Digital nomadism is a great adventure, but you’ve got to look after yourself along the way, which may be hard to do after you’ve moved to another country. Fortunately, I’ve created this list of things you can do to stay healthy as a digital nomad. It helped me and I hope it can help you too.
Table of Contents
Exercise
As a digital nomad, you’ll most likely be doing your job on your laptop, which will have you being sedentary for a good chunk of the day. However, if you want to maintain your physical health while travelling and working abroad as a digital nomad then you’ve got to keep active. Here are some tips on how you can do that.
1. Spend some time standing while working
You burn more calories while you stand compared to sitting. However, it’s unclear whether standing instead of sitting working helps with weight maintenance. What is clear is that you’re at a higher risk of diabetes and if you sit for most of your day, so standing will help you prevent that.
Furthermore, working at a standing desk may be better for your spine. It also adds some variation in your day. Bear in mind that you shouldn’t stand for too long during the day, so you can alternate between sitting and standing while working.
2. Ergonomics
Ergonomics can be used to help fit a workplace to user’s needs, so it’ll help prevent things like neck and back pain as well as eye strain. Here are several things you can do to help reduce discomfort and increase productivity in your work environment:
- Make sure your posture is correct – to do this, sit in a seat that properly supports your back, adjust your chair so that knees are parallel with your hips and that your feet are parallel to the ground and put your feet flat on the floor to evenly distribute your body weight across your hips.
- Keep your screen at eye level – having your screen too low or high makes your more susceptible to eye strain and neck and back pain, so always make sure that the top of your computer screen is no more than 2 inches above eye level.
- Position your keyboard well – leave between 4 and 6 inches between the edge of your keyboard and desk so there’s enough room for your wrists to rest.
- Take regular breaks – sitting or in even standing in the same position for too long can lead to a lot of discomfort so it’s best to take frequent breaks every hour. You could try using the Pomodoro technique to do this.
3. Do Activities that Get You Moving
There are many habits you can adopt that make you more active. For instance, when travelling to new locations, try to see if you can walk to your final destination for all or at least some of the way. You can even rent a bike to get around. If you’re going somewhere that’s not on the ground floor then take the stairs instead of the lift (if there is one).
You could also plan to do mobile activities during the day such as going for a swim (in the sea if the weather allows it) or hiking a mountain or hill. I love eating so dieting is often difficult for me, but I managed to maintain my weight and fitness level by hiking mountains and walking a lot while living in Seoul.
4. Join a Gym
If you aren’t going to be in a certain location for a long time, then it may be worth finding a gym with flexible membership or a kind of membership which matches up with how long you’ll be there. Alternatively, you could stay in accommodation which allows you access to a gym.
5. Find Online Home Workouts
If gyms aren’t your thing then you can always find exercises on online platforms such as YouTube. I personally love to dance so I search for dance workouts like Zumba. You can find other content online like Yoga sessions, too.
6. Bring Portable Workout Equipment with You
If you enjoy using exercise equipment, then you can always try bringing some with you. While you won’t want to bring heavy stuff like dumbbells, you can always carry light portable workout equipment such as a skipping rope, yoga mat, or resistance band.
7. Use Fitness Apps
Instead of finding online workouts on sites like YouTube, you can always download fitness apps which you’ll most likely have to pay for. However, they’re pretty convenient and some apps like Sworkit even allow you to customise your workouts, which you won’t get on YouTube.
8. Bring Activewear
Working out in uncomfortable or unsuitable gear really doesn’t motivate you. So, if you want to stay in shape then you should definitely bring activewear with you. You can also use it for activities such as hiking or jogging.
Join a Sports Team
Some people find it easier to stay fit in a social setting. Once it’s safe to meet up with other people again, you can join a sports team to keep active. Playing sports was the main way I stayed fit at university and really helped me meet friends and gain confidence. While abroad, you can use sites like Meetup or Facebook to join sports groups.
Healthy Eating
Your diet is just as important for your physical health as exercise is. While abroad, you’ll come across a lot of mouth-watering dishes, which understandably may make you put on a couple of pounds. Below you’ll find some guidance on how best to avoid this.
1.Cook Your Own Food
Eating out may be a great way to try the local cuisine but the dishes you try might be full of calories and unhealthy fats. The best way to get control over your diet would be to cook your own food, as you know what exactly is going in the meal.
You can also prepare meals you can take with you while sightseeing such as sandwiches and wraps. This won’t only save you money but’ll also give you the opportunity to cook food from a different culture if you wish.
2.Control Your Portion Sizes
Sometimes you just can’t help trying everything while in a foreign country, but you may end up eating more than you actually need, which may make you pile on some pounds.
You can become more mindful of your portion sizes by eating slowly as that’ll help you ascertain if you’re full or not. Drinking lots of water will also help you understand if you’re actually hungry or just thirsty. You can also opt to eat smaller snacks from food stalls or eat from smaller bowls or plates if you’re cooking food at home.
3. Drink Lots of Water
As I mentioned above, drinking water is useful for controlling your portion sizes. However, it also helps with weight maintenance in general and has a variety of other benefits such as keeping your hydrated and improving exercise performance.
You can buy a reusable water bottle to use as it’ll come in handy especially when you’re out and about. You can also drink other healthy beverages like teas.
4. Get a Portable Blender
If you can’t really stand drinking lots of water or tea then you can always drink smoothies to keep you hydrated. Smoothies also come packed with vitamins and minerals so they’re worth making.
Unfortunately, it’s a bit inefficient to keep on always buying blenders in every country you live in, so it’s best to buy a portable one you can fit in your carry on or checked luggage.
5. Buy Healthy Snacks
I have a sweet tooth, so I always crave sweet things but instead of always buying chocolate, sweets or cakes, I often buy healthier alternatives such as oat cereal bars or dry fruit with nuts like cashews. You can do this too.
It’s also quite interesting to see how different fruit and veggies are abroad. Apples in South Korea are like 3 times as big as the ones you find in the UK.
6. Consider Following a Plant-based Diet
Plant-based diets are not only great for the environment, but they can also help you stay healthy while travelling as they are rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals that can help lower blood pressure and maintain a healthy weight. These diets may not be for everyone so you should try it out to see how you feel.
7. Take Your Vitamins
Vitamins help vital with processes in our bodies so any deficiencies can wreak havoc on your body and have you feeling iffy. You can get most of your daily vitamin amounts through a healthy diet but sometimes that’s not possible. That’s why it’s a good idea to take some vitamins.
I’m prone to suffering from vitamin D deficiency and anaemia, so I take vitamins which contain these and they’ve helped me a lot. Remember you should always consult a doctor before making medical decisions.
8. Intermittent Fasting
If you’re looking for a way to eat fewer calories without controlling your food portion sizes, then you can try intermittent fasting which involves having your first and last meal about 8-10 hours between each other and fasting for the rest of the day. This may mean that you cancel your breakfast or your dinner.
You should consult your doctor before doing this as it may not be for a suitable diet for you.
Emotional and Mental Health
Moving to a foreign country can be rough, so moving to multiple foreign countries will be extra rough. That’s why it’s also vital that you look after your emotional and mental health while abroad. Here are some ways how you can do this.
1. Get Enough Sleep
A lack of sleep can cause negative consequences for your mental and physical health, so getting enough of it is quite important. Some people need 8 hours, whereas others need less or even more (I personally need between 6 and 7 to feel fully rested).
The point is that you should sleep enough hours for your body so that you can work to your best ability as well as enjoy your travels.
2. Find a Community
Digital nomadism can be lonely for even the most introverted of us, which could take a toll on your mental and emotional wellbeing. So, try and find a community even if it’s an online one. These kinds of communities are also great for finding help if you’re struggling with something.
3. Practise Mindfulness
Mindfulness entails paying attention to the present moment and ultimately helps us prevents us from being overwhelmed by our thoughts and feelings by becoming aware of them, so you can better manage them. So it can help with stress as well as your mental health and general wellbeing.
You can use techniques like meditation, breathing exercises and yoga to practise mindfulness. Apps, like Daily Yoga, Breathe2Relax , Calm, Aura and Headspace can help with this.
4. Establish Routines
It’ll help with stress and productivity. Certain routines will also help with other things on this list. For instance, not using your laptop or phone a couple of hours before you go to bed will help with the quality of your sleep.
Conclusion
As you’ve seen, there are plenty of tips you can follow to stay healthy as a digital nomad. Use them to help you create a personalised plan for maintaining your health while abroad. Good luck!
