Whether you travel frequently for work or you go on the occasional family vacation, it’s important to know 2 things; 1. That you can actually make healthy choices while on the road (or in the air) and also 2. How to actually make those choices.

So today let’s talk about 3 ways you can set yourself up for success when traveling!

The truth is, travel presents a lot of situations that are simply out of our control and it can make putting your fitness foot forward or putting your health first when you’re traveling.

There’s going to be a lot of things out of your control.

You’re not going to be able to control if the flight gets delayed.

You’re not going to be able to control if somebody sitting in the row next to you is keeping you awake and you’re trying to get some sleep.

You’re not going to be able to control the fact that there’s a child on the plane who’s having some challenges and they’re crying or just being loud.

But there’s a lot of things that are in your control. Those are the things we’re going to focus on; control the controllable!

1. Sleep

Have you ever experienced jetlag? It can throw off your entire routine and make traveling a bit rough. One of the best things you can do before you travel (especially if you’ll be crossing multiple time zones) is getting adequate sleep beforehand!

Don’t go into your trip sleep deprived. When your body’s clock gets thrown off a little bit during travel, you’re going to be well prepared to buffer your sleep. The more you focus on your sleep beforehand, the better off you’re going to be on your trip. You can even try to shift your body’s clock a few days before you travel to prepare yourself for a new timezone by going to bed 30 minutes earlier or waking up 30 minutes earlier.

You could also be more intentional with flight times if you have the option. If you have a 6 or 7am departure, you’ll probably need to wake up around 3 or 4am to get to the airport in time. As opposed to picking a 10am flight which would afford you more sleep and set your travel day up better for success.

2. Hydration

Hydration is underrated. Especially if you’re at a high altitude. So be sure you’re hydrating appropriately with adequate water intake. Hydration isn’t just about water intake, though. Electrolytes play a big role. We suggest making sure you have a good ratio of sodium, potassium, and magnesium. This is especially important for those traveling for athletics or exercise.

Now, let’s talk about that drink cart on the plane. It is very common for people to drink things whether that’s alcohol, soda, ginger ale, orange juice, or any of the other drink options that are complimentary on your flight. If you can avoid those highly sugary drinks on the plane, that’s going to set you up so much better to feel better during your travel.

3. Snacks

Packing your own snacks when traveling can help you stay on top of your goals and provide quality fuel and energy throughout your day. When choosing your snack, prioritize protein and healthy fats if you can. Here’s a few travel snack ideas:

Beef jerky

Greek Yogurt

Nuts

Protein powder

These types of snacks are going to sustain you, satiate you and make you feel full significantly longer. The more we can reduce the highly processed sugary carbs that are going to be very easy and quick and convenient during travel, the better.

So there you have it! Three simple ways you can set yourself better for success when you travel so you don’t feel sluggish and completely depleted of energy when you’re on your way to your destination.

Did you find this helpful?

If so, share this blog with a friend that could benefit. It’s the small choices we make daily that make the biggest difference. If you master those, you’ll be unstoppable – even when life becomes out of our control.

The post How to Make Healthy Choices While Traveling & Stay on Top of your Goals appeared first on Physio Room.

This patient had been experiencing some acute knee pain for 6 months when she walked through our door and was, understandably, very frustrated with her lack of progress over those 6 months. The first question I asked her was why now? Why did it take her so long to get her in here to address this pain? Her answer was not too uncommon. Our client said that she had slowly become depressed – she had always enjoyed skiing, wanted to find enjoyment in cycling again, but was unable to participate in the things she enjoys because the pain always interfered. She was fearful of what all this meant.

This is where the pain snowball tends to begin. She began experiencing symptoms of depression because she simply couldn’t do the things she desired due to the knee pain. Those depressive symptoms then create a state of irritability. Overall she had become very stressed and, above all else, she felt anxious as she didn’t have any idea what this persistent problem meant for her. Her anxiousness and uncertainty centered around whether or not this pain was going to last forever, whether she would just have to give up skiing or quit cycling entirely or, and this is one of the most common anxieties or uncertainties we see in the clinic, would she require major surgery to regain her quality of life?

As her provider, I began her treatment program by first explaining to her that fear is nothing but false expectation, or an appearance that something is real. You think a particular outcome of all this pain is likely, you worry that some particular problem is causing it and you build it up into something you feel very anxious and fearful about. However, when you make the move to come in to see us, we can concretely measure the specifics of your pain, investigate the potential causes of your pain and talk with you about how your pain is interfering with your lifestyle. This often helps to decrease that fear, decrease those feelings of anxiety or depression.

Our client began our knee pain program and remained dedicated to sticking with the treatment plan through the end. By doing this she was able to regain so much of the happiness she had been lacking! Slowly becoming able to participate in the activities she was missing out on due to pain eased all of the fear she had created for herself.

So, if this sounds like you or someone you know, a person who may be on a path to a very negative mind space or beginning to feel depressed or anxious due to pain, PLEASE give Physio Room a call. We can help you sort through your fears and come up with a program that will get you back to skiing and cycling, or whatever it is that you want to do.

Thank you very much and have a good day!

The post Reasons Never to Put Off Knee Pain… appeared first on Physio Room.