With summer travel just around the corner, we'd love to share some tips and tricks to keep your body feeling pain free and healthy throughout the season!
When traveling by plane:
1. Get up and keep moving! For longer plane rides, stand up every hour and walk up and down the aisle to keep your joints moving and blood flowing. If you find a small area in the back of the plane, do some light stretches (ex: touch your toes, stretch your quads, standing back bends, standing side stretches, etc.).
2. Support your back! Bring an extra sweatshirt or ask for a blanket on the plane to roll up and use as a lumbar support. Place at the small of your back so your lumbar spine is well supported in order to avoid a slumped posture for prolonged periods of time.
3. Stay hydrated! Ask for plenty of water when traveling to avoid dehydration- your body will thank you for it!
4. If reading or using your phone, bring it up to eye level to avoid straining your neck for hours. Do this by playing your forearms on the airplane tray table and prop up your phone and/or book.
5. If heat soothes your aches and pains, bring a few one-time use heading pad (ex: icy hot patch) with you! These can be bought from any drugstore and are safe to bring on board.
6. Lastly, bring your theraband and other tools provided by your PT on vacation to keep up with your rehab! The last thing you need is to take a step back in your progress while away on vacation! If needed, ask your PT for print-outs of your home exercise program to keep you accountable and healthy!
Happy Healing!
Maggie Nguyen PT, DPT