Getting Road Trip Ready!

Getting Road Trip Ready!

 In Blog, Healthy Steps

RoadTripReadHappy Fourth of July Weekend! For many of you, this means setting off on road trips to coastal beaches to celebrate and relax. It also means — possibly sitting in cars for hours on end – so we wanted to share a couple of quick Road Trip Tips to keep you healthy!

Healthy Eating

It’s no secret that many people use road trips as a reason to indulge in junk food, because of all the tempting fast food and gas station stops along the way. However, if you plan ahead, and pack right, you can reduce your urge to splurge!

A few ideas to pack with you (including a cooler!):

  • Fresh Fruit
  • Cut-Up Veggies
  • WATER!
  • Nuts
  • Dried Fruit (look for the stuff without added sugar)
  • Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Beef Jerky

PLUS – All of the above can also be found at many of the larger convenient stores these days – so don’t go convincing yourself that a Snickers is your only option!

Move Around

Don’t forget to move around! The CDC warns that anyone traveling more than four hours, whether by air, car, bus, or train, can be at risk for blood clots.

“Blood clots can form in the deep veins (veins below the surface that are not visible through the skin) of your legs during travel because you are sitting still in a confined space for long periods of time. The longer you are immobile, the greater is your risk of developing a blood clot. Many times the blood clot will dissolve on its own. However, a serious health problem can occur when a part of the blood clot breaks off and travels to the lungs causing a blockage. This is called a pulmonary embolism, and it may be fatal. The good news is there are things you can do to protect your health and reduce your risk of blood clots during a long-distance trip.” (CDC Site)

If you’ve been sitting for a long time, take a break to stretch your legs.

  • Extend your legs straight out and flex your ankles (pulling your toes toward you).
  • Do some standing quad stretches: Stand with your legs hip width apart and pull one heel to your butt and hold for 10 seconds and switch. Do this several times.
  • Can’t get out of the car? Pull each knee up toward the chest and holding it there with your hands on your lower leg for 15 seconds, and repeat up to 10 times.

And since we already know you want to stay comfortable on your trip, you may as well wear your workout clothes, and get in a few body weight exercises after you finish the above stretches. Think: Squats, Jumping Jacks, Lunges and Push-Ups!

Have a great trip – We look forward to seeing you back at Rock Creek Sports Club!