Traveling Tips
Are you traveling for the holidays?
Do the long car or plane rides make your body feel achy?
Let’s travel smarter, not harder.
Many people do a lot of traveling this time of year which can get VERY uncomfortable as we sit through long flights or car rides. No matter which mode of transportation you are using, one thing is universal -- we need to get out of that seat and extend our spine!
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First and foremost, the most important thing is to keep that curve in our low backs. Some people are lucky enough to have cars where you can increase the lumbar support in your seat with the click of a button. For those who have it, use it! For those who don't or are traveling in a plane, anything will do - a rolled up sweatshirt/jacket/towel - whatever you have access to! Just roll whatever you have up and place it against your seat in the small of your low back. You will immediately feel a sense of relief and way better posture as you are seated.
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Next, keeping our necks neutral instead of jutted forward with bad posture is just as important! How do we do this? It’s this little thing called a headrest that people tend to forget exist. Use it!! It’s there for a reason. It may feel funny at first to completely touch your head to it (especially when driving), but you will get that neck back into the neutral position it loves. This literally takes pounds of pressure off your spine.
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Now if and when possible - take a break!! Use the rest stops to your advantage. The body wasn’t meant to sit in a car for 8 hours straight. Get up and MOVE. Movement overrides pain - need I say more. What about when you’re in a plane? Make the person in the aisle seat move, and stand those legs up and move! Get in some standing extensions or anything else shown in the video while you’re waiting on the bathroom in that aisle. It may be small, but you have to make do with what you have.
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Shown in the video include standing extensions with an exhale at the end, hip flexions, and thoracic (mid back) rotations. Even just getting a couple reps in of ANYTHING on your breaks will be extremely helpful as you make your journey.
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If you haven’t already seen a theme, we live a life of lots of flexion. No matter if we’re at work, traveling, in sport - there is a lot of it. This can cause pain many times, so getting that spine back to neutral and extending it is something so simple yet effective. It will help so many of our every day aches and pains that come from repetitive movement like when we’re traveling!
