Health & Wellness: How to Live a Healthy Lifestyle as a Traveling Musician

 

Tools For Success: Healthy Living On The Go

By Emily Kulinowski

Woman exercising along a lake in a city

According to a survey by The Vacationer, “nearly 63% of all Americans aged 18 or older will travel for at least one holiday this year.” The holidays are a busy travel time, and as a traveling musician it can be difficult to navigate the on-the-go lifestyle.

Healthy living while traveling can feel like an impossible task, and as musicians on the go it can be hard to find that work-life balance. These tools for success can help you live a healthy lifestyle and keep you going as you make music on the road.

Why a Healthy Lifestyle is Important

A lot of people think of physical health when they hear ‘living a healthy lifestyle.” While physical health is important, it’s not the only component in your overall health. 

According to The Foundation For Peripheral Neuropathy, “Physical fitness is not the sole basis of being healthy; being healthy means being mentally and emotionally fit. Being healthy should be part of your overall lifestyle.”

As someone who is currently on my own health and wellness journey, it can be challenging finding a balance between work, a social life, and self care. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle isn’t always easy, and traveling musicians can face added difficulties.

It’s important to have tools for living a healthy lifestyle so you can be the best possible version of yourself. Using these tools for healthy living on the go can can help you take care of your mind and body so you can continue making the music you love.

1.Meal Prep and Mindful Food Choices

Meal prepping is a great way to help you eat more mindfully and save money while doing so. Planning your meals ahead of time allows you to save time during your busy week or travel time so you don’t have to cook later.

Having things like coolers and reusable water bottles can help you plan for those long road trips while gigging, and limits the need for eating out.

You can’t always avoid eating out while traveling, especially when you’re with other people. Eating foods that give you energy while traveling can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and ensure you’re eating well rounded meals.

Mindful food choices could be:

  • Have water instead of soda

  • Always have a vegetable or fruit with your meal

  • Make sure to have some kind of protein and complex carbohydrate

  • Limit alcohol consumption

While being mindful about food is important, you don’t need to feel guilty about treating yourself. Don’t be afraid to indulge every now and then- remember to enjoy yourself and have fun!

2.Move Your Body

“A body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted on by an outside force.”
— Sir Isaac Newton

Working out and exercising is a great way to keep you energized and ready to take on each day. It gets the endorphins and blood flow pumping, and helps keep your body moving.

Sometimes hotels will have gyms; these can be a great way to exercise if you prefer machines or weights. Fitness is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle, so it’s important to find ways to add it to your schedule.

You don’t have to have intense or long workouts. Even just going on simple walks or choosing to take the stairs while traveling are great ways to incorporate movement in a busy traveling schedule.

Going for hikes can be a great way to connect with your bandmates, as well as explore the area you’re visiting!

3.Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is essential for daily function, and when we don’t get enough sleep we often feel the effects of it the next day. 

With the changes in time, routine, and consistency, we often lose sleep as a traveling musician. Sleep is important to stay healthy and be the best self you can be.

Having a good night's sleep helps you feel less stressed and anxious, have clearer thoughts, and be in a better mood.

Having enough sleep helps our brains function at their highest level. Proper rest allows our bodies and minds to reset and be refreshed to take on the next day.

Listen to your body and take naps when needed. Getting a good night’s sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle!

Healthy Lifestyle Travel Tips- The Den Collective

Healthy Lifestyle Travel Tips- The Den Collective

4.Take Care of Your Mental Health

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health- sometimes even more. An unhealthy mindset can have a negative impact on other aspects of your life.

Everyone deals with different stresses; from childhood trauma, to every day triggers, or situational changes. No matter what you’re going through it’s important to know you are not alone.

Take advantage of mental health resources such as virtual therapy sessions, meditating, and online counseling.

Taking care of your mental health can help you better understand yourself and how to approach things in the future. If you have methods of taking care of your mental health while on-the-go, they will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle while traveling as a musician.

The Den Collective partners with Meridian Counseling to offer remote mental heath access on a sliding scale for musicians.

5.Don’t Overdo It

Many celebrities have been seen pushing past their breaking point. In the entertainment industry, there’s often this mentality that to be successful you have to have a completely full schedule and you have to push yourself hard every day.

In an interview with Shape Magazine, Demi Lovato shares “On show days I count my concert as a workout, but on my off days I try to work out once in the morning and again at night. It can be a lot between performing and traveling, so I’m careful not to push myself too hard.”

Listen to your mind and your body to know when you need breaks. A part of living a healthy lifestyle as a traveling musician is finding balance between your work and down time. 

Making time for breaks and not working yourself too hard will help you continue to put out quality meaningful work and have energy for the things that mean most to you.

“It’s good to surround myself with those who aren’t afraid to tell it like it is, because sometimes they see things before I do. It also creates an environment where I’m not ashamed to ask for help.”
— Demi Lovato, Shape Maganize

6.Surround Yourself With The Right People

They say that who you surround yourself with is a reflection of you. Make sure you surround yourself with people who respect you, share similar values, and always want the best for you.

Having the right people by your side who truly understand you and want you to succeed will help you thrive in life. As a traveling musician, you often spend weeks on end living in close quarters with these people. Be sure these are people you can trust to have your back when you need help.

 Having your band on board to help in the healthy lifestyle can be a great way to build stronger bonds, and helps anyone involved have a sense of companionship with this journey. You can help each other make smart choices, and make sure that no one is left behind.

From personal experience, having a group of people you can count on is one of the best things you could ask for when on the road. Healthy friendships help your mental health, and a healthy mind helps maintain a healthy lifestyle.

A person holding their arms above their head and making a heart shape with their hands, as the sun sets

How to Start Healthy Living

The life of a traveling musician can be taxing. You may feel fatigued, that your time is limited, or that you can’t be the same person on-the-go that you aren’t at home. However, don’t let the stress of traveling hinder the things you can still do to keep up a healthy lifestyle as a traveling musician.

The Den Collective partners with The Meta Musician, Boundless Musician, and Meridian Counseling to provide wellness and mental health resources to anyone who needs it. Therapy appointments can be made here, and more resources can be found here.

Understanding tools to living a healthy lifestyle can help you make the most of traveling as a musician. Myself and The Den Collective are here to support and help in any way we can!

 
Health & Wellness, Tips & AdviceEmily KulinowskiEmily Kulinowski, Traveling, How to live a healthy lifestyle, healthy lifestyle, healthy living, traveling musician, tools for success, how to start healthy living, why a healthy lifestyle is important, traveling as a musicianComment