Workplace Fitness: Staying healthy on vacation

An important part of being successful in your working life is to take advantage of vacation time benefits to refresh and revive your mind, body, and spirit. But obviously getting sick on vacation and spending the majority of the time not relaxing but recovering and suffering instead does nothing for you but waste your money and your time and send you back to work feeling more exhausted than when you left.

Taking some simple steps towards staying healthy can be the difference between coming back from vacation feeling relaxed and refreshed and ready to hit the ground running or coming back tired, drained, and barely able to get motivated. Whether you're going on a cruise through the Caribbean or on a drive across the country Forbes has compiled some tips to help you stay healthy and make the most of your time away from your desk, your career, and all the other stresses of your everyday life.

Dealing with seasickness/carsickness -- Keep a weather eye on the horizon
The trick to avoiding a bad case of the dry heaves when on a cruise or long car ride is to keep your eyes on the horizon. Stay above deck as much as possible when sailing the high seas, and if you're going to be spending a long time on the road in a car the best seat is shotgun (facing forward with your eyes on the road in front of you).

Drinking the water -- Don't!
We've all heard the phrase "don't drink the water," and if you're traveling anywhere that is considered a developing country you need to take that warning seriously if you don't want to risk getting seriously ill. Safe drinking is generally anything bottled, boiled, or carbonated.

Eating the food -- Be careful
Although drinking the water is more famous for being risky, the truth is that you're more likely to get sick from contaminated food instead. You can't necessarily find food that's bottled or carbonated, but food that is boiled, cooked, or peeled should be safe.

Fighting germs -- Wash your hands
Hand washing is the #1 way to prevent illness anytime (not just when on vacation) but it's especially important when traveling because of the potential of being exposed to new and unfamiliar germs and viruses. If you can use antibacterial hand soap, sanitizing gel, or wipes in between washes all the better.