The best way to recover after a long travel day
No matter how much you loved seeing your family across the country for the holidays, travel can be exhausting. It was particularly stressful in recent days for Southwest passengers stranded by thousands of canceled flights.
When we travel, “there are two stresses on the body: one’s physical, one’s psychological,” said Tim Roberts, vice president of science and innovation for Therabody. We battle uncomfortable seats, juggle flight schedules and sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic - often ending up with aching backs and spent nerves.
Our bodies don’t take kindly to being stationary for hours — or at least mine didn’t after six and a half hours on I-95 during Christmas travel from D.C. to New York.
Usually what makes me feel better is a scalding shower, a hot meal and a jog if I’m feeling ambitious. We asked travel and wellness experts for their best advice to ease the burden of a long travel day.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Travel, especially on a plane, can be dehydrating. “Standard planes are about as dry as the Atacama Desert, and with the oxygen of an 8,000-foot mountain,” said Jonathan Alder, owner of the luxury travel company Jonathan’s Travels.
To combat this, start hydrating even before your trip, then during your travel day and after.
If you’re flying, drink at least 12 ounces of water every hour, Jordan Crofton, a nurse practitioner and director of patient health at the Well, recommends. She also adds electrolytes to her water.
What you don’t drink also counts. Neha Deol, nutritional practitioner at I Am Health, says travelers should avoid soda, alcohol and caffeinated drinks such as coffee. Alcohol is not only dehydrating, but it can wreck your sleep schedule, says Kelly Starrett, a physical therapist and co-founder of the Ready State.
If you need an energy boost, Deol says green tea will do the trick; it’s less dehydrating.
If you’re not napping, stay engaged
Boredom is a culprit in travel exhaustion, says mindfulness instructor Linda Price of Minding Your Mind, a mental health education nonprofit. Lack of movement and mental stimulation, like in long periods of waiting while traveling, is draining.
Price recommends listening to music, audiobooks and podcasts if you’re driving or reading, doing crossword puzzles, word searches or Sudoku if you’re on a plane.
Keep your blood flowing
With their 17-hour flights to the United States, Air New Zealand staff are well versed in long travel days. In addition to hydrating, airline spokesperson Leanne Geraghty says in-flight exercises are crucial to your travel wellness.
For road trippers, take regular breaks to stretch your legs, Deol says. One of her favorite stretches is to balance on one leg while pulling her other knee into her chest, then switching sides. (Bonus points if you can rise up to the ball of your foot of your standing leg.) Repeat three to four times, focusing on deep breathing to slow down your heart rate and improve your circulation.