Whether you’re flying off to a tropical getaway or taking a road trip out of town, going on vacation is meant to be a fun, joyous occasion. But between the stress of airports, changes in routine, unfamiliar foods and disrupted sleep schedules, it’s no wonder many people struggle with constipation while traveling (or, conversely, struggle with excessive diarrhea)
Many travelers have experienced some sort of gut and bowel disruption when traveling. Travel constipation is a very common condition that can cause you to feel sluggish, bloated and backed up — all of which can put a damper on your vacation when you should be enjoying yourself and having a good time.
Thankfully, there are several strategies you can use to prevent constipation from ruining your trip.
[Immediate Constipation Relief: How to Make Yourself Poop]
Tips to Prevent or Relieve Travel-Related Constipation
— Drink water
— Add electrolytes
— Eat healthy foods
— Increase your fiber intake
— Choose warm beverage
— Take magnesium supplements
— Get moving
— Relax
— Apply heat and pressure
— Stick to a routine
[READ: How to Manage Travel Anxiety]
1. Drink Water
One of the most important — and easiest — things you can do to stay regular
is to stay hydrated by drinking water, especially when traveling.
When you’re rushing through airports, sitting in dry circulated air on flights, lounging at the beach or walking around in the sun, it’s easy to forget to drink enough water and become dehydrated, which is a common cause of constipation.
That’s because the large intestine needs hydration to properly lubricate the bowels and move stool smoothly through the colon. When your body doesn’t get enough water, your intestines absorb more water from food waste, which results in hard and dry stool that is harder to pass.
The best way to combat that is to drink plenty of water throughout your journey.
If you’re flying, you can do this by bringing a full reusable bottle of water with you to the airport, drinking it before going through security, refilling it at the nearest drinking fountain and sipping it during the flight.
“If you wait until you get to your destination to get water, you’re already dehydrated,” explains Niki Strealy, an Oregon-based registered dietitian nutritionist who specializes in gut health.
[READ: Stool Softener vs. Laxative: What Is the Difference?]
2. Add Electrolytes
While drinking water is critical, you can boost your hydration by adding electrolyte drinks, especially if you’re heading to hotter, more humid climates or planning on being physically active.
Electrolytes — including sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium — are minerals that carry an electric charge when dissolved in water and help transport water into the cells in your body. This helps to maintain fluid balance, nerve signaling and muscle function — including the muscles in your digestive tract.
Any commercially available electrolyte product — many of which are conveniently packaged in powder or tablet form — can work well to keep your body’s fluid and electrolyte levels balanced.
[SEE: 8 Ways to Stay Hydrated Besides Drinking Water.]
3. Eat Healthy Foods
Your body is likely well-adjusted to a specific way of eating at home. When you’re traveling, though, you’ll often be sampling unfamiliar foods. That’s one of the best parts of exploring new places and trying different cuisines, but it can throw your gut for a loop.
To prevent constipation while traveling, be sure to eat a healthy diet filled with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds to increase your intake of soluble and insoluble fiber.
With fresh produce, just be sure to wash fresh foods appropriately first. In some places, that may mean using bottled water rather than tap water to ensure no bacterial contamination if the local water treatment infrastructure isn’t as robust as what you’re used to.
“In many countries, we get exposed to various bacterial pathogens resulting in infectious diarrhea,” Dr. Hardeep Singh, a board-certified gastroenterologist with Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County, California. “Try to make sure you’re eating food that is sanitary, and try to avoid street food, if possible.”
Poor hygiene practices in local eateries and deficiencies in sanitation infrastructure are the biggest contributors to the risk of developing traveler’s diarrhea. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traveler’s diarrhea is “the most predictable travel-related illness,” with incidence rates ranging from 30% to 70% of travelers in a two-week period, depending on where they’re visiting and the time of year. If you do get hit with a stomach bug, mint or ginger teas can also help settle an upset gut.
[READ: Best and Worst Foods to Eat for an Upset Stomach, According to Dietitians]
4. Increase Your Fiber Intake
If you can’t get enough fiber from whole foods while traveling, it may be helpful to pack an over-the-counter fiber supplement with you. These come in a variety of travel-friendly options — such as gummies, wafers and on-the-go packets — to make it easier and more convenient for you to maintain regularity while you’re away from home.
As you increase your fiber intake, especially with supplements that contain psyllium husk, it’s important to drink more water. Without enough water, taking too much fiber can lead to even worse constipation, bloating and abdominal discomfort.
5. Choose Warm Beverages
Drinking warm liquids, especially in the morning, can help relax digestive muscles and stimulate bowel movement.
Warm drinks to help you stay regular include:
— Coffee. The caffeine in coffee can increase colon and intestinal muscle contractions to help move stool through the digestive tract. However, decaf coffee may also work. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee have been shown to stimulate digestive hormones — gastrin and cholecystokinin — that can get the bowels moving.
— Tea. There are many benefits of drinking tea, including preventing and relieving constipation. The heat from drinking warm tea can help relax the muscles in the digestive tract and hydrate stool, but herbal teas — such as ginger, peppermint and senna — may help promote digestion more effectively. They contain natural compounds that have laxative properties to help get your bowels moving.
— Lemon water. While the warm water hydrates the intestines, some research suggests that lemon water can aid in digestion by increasing stomach acid to help break down food.
6. Take Magnesium Supplements
If you’re prone to traveler’s constipation, consider taking a magnesium supplement
.
Magnesium — specifically, magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide — supports a variety of bodily functions, including promoting regular bowel movements by pulling water into the intestines to soften stool and relaxing muscles in the gastrointestinal tract to encourage regularity.
As with any medication or dietary supplement, talk to your doctor if you have any underlying health conditions or are taking other medications before starting magnesium, as it may cause adverse drug interactions.
7. Get Moving
Whether you’re sitting on planes during a long flight or lounging by the hotel pool, there can be a lot of sitting and waiting around when you’re traveling.
While this sedentary pace can be relaxing, it can also lead to a sluggish bowel.
To prevent constipation, remember: Physical movement encourages bowel movements. Whether you’re running, swimming, hiking or taking a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) class, staying physically active can stimulate natural contractions in your intestines to help food pass through your digestive system and prevent constipation.
“Regular daily exercise can promote normal bowel movements,” Singh says.
If you can’t schedule a full workout during your vacation, build in short walks or morning yoga sessions in your hotel room to keep your body moving in some way, shape or form.
“A walk after breakfast can help to reset your body’s bowel clock,” Strealy adds.
8. Relax
Stress is a common feature of travel and a common cause for bowel disruption. Getting to the airport on time, going through security and making our connecting flights can all lead to increased tension and anxiety.
But beyond being detrimental to our mental health, stress and anxiety can wreak havoc on our digestive tract. Because the gut and brain are connected through the gut-brain axis, your mood and state of mind can affect your digestion.
When you’re stressed, it triggers the body’s “flight-or-fight” response, which diverts energy away from certain processes — including digestion — in order to focus on the stressor. As a result, the body’s digestive system becomes temporarily disrupted or stops altogether, leading to constipation and other gastrointestinal issues.
Do your best to relax as much as you can throughout your journey. Relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing or meditation, can help activate your body’s “rest and digest” response instead of your “fight-or-flight” response. Simply accepting that you may be constipated for the first day or two of travel, and understanding it’s relatively normal, can help too.
9. Apply Heat and Pressure
Using a warm compress or heating pad on your abdomen can help relax your intestinal muscles and relieve bloating and cramping symptoms. The gentle heat applied to the lower part of your stomach can stimulate blood flow in those muscles to make it easier to have a bowel movement.
If heat isn’t enough, try giving yourself an abdominal massage to simulate the movement of your bowels.
To do this, apply gentle — but firm pressure — starting on the lower right side of your stomach. In a circular motion, move your hand up until the ribs, then straight across and down the left side. Moving in this square pattern mimics the natural direction of your colon to give your bowel a helping hand.
10. Stick to a Routine
When you’re traveling, it can be challenging sticking to a normal routine like you would at home. Changes to your foods, meal times, bathroom habits and sleep schedule — especially with adjusting to different time zone and jet lag — can throw off your circadian rhythm, which serves as your body’s internal clock that also helps regulate digestive processes.
However, staying as close as possible to a schedule can help get your body in sync. Eating, waking up and going to sleep around the same times as you normally would may help relieve and keep travel constipation at bay.
Bottom Line
Travel constipation is a very common issue that can cause discomfort, but it doesn’t have to ruin your trip.
With a few simple steps — such as staying hydrated, eating a healthy diet rich in high-fiber foods, staying physically active and sticking to a routine — you can keep your gut on track wherever your travels take you.
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Constipation: How to Stay Regular While Traveling originally appeared on usnews.com
