Don’t Let Your Gut Ruin Your Getaway
How to Stay Regular While Traveling
Your bags are packed, the auto-reply is on, you’ve finally taken time off, and you’re ready to unwind. But somewhere between the airport terminal and the first hotel breakfast buffet, your gut starts acting up.
Constipation. Bloating. Gas. That sluggish, heavy feeling that just won’t budge. You’re not alone – up to 40% of travelers experience constipation, and as many as 70% report traveler’s diarrhea.
Travel changes nearly everything about your routine, and your digestive system is often the first to go out of sync. But there’s help! We’ve put together this quick guide to help your body feel a little more at home, no matter where you’re headed, while helping you make the most of your vacation.
Why travel tends to throw off your digestion
Your digestive system is kind of a creature of habit. It likes knowing when you’re eating, sleeping, moving, and drinking water, and it works best when these activities occur around the same time every day.
Travel throws all of that off. You might get dehydrated on a long flight without realizing it. Being seated in confined spaces with limited mobility can also slow gut motility and lead to bloating. Or maybe you skip a meal or grab a sad airport sandwich that doesn’t agree with you.
Even the good kind of stress, like being excited about your trip, can still throw your gut off balance. Now, add jet lag and less movement to the mix, and it’s not hard to see why things start to slow down.
Tips for staying regular while traveling
Travel doesn’t have to mean unpredictable bathroom visits. A few small habits can help you take your mind off your gut so you can enjoy your trip.
Stay hydrated, even when it's inconvenient
Hydration is one of the most underrated yet essential ways to keep your digestion running smoothly. However, travel days often involve long stretches without water due to early morning flights, back-to-back sightseeing, or simply not wanting to use the bathroom during transit.
A good rule of thumb is to drink a full glass of water with every meal and snack, and to sip consistently throughout the day. If you’re flying, hydrate more than usual. Cabin air is dry, and dehydration kicks in fast.
If plain water isn’t cutting it, toss in some electrolytes or even a pinch of salt and lemon, especially if you’re in a hot climate, drinking more alcohol than usual, or crossing time zones. It helps your body actually absorb the water instead of just expelling it, and your digestion will thank you for it.
Prioritize fiber without skipping the fun
One of the joys of travel is the food! However, that often means consuming more bread, cheese, meat, and sweets —and not enough fiber. Your gut needs fiber to stay regular, and low-fiber meals can cause constipation.
You don’t need to overhaul your meals, just look for ways to sneak in some fiber each day. Add fruit to your breakfast, grab a salad or veggie-heavy dish at lunch, or pack fiber-friendly snacks like roasted chickpeas, trail mix, or dried apricots.
Keep moving in ways that feel good
Travel often means long hours of sitting still on planes, trains, and taxis. But movement helps digestion by literally moving things along, i.e., making you more regular, especially after meals.
You don’t need to hit the hotel gym or commit to a full workout. Even light movement helps. A walk after dinner, a quick stretch between connections, or a few minutes of yoga before bed can make a big difference in how your body processes what you’ve eaten.
Tip: If you’re short on time or space, pack a resistance band or just do some standing twists, toe touches, or deep squats in your room.
Stick to a rhythm that feels familiar
Your gut likes consistency. It tends to work best when your days have a rhythm. Travel, of course, throws all of that off, especially when you’re crossing time zones or adjusting to a new schedule.
Still, you can give your body some familiar signals. If you usually start your day with coffee or a specific breakfast, try to maintain that routine.
Eat around your usual times when you can, and don’t rush through your morning if that’s when your body’s used to settling into gear.
Our best travel tip: Carry a probiotic
With your best habits in place, travel can still throw your gut off. Especially if you’re someone who already deals with bloating, constipation, or just general unpredictability. That’s where having a solid probiotic on hand can really help.
VSL4 Gut™ is a shelf-stable, high-potency probiotic made for daily digestive support. Each capsule contains 30 billion CFUs and a carefully selected mix of beneficial bacteria. What makes it especially useful for travel is its stability. You don’t need to refrigerate it and it’s free from common irritants like dairy, soy, and gluten. VSL4 Gut™ is portable, reliable, and made for people who want to keep their digestion on track without needing to think about it every day.
And it’s part of the VSL Probiotics family, which is a trusted name in high-CFU, clinically backed probiotics. You’ve got enough to plan when you travel. Let your probiotic be the one thing you don’t have to think twice about.