From booking flights to packing our suitcases, holiday travel requires a bit of planning. We’ve pulled together a complete guide to help you navigate holiday travel so that you don’t have to feel stressed or anxious.
In the days leading to your flight:
Book your flight during off-peak days. The Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving are the two most expensive days to fly during the entire year. According to Orbitz, the busiest day to travel for this Thanksgiving is November 25 and the least busy day is November 30. The busiest day for Christmas travel is December 23 and the least hectic day to travel is December 27. If you can manage, flights are cheapest on Christmas Day. December 30 is known as the busiest day for New Year’s travel. Flight prices on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are significantly lower. On January 2, prices rise about 25 percent.
Aim for morning flights. Flight statistics show that planes traveling earlier in the day have a better on-time performance. Flying first thing in the morning may reduce your chance of getting stuck in the crowds. Plus, if your flight gets delayed, you are less likely to have to pull an all-nighter at the airport.
Fly nonstop. Layovers can turn into travel delays. If possible, try to book a nonstop flight to your destination.
Have gifts shipped to your destination. Packing gifts with your luggage means less space for your personal belongings and increased chances of checking additional baggage. Save yourself from the hassle by opting for delivery to your destination or shipping presents yourself, ahead of time.
Pack light. If you need to bring gifts with you, use clothing as padding to avoid breaking. Also wait to wrap presents, in the event that your bag is inspected by security. Try to stick to a carry-on suitcase so that you won’t have to wait to check the bag or at the baggage carousel once you land. When packing, leave extra room to take back any gifts you may receive. Lastly, wear your heaviest clothing to free up additional space.
In the hours leading up to your flight:
Check-in online. Save yourself time by checking-in and selecting your seats before your flight. Be sure to download your airline's app just in case you need to have customer service phone numbers handy for delays or cancellations.
Check flight status. Check your flight status the night before and morning of your flight. In the event that your flight is delayed, you’ll save yourself the trouble of spending more time in the airport than necessary.
Pack snacks. Bring your favorite grab-and-go snacks to avoid long lines at concession stands. Plus, if you get stuck, you’ll have some extra fuel to keep you going!
Leave extra early. With traffic and long lines, it is best to give yourself an ample amount of time to get to the airport and past security. If you find yourself with extra time on your hands at BWI this year you can gift yourself some extra endorphins by working up a sweat at ROAM Fitness in the new connector between terminals D and E.
Stay calm. Delays and cancellations are out of your control and not worth worrying about. Just think, at least you’ll have a conversation starter at the family dinner!
Photo by @erikaosberg
With the holidays coming up quickly, it’s time to start thinking about gifts for family and friends. We’ve pulled together our top ten picks for fitness gurus who are always on the go. These items are perfect for travel days and inspire a healthy, fit life.
Gym Passes. Experience the luxury of working out while traveling in the first airport fitness facility behind security in the US! Stock up on passes to the first ROAM Fitness location in the Baltimore Washington International Airport. ROAM will be opening its doors at the end of November so be sure to stock up before our pre-orders close. Day, month, and year passes are available for purchase.
Therapy Ball. The Yoga Tune Up® Ball is a recovery tool designed specifically to relieve pain, heal, stretch, and strengthen. Frequent use will help bring the body back into balance and relieve pain and tension. It can be used for the spine, IT band, shoulders, thighs, and so much more! These are perfect for before and after long flights to increase circulation and reduce inflammation.
Phone Armband. The Tribe AB37 Water Resistant Sports Armband with Key Holder is compatible with the iPhone 6, 6S, Galaxy S3/S4, iPhone 5/5C/5S. It features a screen protector that allows you to control your phone and a key holder. Take this armband with you while you run, lift, and stretch!
Fitness Journal. fitbook® is a 12-week fitness + nutrition journal to help plan for success, track progress, and reach goals. The fitbook® will keep you motivated with tips and inspiration. It includes weekly planning pages for goals, workout, and meals, space to track your food and workouts, and weekly wrap-up pages to track rewards and reflect. This book will help keep you on track even during your busy travel days.
Wireless Headphones. The Jaybird X3 wireless headphones have a long battery life and high sound quality. They have eight hours of playtime and only require 15 minutes to charge. These headphones are sweat-resistant and designed to remain secure regardless of fast you’re running or how high you’re jumping.
Fitness Magazines. Give your friends something to read while they are in the airport, on the plane, or relaxing in the hotel. Some of our favorites include Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Muscle & Fitness, Shape, Self, Runner's World, Bicycling, and Yoga Journal.
Wellness Book. Medical Medium Life-Changing Foods: Save Yourself and the Ones You Love with the Hidden Healing Powers of Fruits & Vegetables is a New York Times best seller. In this book you’ll learn about the best foods to eat to relieve gallstones, hypertension, brain fog, thyroid issues, migraines, and hundreds of other symptoms and conditions. You’ll also learn about nutrition designed to heal, insights into cravings, and how to use stress to your advantage.
Exercise Cards. Workout Labs sells bundles of cards containing bodyweight exercises for men and women as well as yoga pose cards. The bodyweight packs include with 50 illustrated no-equipment exercises and 6 simple circuit workouts. These cards are easy to stash in your bag and perfect for trips. Set aside 15 to 20 minutes on your trip to get an intense, structured workout!
Backpack. The lululemon Run All Day Backpack (pictured above) is perfect for life on the go. It is small, lightweight, and has lots of pockets for your cell phone, water bottle, keys, wallet, and more. The fabric is durable and water-repellent.
Face Wipes. After a long time on the plane or time at the gym, Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes are the perfect tool to clean, refresh, and nourish your skin. They are designed for all skin types and are all-natural with no dyes, artificial perfumes, and no harsh irritants.
Arnica. Arnica is one of the most popular homeopathic medicines that relieves swelling, muscle pain and stiffness, and discoloration from bruises. It can be applied post-workout to relieve muscles soreness, up to three times per day. This tube will fit perfectly in your carry-on!
Between early mornings, long layovers, flight delays, and time zone changes, traveling can be detrimental to our sleep patterns.
Jet lag occurs any time you travel quickly across multiple time zones. It’s no secret that the more time zones you cross, the longer it will take to recover.
Our internal clocks, also known as circadian rhythms, tell us when to sleep and wake up. For every time zone crossed, it takes around one day to recover. In the meantime, travelers often experience disturbed sleep, daytime fatigue, mood changes, difficulty concentrating and functioning, and gastrointestinal problems.
Frequent flyers, international travelers, and older adults are at higher risk for experiencing jet lag.
Luckily, there are several steps that we can take to help prevent the effects.
Consider arriving several days in advance. If you are traveling for a big event, like a business meeting or wedding, plan to arrive several days ahead to allow yourself the time to adjust.
Get enough sleep prior to your trip. Make sure that you are well rested before leaving. Beginning your trip sleep deprived worsens the effects of jet lag.
Adjust your schedule before leaving. Begin by trying to have meals closer to the time you will be eating them at your destination. Work on adjusting your sleep schedule several days in advance by one hour each night depending on the direction you are traveling (earlier for the east, later for the west). However, if you will only be at your destination for one or two days, you are better off sticking to your normal sleep schedule since you will not have time to adjust.
Monitor your exposure to bright light. Light is one of the primary influences on our circadian rhythms. For those traveling west, light exposure in the evening will help to adjust to a later time zone. Exposure to morning light can help those adjust to earlier time zones quicker.
Exercise and stretch the day before. Hitting the gym the day before traveling can improve circulation. A post-workout stretch can help minimize stiffness and ease muscle tension.
Hydrate and snack prep. Jet lag symptoms can be worsened by dehydration. Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after your flight while avoiding alcohol and caffeine. Plan out several snacks you can take to the airport that contain immune-boosting vitamins and nutrients such as clementines for Vitamin C, veggies and hummus for iron and zinc, or Brazil nuts which are high in antioxidants.
Plan your in flight sleep schedule. If you are in the air during nighttime at your destination, try to sleep on the plane. Eye masks, headphones, and neck pillows can help make sleep more comfortable.
Consider taking melatonin. Melatonin can speed up the adjustment of your circadian rhythm by helping you fall asleep at the appropriate time. Natural sources of melatonin include tomatoes, olives, barley, rice and walnuts. Melatonin can also be found in supplement form, which can be taken one hour prior to bedtime for the first three nights at your destination.
