Let's face it, traveling on an airplane is not movement friendly. The space is small, stress is often high and traveling with kids adds a whole extra set of challenges. Here is a list of things I do to make an airplane trip more bearable. 1. Don't get on the plane until you have to! Even traveling with kids, I wait until the last possible moment to line up to get on the plane. The less time I am confined to a small space, the better. 2. Choose an aisle seat if possible It makes it so much easier to get up and move around if you don't have to ask a stranger sitting beside you to move. 3. Drink plenty of water Not only will it keep you hydrated, you'll have to get up to use the restroom. 4. Sit better Sit with an untucked pelvis and don't schlump into the back of the seat. (Is schlump a word?). When you 'schlump' or slouch into the back of the seat, you are outsourcing the movement of your core to the seat. A rolled up sweater or jacket can help fill in the space of the bucket seat to make this easier. 5. Bring balls with you I always travel with a tennis ball or yoga tune up ball. Placing the ball under your legs or behind you gives a nice massage to your tissues and allows you to move some of you while still sitting in a cramped seat. 6. Move what you can I try to do plenty of hand and neck stretches. Best case scenario, the person next to you wants to join in. Worst case scenario, you get really strange looks when you take off your shoes to stretch your feet!! 7. Enjoy the post-airplane walk. Instead of grumbling about how far it is from the airplane to your luggage, take the opportunity to stretch out your legs and get your body moving again. Then, when you get to your destination, go for another walk, preferably outside. How do you make sure you're still moving when you travel?
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I recently went on a 5+ hour road trip and wanted to share how I recover from time spent sitting in a vehicle. We road trip a lot, often driving for a full day or two to reach our destination.
Here are a few things you can do, during and after the drive to reduce the effects of sitting during travel. 1. Use a rolled up towel in your seat to help you untuck your pelvis. You want your seat to be as flat as possible. The 'dip' at the back of the seat in most vehicles forces you into a tucked pelvis position. The towel will help you sit with an untucked pelvis, taking pressure off your sacrum. 2. Bring a tennis ball with you. Use the ball to change the load on different parts of your body. When I'm the passenger (and I'm not practicing my twisting and reaching to hand my kids food or activities), I use a tennis ball to roll around between the seat and my back. Or I sit on it. Or I roll my feet on it. The possibilities are endless! 3. Every time you stop to use a restroom, take a movement break! Climb up on a parking barricade. Hang from a tree. Hinge at the hips and touch your toes. Reach up over your head. 3. When you arrive at your destination, go for a walk. Even a short 5 minute walk will help you unwind from the seated position. 4. Spend some time after you arrive tending to the muscles that were in a shortened and/or stagnant position while you were in the vehicle. - Stretch the back of your legs - strap stretch, hip hinge, seated V - Stretch your calves - using a half dome or rolled up towel - Lie flat on the floor and reach your hands up over your head - Do a gentle twist, making sure to go both ways 5. If it's a really long drive, plan movement breaks along the way. We often grab lunch or dinner at a grocery store and take it to a playground to eat when we travel. How do you add movement to your road trip travel days? |
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AuthorRosanna Taylor, MSc, RES-CPT Archives
April 2024
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