Passport, wallet, multivitamin? Yep, we said it — maintaining our health and physical wellbeing is our new travel essential, whether for a long-weekend road trip or a multi-week international vacation. Arguably just as important as remembering to pack our passport.*

Why Our Health and Well-being Are Our New Travel Necessities

In many ways, traveling is a key component of our health. We get the mental and emotional benefits of experiencing new cultures, reconnecting with important people in our lives, and putting our hard-earned Duolingo streak to the test. It’s also an opportunity to treat yourself and indulge — in special foods, or maybe a spicy marg by the ocean. But the flip side of travel is a lack of routine, making the things we normally do to stay healthy (movement, stretching, eating balanced meals, for example) a little more difficult.

Check out our list of the 6 travel essentials you need to pack on your next trip. These must-have travel items can help keep you stay on track while you’re traveling, so you can focus on enjoying once-in-a-lifetime experiences — and help you return home with a ready-for-what’s-next vibe.

Wellness Essentials to Make Part of Your Travel Ritual

• Refillable water bottle. Don’t let dehydration slow you down. Air travel, being in hot weather, and drinking alcohol can all mess with your hydration. As long as you’re in a place where it’s safe to drink the water, make sure to pack your reusable bottle and refill it whenever you can, to stay hydrated as you go about your day. As a bonus, you’ll get to explore all of the amazing local bathroom culture. 🙃

• Supplements (hint, hint). While trips can be a time to let loose, we don’t take a vacation from our multivitamin or gut health supplement. Sticking to this routine will leave us with the peace of mind that we’ll be getting essential nutrients from our multivitamin, and gut health support from Synbiotic+, regardless of OOO status.* Pro Tip: Make sure to pack extras of everything in case of travel delays, and keep ‘em in your carry-on in case of any baggage snafus.

• Sun protection. Even if your vacation isn’t of the tropical variety, chances are, you’ll be spending more time outside than you normally do. Our skin is our biggest organ, so protect it with sunscreen and added coverage like hats and outer layers. The last kind of souvenir you want to bring back is a collection of crazy tan lines, or worse — a dangerous burn.

• Journal. Whether you’re looking to steal away for a meditative moment during your travels or simply record memories of your new experiences, we love traveling with a journal. It’s not only a proven mood-booster, it’s also a wonderful way to make sure you never forget that time your bestie lost her shoes while skydiving. 👀

• A good book. No shade to the e-reader hive, but curling up with a paperback feels like a hug for our over-screened eyes. Reading tends to fall by the wayside when we get busy, so what better time to pick back up then while traveling? Head to a chic sidewalk cafe with your Toni Morrison novel, or binge-read your steamy Colleen Hoover by the pool. Not sure what to pack? Think Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things for your trip to India, or the Prince Harry autobiography for your next U.K. trip — stories and authors local to where you are going.

• Protein. Hear us out: travel with protein powder! Our Essential Protein is so versatile that we enjoy it shaken with water, no blender needed, for on-the-go muscle support and to help fill in nutritional gaps.*

Wishing you safe, healthy, and happy travels this year. It’s never been easier to explore the world while taking care of you.

References:

1. Blank C, Gatterer K, Leichtfried V, Pollhammer D, Mair-Raggautz M, Duschek S, Humpeler E, Schobersberger W. Short vacation improves stress-level and well-being in German-speaking middle-managers-a randomized controlled trial. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(1):130. doi:10.3390/ijerph15010130

2. Benefits of physical activity (2022) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm#:~:text=Being%20physically%20active%20can%20improve,activity%20gain%20some%20health%20benefits