Get ready to feel great!
Summer is finally here, and many of us are getting ready for our well deserved holidays. It’s a great opportunity to relax and unwind, but this sometimes brings unexpected strains and pains for our bodies. Have you ever thought about what your body actually has to go through before you get to relax on that beach?
The stress of actually booking the holiday can be bad enough, right? Finding dates to suit everyone, juggling school holidays and availability, as well as the stress of paying for everything immediately puts our bodies into a sympathetic fight and flight response. So by the time it actually comes to having to pack and prepare we can find ourselves needing that break even more than when we started.
When the day comes to travel we have many more things to deal with from pulling, lifting and pushing heavy suitcases, to sitting for long periods of time on trains, planes or in cars. All of which put a direct strain on your spine.
Now nobody wants to get to their fabulous holiday destination only to find that they can’t enjoy all it has to offer because you have put yourself under so much strain and are now feeling tight, sore or achey.
Being aware of what you are putting your body through can prepare you for your holiday and ensure that you are feeling able to enjoy that well deserved break.
Here are our top tips for being holiday ready and able to make the most of your stay!
Pack Smart
It’s always hard trying to choose what to pack but do your best not to overload your case as lifting, pulling and pushing a heavy case can strain your back, shoulders or even wrists especially as most of us will always pull the case with one side of our body. This can twist and strain your back especially if you already have pre-existing problems. Try to spread the load by swapping sides regularly. Do your best to bend your knees and and lift using your leg muscles rather than placing the strain entirely on your back by bending forwards to lift.
Additionally, if you are carrying a backpack remember to wear it across both shoulders to evenly distribute the weight and give you better balance or alternatively if you have a bag with a strap, even out the load by wearing it with the strap across your body and swap sides occasionally.
Get Up and Move
Often with traveling we can be sat still in the same position for prolonged periods. Too much sitting can cause you to stiffen up. Make sure to get up and move around and stretch. You can perform simple movements like shoulders rolls, neck rotations and lower back stretches. This not only improves circulation but allows you to stretch your muscles and relieve the loading you are putting through the base of your spine. This is particularly important if you have a history of chronic low back pain or a nerve or disc injury.
Here is a simple shoulder exercise you can do when you are travelling.
Bring a little bit of home with you!
Sometimes it can be pot luck as to what kind of bed you get on holiday. If you’re lucky it could be the most wonderfully supportive mattress that helps you to drift off into a deep relaxing sleep, adding to your restful holiday experience. Unfortunately, a less that adequate mattress can have the opposite effect. That, coupled with the wrong pillow type for you, can lead to poor sleep and discomfort both in and out of bed.
Now it’s difficult for us to do anything about the bed but have you ever thought about taking your own pillow? This will automatically help support your neck as you like it. Additionally, try using extra pillows placed either in between your knees whilst side lying or sometimes under your knees if you are sleeping on your back. These 2 pillow positions can help alleviate any strain that the bed is causing to your back.
Don’t just Lie there!
You finally make it to that much dreamt about sun-bed by the pool only to find that again it is the most uncomfortable position to lie in for any period of time.
Whilst a fantastic dose of Vitamin D is great, coupled with your favourite book, there is nothing worse than being at a stressful angle and straining your lower back.
Unfortunately sun-beds are one of the most common causes of holiday low back pain. To try to prevent this, you really need to get up and move around more frequently. Also, look at how you can change the angle of the lounger to a position that supports you the best. Maybe even take an extra pillow, rolled up towel or lumbar support.
Active holiday?
If your home or work life isn’t very active, it would be wise to take some measures before embarking on an action-packed holiday. Activities like swimming, hiking or even camping can aggravate an existing injury if your body is not used to that form of exercise so everything needs to be in moderation. Warm-ups and cool downs need to be an essential part of your holiday routine as they are crucial for avoiding injury.
Be at your best to enjoy your holiday!
We always recommend both pre and post holiday adjustments. Start your holiday feeling your best by keeping up your regular adjustments and then return and let us help you get back to feeling great.
This is especially relevant if you are in the early stages of your chiropractic care as the injured area may not have stabilised and healed yet.
Many things on holiday can re-aggravate or strain our bodies. Then we can find ourselves being thrust back into our busy everyday lives. A check up can ensure that any strain or pain that has crept in over your travels can be cleared and nipped in the bud so that you can get back to doing everything you need to comfortably and with minimal impact.
Happy holidays from everyone here at the clinic, may your travels be all that you’re dreaming about.
Testimonial of The Month
“When you go for holidays, the journey can make you stiff, and I would sometimes call as I landed at the airport to make an appointment. Then I just started booking it in advance! The people at the clinic have always been there for me.” Daxa P
If you know someone who could benefit from this blog post, please share it with them. We offer a complimentary spine check to anyone who is interested in how may be able to help them.
You can book this online, or by calling 0208 2951733.
