep you healthy too:
Healthy Travel Blog
Healthy Travel – Preventing Illness
Travel Medicine
Do you have a healthy travel routine? Post a comment. I’m turning over a new leaf.
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: ExVacationIdeas
August 11, 2009 at 10:34 am
Great tips to remember for all travellers – we were recently in Thailand and my hubby decided to “eat something anyway” that didn't look quite right – he regretted it for the rest of the trip and is still getting over it. We forget that we aren't invincible on vacation.
A lesson learned, thats for sure!
My tip – stay hydrated – lots of water helps flush through all sorts!
Donna: Not to mention all those closed conference rooms, recirculated airplane air, and stress! I bet a lot of 29-year-olds went down too…
Twitter: DonnaLHull
August 11, 2009 at 11:31 am
Melanie, that's a great tip about staying hydrated by drinking lots of water. Something else I didn't do. Sorry your husband picked up a stomach issue from eating food in Thailand. Pardon the pun, but he should have listened to his gut. “We aren't invincible on vacation,” is a great quote.
My wife's solution to everything is “drink more water.” My solution is “get more sleep.” But I think if you neglect both you're going to be in trouble no matter what. I do think the recirculated air in airplanes is probably as bad for you as being at a conference (dehydrates you too), but on the flip side people who travel a lot build up a lot more immunities, so don't hole yourself up at home!
Whenever you go out you have to be healthy at all. Fitness is a must while traveling you need to have balanced and healthy nutrition diet for being healthy never eat anything else you never know about. Take all preparatory precautions with you in any journey whether by air or by cruise.Sleeping should be sound if you don’t have a peaceful and sound sleep you will keep irritating all the way and feel disturbed.
Thats one of the downfalls of traveling..sticking to a healthy diet and your regular workout.
Sorry you came home with more than you bargained for, Donna. One of the best aspects of travel is shaking up your usual routine a little, but you're right that some things need to be non-negotiable! I hope you're back to 100% soon.
Brave of you to post this confessional. I swear by hand sanitizers, whether towelettes or (the little bottle in Ken's pocket, too). AND WATER WATER WATER. (Particularly when you are drinking a lot of coffee, which doesn't substitute for water, just makes your poor kidneys need more).
One thing more you might have added from your personal experience. You'll be very busy playing catch up when you get home, but if you're feeling bad–see your doctor!
Thanks so much for this great post!
When on vacation we tend to try to fit as much into a day as possible since it's only for a few days or a week. This results in a lack of sleep. But when we are on a long term trip, we have to remember that health and fitness are critical. We need to slow down, get plenty of sleep and remember the tips you described above. Thanks Donna!
Sorry you got so sick. It's true — at big conventions and in the larger cities, there are just more people from all over, bringing with them germs you don't have back home. Acidophilus can help a lot in these situations.
I hope you're feeling better now. And I hope that you still managed to have a good time in Chicago.
You poor thing! Another possibility was – Did you fly? I got the worst cold/sinus infection this summer and couldn't even blame it on my grandkids, let alone my senior mom. They were all healthy. Everyone I knew was healthy. But there were at least two people around me on the plane who were decidedly UNhealthy – one so bad they had to have a nurse look him over. I don't think I got his bug – mine was different – but I did get someone's. The hard part is, there really are times when people HAVE to fly – healthy or not. So I'm doubling my Vitamin C next time I pack those travel bags.
I hope you feel better SOOOON!!! 
I’m so love this blog, already bookmarked it! Thanks.
Our young bodies could tolerate a lot more stress, sleep and food deprivation than they can do now that we've aged. Having a healthy routine can keep illness and discomfort away but what if this routine is altered while in vacation? Along with your great advices, I'd like to add staying out draft's way. I have a bad case of sinusitis and I can't get any sinus relief while on the road. Such a problem can ruin anyone's vacation.
Our young bodies could tolerate a lot more stress, sleep and food deprivation than they can do now that we’ve aged. Having a healthy routine can keep illness and discomfort away but what if this routine is altered while in vacation? Along with your great advices, I’d like to add staying out draft’s way. I have a bad case of sinusitis and I can’t get any sinus relief while on the road. Such a problem can ruin anyone’s vacation.
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