How to Keep Your Spine Healthy During Vacation Travels
While vacations are meant to be filled with relaxing and rejuvenating activities, the actual travel process can take its toll on your bodies, particularly your back.
It’s important to maintain your body’s health while you’re away to keep yourself safe and feeling great. Here are some tips on how to keep your spine healthy while you’re traveling on vacation.
Keep your lower back supported
If you know you’re going to be sitting for a long time, like in the car or on a plane, bring a small pillow or rolled-up towel or small blanket to support your lumbar spine. You want to avoid sitting in an unnatural position for long periods of time, so the trick is to keep your spine supported in from the lower back to avoid this. Slip it between the back of your seat and your lower back to help support the curvature of your spine. If possible, try and recline your seat slightly, to further relieve the stress on your spine.
Maintain good posture
Sitting and standing with good posture will help keep your spine healthy and avoid stiffness or soreness. When sitting, make sure to keep your knees at 90 degrees and try to sit closer towards the end of your seat with your knees and toes pointed slightly inward. Sitting in this manner will help force yourself to sit up straight and keep your spine properly aligned.
When standing or walking around, keep your shoulders rolled back, so your spine isn’t hunched over. Keep your chin up, so it’s parallel to the floor to avoid kinking your neck as well.
Don’t lift extremely heavy luggage or boxes
Traveling often means heavy suitcases or bringing gifts for the family with you, but try to pack everything in a way where the weight is spread across a few bags, so one bag or box isn’t too heavy. If you do have to lift heavy luggage or boxes, make sure to use the proper lifting technique and lift with your legs, not with your back. Use your whole body to turn by pivoting with your feet rather than twisting your back, so you don’t injure your spine.
Stretch it out
Traveling requires a lot of sedentary time, like when you’re on a long car trip, plane trip, or train ride. It’s important to give your body breaks and stand up and stretch your legs, back, neck, and arms and get the blood flowing. Ideally, for every one to two hours of sitting, you should stand up and stretch for 10 minutes.
If you’re one of the lucky ones and are away at a resort on vacation for the holidays, there is most likely a spa where you can get a massage. If this is in your budget, you can treat yourself to a relaxing and rejuvenating massage that can help work through any knots or relieve any tension, but be careful if you do have an injury and be sure to discuss it with your masseuse before starting.
Visit Icon Medical Centers for Back Pain
If you continue to experience back pain or neck pain after you return home from your vacation, visit one of our chiropractors or massage therapists at Icon Medical Centers. With a little bit of chiropractic treatment, physical therapy, and massage therapy, we can help to realign your spinal column and relieve any unnecessary pressure that may be pressing on your spinal nerves.