How to travel stress- and pain-free
"
What you are is what you have been
What you will be is what you do now"
~ Buddha
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I recently took a 32-hour trip, flying coach, to see my family in Australia. It was, by no stretch of the imagination, exhausting, but I took care of myself all along so I would not be completely wiped out by the time I got off the plane. Whether you're going on a long haul flight or a road trip this summer, it's important to plan ahead and take good care of your body. Given all my travel experience, I decided to share with you some of my tips to help make your travels as healthy and pain-free as possible!
Also in this issue, I prepared a cheat sheet of easy range of motion exercises you can do while on a plane, sitting in a car or once you have arrived at your destination, so you can get those kinks out quickly.
A very big "Welcome" to all of the new readers who have joined my newsletter list since last month! You're going to love the inspiration you will find here. Enjoy! If you know someone who suffers from chronic illness or is the parent of a child or young adult who suffers from chronic illness, please forward this newsletter to them. It is very rewarding to be able to share information with others, especially when that information can help change their lives for the better.
Sincerely,
Rana Ghaoui
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I relax and enjoy life. I know that whatever I need to know is revealed to me in the perfect time and space sequence.
~ Louise L. Hay
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Feature Article: How to travel stress- and pain-free
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Plan ahead
- Talk to your doctor
- Discuss your travel plans with your doctor. If you are dealing with a very serious condition that requires frequent (weekly or bi-weekly) check-ups (as was the case with my Scleritis), s/he may recommend physicians where you are going with whom you can consult in case any unexpected problems arise
- Ask for extra medication
- Ask whether you will need any immunizations. If you're on a biologic, your doctor will likely not want to give you any vaccines
- If you use medications that require needles and you plan on taking those with you, ask for a doctor's note explaining why you need them. Airport security will want to see it. **Do tell airport security that your medication will be damaged if exposed to x-rays and they will need to personally check it instead
- Arrive early at the airport to avoid the stress of long lines and worrying about not making it through security on time
- Try to plan an extra day at the start of your vacation to prepare and at least another day off after your trip, to recuperate before going back to work or your regular activities
- Never hesitate to ask for assistance
- Notify the airline of any special dietary requirements / special needs
- Even if you don't normally need one, it may be easier to ask for a wheelchair or hop on a caddy cart to get to your gate than walk with all your carry-ons
- Ask someone to help you lift your suitcase into a car trunk or the overhead bin on a plane
- It might be worth tipping a couple bucks to a doorman to help with your luggage than trying to do it yourself and risk displacing a shoulder or pulling your back
Pack smart
- Use rolling carry-ons with long extendable handles to minimize stress on your shoulders and back
- While you're away, use a backpack to spread the weight and save your fingers and wrists from the weight of a handheld bag
- Pack a pair of comfortable walking shoes
- Keep your medications in your carry-on. It's easier to find them and in case your luggage (God forbid) gets lost, you'd still be able to take them
- Pack one or two weeks' worth of medication beyond what you expect to need
- Pack healthy snacks and, if you're going on a road trip, lots of water and healthy beverages
Hit the road...
- But don't sit for long periods of time. Sitting for too long will make your joints stiff and swollen
- If you're flying, walk up and down the aisle. You can also do simple range of motion exercises - especially for your hips, knees and feet
- If you're driving, stop the car somewhere scenic and get out and stretch. This will reduce the stiffness when you reach your destination
When you get to your destination- Do some stretching and range of motion exercises - for example before you get out of bed in the morning. You may be able to do some of those range of motion exercises in a pool, if there's one where you're staying
- Take at least a 10 - 30 min walk daily (and make sure you smile while you walk)
A change of scenery is always good for the spirit. I hope you thoroughly enjoy yourself this summer...you deserve it! Safe travels!!
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I am a Holistic Health Coach, a Certified Yoga teacher and Arthritis Exercise Instructor. I grew up with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and have family members who are dealing with Multiple Sclerosis. I have, personally, experienced the power of holistic nutrition, lifestyle adjustment, exercise, and various alternative therapies on reducing the debilitating symptoms of RA.
My own struggle and the struggle of my loved ones has motivated me to serve and support young adults and the parents of those young adults who suffer from auto-immune disease, particularly RA, MS, Scleritis, Uveitis, and Hashimoto's. I provide my clients with guidance and support in making healthier diet and lifestyle choices so they can reduce their pain, inflammation and, in time, their dependence on drugs so they may have a more fulfilling, pain-free life.
To connect with me or find out more about my work, I invite you to visit my
1. website: http://www.live-healthfully.com
2. Facebook page: Live HEALthfully
3. Twitter: @liveHEALthfully, or
4. E-mail me at: rana@live-healthfully.com
I look forward to hearing from you!
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| Simple Range of Motion Exercises for the Road |
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Begin with walking (you can also walk in the aisle of a plane)
- Swimming is, also, a very gentle form of exercise. Start with a few minutes, listen to your body's response and gradually increase your time
- Other options include exercises that you can do in a chair, in your bed or while you are standing. You can also do these in a pool (click here to download the cheat sheet)
- Neck stretches: drop each ear to its corresponding shoulder)
- Shoulder shrugs and rotations: swing your shoulders front, back, sideways and in circles). A great exercise is also to spider crawl your fingers up and down the wall
- Wrist circles: make a slow clockwise circle movement with your hand and then reverse
- Fingertip touches: bring the tip of your thumb in contact with each fingertip
- Chair marching: sit up in your chair with feet planted firmly on the floor, engaging your hip flexors
- Leg swings: front, back and sideways
- Knee flexion: bend your knees and straighten them
- Ankle circles
- Raise your legs against a wall - you can do this for 15 minutes after you've arrived at your destination and before you go to bed - it may not be feasible to do this in a pool...in case you were wondering :)
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