Just recently, my family and I went to Disneyland for a vacation. We went to Disneyland in California Adventure for two days and it involved a lot of walking. We were averaging 10 miles per day.
A lot of times, travel includes a lot of walking, standing, and moving around so you can experience the place where you are at. Because of this, there have been numerous patients who have come to see me after they got injured from their vacation because they weren’t prepared for all the physical activities involved during that time.
To help you avoid getting injured, here are some travel tips I hope you consider to do in preparation for a trip.
Tip Number 1: Prepare yourself physically
You should exercise regularly days or even weeks before your travel. For me, before I went to Disneyland, I continued with my routine. My routine usually involves strengthening activities, doing yoga to stretch, hiking and walking every day. That helped build my stamina for my trip to Disneyland.
Tip Number 2: Make sure you have proper shoes
I do not have any recommendation as to the brand you can wear during trips because it depends on your foot. I do, however, have specific recommendations on what you should not wear during a trip that involves a lot of walking.
Do not wear flip flops because it requires your toes to really grip the flip flops. I have seen a lot of people get Plantar fasciitis because they walked for five miles using flip flops. It is best to use shoes that can be laced up or a sandal that is completely attached to your foot.
It is also better to wear sneakers if you will be walking for more than one mile a day. Make sure that the sneaker has a wide toe box so your toes can lay completely flat and even spread out inside the shoe. It will help your foot be more efficient for walking. You do not want to wear sneakers that makes your toes cramped together because this will put a lot of stress on your foot.
If you are planning to get an arch support for your shoe during your trip, studies have suggested that it does not really matter. What matters is the shoes is comfortable for you.
If you will also be getting new shoes for your trip, make sure to use it for at least a week before your trip. If you don’t, you could suffer from blisters because the shoe has not been properly broken in.
Tip Number 3: If you are doing long travels, which is usually more than two hours, make sure that for every two hours, you stop if you are driving and get out to walk for around five minutes. If you are on a plane, you can also walk around for a few minutes every two hours.
However, due to the restrictions brought about by the Coronavirus, you might not be allowed to do that when you are on a plane. What you can do is to do certain stretches while in your chair. Just make sure that these stretches will help get your blood flowing.
If you do not walk around or move, you might suffer from back pain from the long car or plane ride. It is important to move around so you do not become too stiff and get your blood flowing.
Tip Number 4: Drink a lot of water
Whenever you are traveling, you will most likely get caught up doing something else and you forget to drink water. Water is important for many things, but particularly for traveling, water intake is essential to keep your muscles hydrated so that they can work efficiently as you move around.
Increasing your water intake will also help you be more clear-headed. You do not want to become foggy because during travels, you want to have high energy to enjoy it.
Tip Number 5: Prepare snacks
When we are in new places and you want to walk around, it is best to have something to eat with you to keep your energy up. You can have snacks that are high in protein or have vegetables with you so you can have more energy and feel better in general.
Tip Number 6: Stretch at the end of the day
After the day we had at Disneyland, I did stretches. Even during the times we were in the lines, I did stretches. Stretching will help your body feel less fatigues so you can get up and get going the next day for your travel.
Tip Number 7: Get enough sleep
When you are in a new place, there is a lot of excitement. Your sympathetic nervous system will be on high alert. Your rest in the evening is really important so you can enjoy your travel the next day.
If you are not getting adequate sleep at night, it can also lead to injuries and pains down the road. Just make sure you are keeping up with a routine as in getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night so you can feel rested.
You should keep up with this routine, which can be difficult when you are in a new location. So, I recommend that you bring a sound machine with you. This will help quiet out any noises that might make your brain wake up in the middle of the night. If you do not have a sound machine, you can use your phone to put white noise on to get rid of any background sound that might not be something you regularly hear when you sleep.
I hope these tips will help you keep your energy and avoid injuries during your travel!