Whether you are traveling for work or play, a trip can shake up your routine. Changes to your diet and sleep habits can affect bowel regularity when you’re on the road. But with a little planning, you can minimize travel constipation. Here are seven tips to help you enjoy your trip without worrying about a backed-up gut.
The information provided on this site is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for medical advice, diagnosis and treatment.
Focus on Probiotic Foods Before Your Trip
Studies indicate that probiotics (live bacteria and yeasts that are good for you), may help minimize constipation symptoms. In the days leading up to your trip, try adding more probiotics to your diet with foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh and miso, as well as beverages like kefir and kombucha.
Pack a Reusable Water Bottle
Fresh water isn’t always at your fingertips when you’re traveling, and buying bottled water can quickly get expensive. Take a reusable water bottle with you to stay hydrated and avoid travel constipation.
Pack High-fiber Travel Snacks
Between fast food, vending machines and airplane meals, travelers encounter a lot of high-fat and processed snacks. Boost your fiber intake while traveling by packing snacks like fruit, cut veggies and whole-grain crackers or cereals. If you are flying, check the Transportation Security Administration guidelines for foods you can take on a plane.
Anticipate Changes in Sleep
Your gastrointestinal tract is connected to your circadian rhythms, or your body’s internal clock. To stay regular across time zones, prepare by incrementally moving mealtimes and bedtime closer to the schedule of your destination — even just a little bit can help your body get enough rest to keep things moving.
Stick to an Exercise Schedule
Exercise is another daily routine that can be hard to stick to while traveling. Moving our bodies keeps our digestive system moving, so make frequent stops to stretch your legs, build-in exercise time at the hotel gym, or plan time for activities that get your body moving.
Balance Treats with Healthy Eating
Visiting iconic eateries and sampling local cuisine is part of the joy of travel. Give yourself permission to enjoy the foods your destination is known for and find the balance your system needs by including fiber-rich options in your meals, like fruit with breakfast and vegetables as sides.
Pack MiraLAX® Mix-In Pax
Perfect for travel, MiraLAX® Mix-In Pax are portable packets that easily fit in your carry-on, handbag or backpack. You can mix them with your favorite beverage for on-the-go relief from occasional constipation.
-
National Library of Medicine. Efficacy of probiotic compounds in relieving constipation and their colonization in gut microbiota. Molecules. 2022;27(3): 666. doi: 0.3390/molecules27030666. Updated February 2022. Accessed March 8, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8838973/.
-
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Eating, diet, & nutrition for constipation. Updated May 2018. Accessed March 9, 2023. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/constipation/eating-diet-nutrition.
-
Konturek PC, Brzozowski T, Konturek SJ. Gut clock: implication of circadian rhythms in the gastrointestinal tract. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2011;62(2): 139-150. Accessed March 8, 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21673361/.
