It's been a tough lockdown but it’s time to give ourselves a pat on the back and take a trip away. This may mean some long car (or even plane) rides for some. Today's blog will discuss the common reasons we can get stiff or sore in our travels, our top products for traveling, and our tips to prevent travel-related aches and pains.
Reasons we get sore when traveling:
Prolonged sitting in transit:
Sitting for prolonged periods can lead to feeling stiff and sore for several reasons. Our postural muscles are the muscles that help to support our body when sitting or standing upright. These muscles can get fatigued with prolonged sitting. When this happens, they are not as good at supporting the joints in your neck, upper back, and lower back. The decreased support from our muscles and the prolonged pressure on your joints in one position can lead to stiffness, tightness, and some pain.
Tip 1: Make sure you get up for regular standing and walking breaks at least every half hour to hour. This could mean setting an alarm on your phone as a reminder or making sure you stop and park when you see a service station on a long road trip. If getting up isn’t possible, even doing stretches in your seat can be beneficial to no movement at all.
Lifting and carrying luggage:
Another aspect of travel is carrying and lifting heavy luggage. This may involve lifting in and out of cars, carrying up and downstairs, and dragging a suitcase along the ground. Most of us don’t do this on a regular basis. Even if you’re used to lifting heavy weights, luggage is often awkward to lift and carry.
Tip 2: The best tip to avoid injuring yourself with luggage is to get help wherever possible when lifting or carrying. Even with lighter luggage, be mindful to position yourself as close to the load as possible and to avoid picking it up far away from your body or at an awkward angle.
Sudden change in environment and activities:
A change of environment and daily activities can also lead to aches and pains. Some examples are:
- Sleeping in a different bed
- Sleeping on a different pillow
- Walking or exercising more than usual
- Walking or exercising less than usual
- Trying new sports or activities
Tip 3: Be prepared with the travel items below and let your physio know about any new activities or sports you may be trying on your travels. This is especially important if you have any pre-existing injuries that may be affected.
Check out our top 5 travel items below:
1. Trigger ball
The trigger ball is a perfect, portable tool to massage tight muscles. You can easily take one in your luggage or keep it in your car. Our physiotherapists will be able to show you the best way to get these into the tight areas of your body.
2. Flexi pillow travel size
There’s nothing worse than a sore neck from using a different pillow. Unfortunately, taking our own full-sized pillow isn’t always an option. That’s why we have a small travel-sized contour pillow that is perfect to take with you on your travels. It even comes with a free travel case for easy storage.
3. Flexeze heat patch
FlexEze heat patches are adhesive heat patches that can keep your back warm even when you’re up and about. These are a great alternative to wheat bags, which require a microwave. If you’ve had a sore back in the past from long car rides or other muscular pains that require a wheat bag, these are a great option for travel.
4. Therabands and loops
If you want to stay on top of your exercise routine during your holiday, our therabands and loops are a great option to add resistance to your exercises without dumbbells or heavy weights. Our physiotherapists will be able to show you the best exercises that you can do on your time away depending on your injury or goals.
5. Archies
Archies are the perfect item for a Summer holiday. These sandals have a supportive high arch and a tighter strap to keep your feet supported but cool in the hotter months coming up. They are a great alternative to your regular flip-flops which provide little arch support for your feet, especially if you’ll be doing a lot of walking around in the heat. They come in multiple sizes and colours so pop into the clinic to find your fit!
At Back In Motion, our physiotherapists can help to assess and assist you with any pre-holiday questions you may have and give you the best advice on these products above.
Author: Aki Nemoto, Physiotherapist