Coronavirus quarantine has kept many of us locked inside away from friends and family. As many begin to venture back out onto the roads and the air to see loved ones near and far, I wanted to share my travel tips and tricks. As my own family traveled by car to Nashville for Labor Day Weekend, I was reminded of the havoc that traveling can wreak on one’s body. Stiffness, soreness, muscle tension from all the stress – the list goes on. So here is a compiled list of my favorite travel tips to help you navigate your own travel this fall season!
MOVE!
Whether you are traveling by car or plane, my first travel tip is to move and move often. On a long car ride, I recommend stopping every 2 hours to get out of the car and move your body. I like to take a short walk around the rest stop or gas station followed by a few mobility based exercises. These often include high knee marches in place, knee to booty kicks, calf raises, trunk rotations, side bend stretches, and my favorite – the hip/low back mobility matrix (featured in previous exercise of the week) with one foot on the ground and one foot on the seat of the car. You can do any movements that feel good or needed for your own body. If you are on a plane, I recommend getting up to move every 30 minutes. You will have less room to stroll around so breaks will need to be more frequent. If you are embarrassed to do a few exercises in the aisle near your seat – go into the bathroom. You should have just enough room for some standing marches, high knees, side bends, etc.
KEEP YOUR BLOOD FLOWING!
Travel often requires prolonged time in one position which keeps your blood more stagnant. This also puts your body at risk for blood clots, especially for those who are pregnant, aging, or traveling by plane. Getting up to move keeps your blood flowing but what about all that time when you have to stay in your seat?! First, wear compression stockings. These are long socks that provide a nice squeeze for your legs to help your veins pump the blood back up toward your heart and to keep blood from pooling in your legs. You can buy compression stockings without a prescription at any pharmacy or drug store. And if you’re worried about being fashionable, MANY companies are working on making cute compression stockings for every day wear! The second way to keep your blood flowing while traveling is perform muscle setting exercises. Your muscles work as a pump system to push blood through your body so doing exercises that focus on squeezing allow you to keep the blood pumping when your motion is constricted. Some easy muscle setting exercises include glute squeezes (squeezing your booty for 10 seconds then relaxing), quad sets (squeezing the quadriceps muscle by kicking your foot into the seat or wall in front of you for 10 seconds then relaxing), calf sets (squeezing the calf muscles by pushing your toes down into the floor for 10 seconds then relaxing), and hamstring sets (squeezing the hamstring muscles by digging the heel into the floor for 10 seconds then relaxing).
RELAX!
Traveling is stressful. Add kids or last minute schedule changes and you may find yourself on the verge of a breakdown. Take 2 minutes every hour of your travel to physically relax your body. The easiest way to do this is close your eyes, block out your hollering children or the chatty passengers around you, and start to focus on your breathing. Scan your body starting at your toes and working your way up to your head, and each time you breath out try to relax every muscle in your body allowing yourself to sink into your seat. This simple relaxation technique will help to calm your body/mind and reduce muscle tension.
These 3 travel tips are sure to help reduce stiffness and muscle tension that may limit your ability to enjoy your trip. If you are needing help to improve pain pre- or post-travel, call Life Changes Physical Therapy today! We offer both in-person and telehealth services to help you out even while you are away!