Traveling can be lots of fun, but it can often be tough on the body. Even if you have your vacation planned somewhere relaxing, you still have to travel to get there. Whether you plan on driving, flying, hiking, or sailing to your destination, you will inevitably end up with some stiffness and soreness. Don’t just live with the discomfort. Here is a list of stretches that every traveler should know to help them get through the fatigue of traveling.
1) Sun Salutations
Begin by standing straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your side. As you take a deep breath in, raise your arms out to your sides and then above your head. Then, exhale while lowering your arms back down to your sides. Do this about 5 times. This stretch is great to elongate your entire body, and it is great for increased scapulothoracic mobility. The deep breathing also sends a signal to your brain that tells to relax. After a hectic day or trip, this is great to do.
2) Pectoralis Stretch
Lift your arm out to shoulder level and bend your elbow at 90 degrees (figure four position). In that position, place your forearms against a doorframe in front of you and press your body forward. As you lean forward, you should feel a stretching in the upper part of your chest just below your shoulder (the pectoralis muscle). If you feel an uncomfortable strain in your shoulder socket, try pressing your body forward more rather than putting strain against your shoulder. You should not feel any shoulder pain while doing this. This pectoralis stretch is wonderful to do after you’ve been cramped in a hunched forward position for a while. After traveling, whether you’ve been driving or simply just sitting in a cramped location, this helps to open you. This is a phenomenal stretch to help avoid developing Upper Cross Syndrome, which can lead to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome if you’re not careful.
3) Hummingbirds
Bring your arms up to 90 degrees. Make small circles backward with your arms. Do this for about 30 seconds. You will probably feel a burning between your shoulder blades after doing this for a few seconds. This burning primarily comes from your rhomboid muscles firing. Like the pectoralis stretch above, this helps to fight against Upper Cross Syndrome. It’s a great way to open up after a long day, particularly if you’ve been cramped up all day.
4) Child’s Pose
Get down on your hands and knees. Slowly, lean back till you’re sitting on your heels. Keep your hands on the ground while you do this, allowing your lower back to stretch as you rock back. Stay in this position until you feel the tension leaving your lower back. This is a great stretch to open the facet joints in the back of your spine as well as stretch your quadratus lumborum muscles. This is great if you’ve done a lot of walking, standing, or sitting in an uncomfortable seat for a long time. If you have an acutely herniated disc or a history of disc issues, this may not be the stretch for you. If you notice dull, achy pain in your lower back that feels better when you bend forward, this will definitely help after a long day of traveling.
5) Knee-Chest Stretch
Lay flat on your back. Slowly bring one knee up to your chest. Hold it there, feeling your lower back and glute stretch as you do so. Lower that leg back down, doing the same thing with the other leg. This is a great stretch for your lower back (quadratus lumborum muscles) and your glutes (gluteus maximus, mainly). This also adds some mobility to your lower spine, making this a stretch that greats for most people. Like the stretch above, if you have an acutely herniated disc I would avoid this stretch.
6) Piriformis Stretch
Still laying on your back, you are going to bend one knee to about 90 degrees. Lifting your other leg up, make a figure four while placing that ankle in front of the knee that is bent at 90 degrees. Wrap your hands around the bent knee. Pull this leg up toward your chest, using it to pull the figure-four leg up as well. You will begin to notice a stretch in the buttock area of your figure-four leg. Hold this stretch for a few seconds. Then, switch sides and repeat the process. This is another great stretch if you’ve been sitting or walking for a long time. The piriformis muscle is a relatively small muscle, but it can cause some pain into your buttock and down the back of the thigh when it becomes too tight. This is a great stretch for almost anyone!
7) Hip Flexor Stretch
Get into a lunge position with one leg down and one out in front of you. Making sure to keep your back straight (not arching it), lean your body slightly forward. Then, rotate and lean toward the side of your front leg. You should feel a stretch in the front hip area of your back leg. Hold this stretch for a few seconds. Repeat on the other side. Just like the Pectoralis Stretch above is great to fight against developing Upper Cross Syndrome, this Piriformis Stretch is good for dealing with Lower Cross Syndrome. Every time you sit, your hip flexors tighten (not usually a good thing). Any time you sit in the same place for more than 30 minutes, this stretch is a great way to loosen your hips and relieve some tension in your back.
8) Calf Stretch
Stand facing a wall. Place the sole of your foot against the wall. Place your hands against the wall and lean into it. You should feel a stretch down the back part of your lower leg (gastrocnemius muscle). You may also feel a stretch through the bottom of your foot. This is a great stretch before or after a long day of walking as well as during a long ride (particularly a flight). The gastrocnemius muscle and plantar fascia are stressed when you walk, so stretching before and after a long day of walking helps to avoid long-term fatigue of these structures. Stretching these muscles during a long car ride or flight may also help to avoid DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis).
Conclusion
There you have it! These 8 stretches are at the top of my list every time I’m feeling some body fatigue from traveling. I hope you find them helpful, too! If you have any questions about them, let me know and I’ll do my best to help!