Over the past few weeks, many of my patients have inquired about what is the best way to manage their condition or pain when faced with long bouts of travel. Whether they were driving 8+ hours for a vacation or flying across the country for work, many of them posed similar questions.
- How can I keep my pain levels low?
- How do I work on strength when I do not have access to a gym?
- How do I find the time to practice my exercises?
- How should I work on my posture and core when sitting in a plane/car seat for long periods of time?
Many of the solutions to the above questions are pretty intuitive and can seem so simple, that we often forget about them!
Living and working in Manhattan lends us little room for adding anything into our schedules, so let’s take some time to investigate each of these “problems” and find better ways to manage our bodies from a physical therapist’s perspective.
How should I manage my pain on a trip?
No matter what seat you will be in, there are a few things you can do to help your pain levels.
Take some painkillers prior to your trip.
If you know you react well to Advil, Tylenol, or other NSAID’s, try taking some prior to the start of your trip. When seated for long periods of time, your muscles are predisposed to tightening up and can develop myofascial trigger points. Taking your preferred medicine prior to pain and tightness settling in can be a good way to battle spikes of pain when traveling.
Take a heating pad or ice pack with you.
Try getting disposable or microwavable versions of ice/heat to help manage your pain and traveling with them. This tip might be easier to follow when driving due to access to pharmacies on the road and not having to get past security checkpoints, but a good option to have nonetheless!
Make sure to take breaks!
If you are driving, try to pull over every so often and stretch out! If you are on the airplane, take a walk to the bathroom even if you don’t have to use it. This will help re-engage your postural system and wake up your resting muscles so they can support your joints better!
How should I exercise when I don’t have a gym or time?
Travel with Therabands and a lacrosse ball.
You would be surprised how you can get a full-body workout into your schedule without the use of a gym. Tie the bands to a door and pull back with your arms to perform rows or pull down on them with straight arms to work your lats. Step on the band and bend your elbows for bicep curls. Tie the band around your legs and step to the side for hip strengthening. Use the lacrosse ball as a deep tissue relief before or after your travel days and during workouts!
Work your exercises into your daily routine.
For example, squeeze your shoulders back when sitting at a table/desk during your work hours or when you are sitting on the airplane for posture control. Pull up on your low abs and contract your pelvic floor for some core work while seated or standing. Perform some heel raises when brushing your teeth in the morning. More often than not this is limited to your own creativity, so get those brains working!
What can I do for posture while sitting in a seat for prolonged periods of time?
- Roll a towel up and place it between your low back and the seat for added stability.
- This is a really quick and easy way to alleviate back pain when sitting for too long!
- Pull a towel under your glutes to keep you seated upright!
- Squeeze your scapula backward and downwards for your shoulders
- Don’t forget to stretch!
Travel is not easy to control, but we can control how we take care of our bodies with just a little prep work!
Try some of these tips and tricks and let us know at CSC+M how they have helped you! Or if you are still struggling with some of these why not come visit us in person and work with a physical therapist one on one to get yourself ready for your next big travel day!
Learn more about our physical therapy in NYC here.
