The sun is out, the trees are green and the birds are chirping- summer is almost here! As the nice weather rolls around, we tend to travel more and spend our weekends driving or flying to our favorite vacation spots. This doesn’t mean you should forget about your home-care exercises or fitness goals while you are out there having fun!
Get to know your doctors by discovering their favorite travel tips to help you stay happy and healthy. We bet you won’t be surprised by Dr. Dutton’s choice!
“I like to bring a backpack full of pre-packed healthy snacks and a water bottle for the road. It is so tempting to ‘treat yourself’ while on vacation, but it’s important to have that healthy fuel to give you energy for the things you want to do on vacation.” – Dr. Hosmer
“I love traveling with my Therm-A-Rest lumbar pillow. It works really well for me on the plane but also in the car. When not in use, it’s really nice and compressible so it doesn’t take up much space. We have them at the clinic if anyone wants to see how they work! I also love traveling with a solid resistance band or two. So many mobility and strengthening exercises can be performed with these and they take up practically zero space while traveling.” – Dr. Jelen
Dr. Devasto suggests bringing noise cancelling headphones to really help relax while on vacation. He also has a pre-flight stretch routine that keeps away any lingering low back and hip stiffness.
Along the same lines, Dr. Yurkish suggests making a trip-specific playlist – Florence and the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, CCR and Fleetwood Mac are atop his list. Good music and car-karaoke tunes are just as important to help keep you feeling great for those really long trips.
Dr. Brayko emphasizes the importance of good sleep, and doesn’t leave home without:
Ear plugs,
Eye covers,
Travel pillows and
Melatonin (1-5mg)
“Vacation usually affects our sleep schedule in one way or another. In particular, traveling to different time zones affects our body’s natural circadian rhythms of sleeping and waking. Taking melatonin (1 to 5 mg) the first night of your travels in the new time zone will ensure not only a good night’s rest and but will help you adapt to the new timezone. Take nightly, if you experience difficulty falling asleep.”
Dr. Dutton recommends bringing a rehab device, such as a Lacrosse ball, foam roller or, of course, a Beastie. “I personally love the Beastie. It is small an easy to pack with you, even in just a jacket pocket. I will put it behind my back as I drive, and even just having it behind my back serves as a great postural reminder.”
Above all, you should enjoy where you are: You’re on vacation! Leave work and mayhem behind. Maybe even considering unplugging for a portion of your trip.
Have fun, enjoy the weather, and stay healthy!