Travel tools for a healthy holiday

It’s travel time! Finally, it’s that time of the year: your bags are packed, your boarding pass in hand, you are off! This week we are sharing our favorite tips to travel well, so you can enjoy the holidays to the fullest, without having to worry about preventable aches and pains. 

Check your posture

Travel tip 1: How you do anything is how you do everything! When carrying your bags at the airport (and in general), be mindful of how you are standing. Remain stacked and avoid falling to your happy place (elevating the shoulder, pushing the hip out, always carrying on the same side, etc…). Your core will engage automatically, which will go a long way to prevent an achy back and sore neck.

Travel tip 2: Invest in a bag that you can sling across the body – OK it’s not the sexiest of look… Choices, choices, choices…. That said, this type of bag will keep your body stress-free in the long run so you can enjoy the holidays!

 

Roll it out & stretch it out – YES! On the plane, in the car, on the train!

We get it, you might get some funny looks, but it’s for a good cause: YOUR health! While traveling, remember to move around, especially if you’re traveling in economy class. Lack of movement doesn’t feel good on the muscles and joints, but it’s especially detrimental to good venous return; it can result in swollen limbs and increase the chances for deep vein thrombosis.

We recommend to roll your feet and calves out to encourage blood flow (and because it feels so darn good. Get up, move around and stretch – we particularly love a good sidebend, especially after long hours sitting. And when it’s not always possible to get up, there’s still plenty you can do while seated, like this wonderful figure of four stretch that will inject new life into your hips! Expect to arrive at your destination feeling more refreshed, with less aches and pains (bye bye cankles), and in full holiday swing!

 

And finally…. ENJOY your time off! 

Sometimes we get so caught up in what’s going on at home, at work, and the stories we like to tell ourselves, that before we know it, the holiday is over and we haven’t really gotten around to switching off on the on switch and resetting ourselves. To give your mind some well-deserved space, try this (you can do this anywhere!): close your eyes, become aware of the fact that you are breathing by noticing the wave-like movement of your breath. Watch for a good minute. Then, picture your surroundings. Where are you? What do you see? Are you with someone? How do you feel? Be as specific as possible: colours, smells, shapes, sensations… Just a few minutes of conscious relaxation creates the optimal conditions for downregulation.

 

We hope this week’s blog dedicated to traveling well will be useful to you. And if you’re not traveling this summer, you can still apply all of the tools above to get through your day feeling better in your body! Have a request, or feedback? We are listening, so don’t hesitate to drop us a line! BREATHE. MOVE. FEEL.