Travel Tips

How to Arrive in Top Shape

Are you lucky enough to be heading overseas for a holiday or sporting event? If so I'm sure you want to arrive in peak condition to enjoy the experience or compete to the best of your ability. Physical ailments such as joint and spinal stiffness, circulation problems and generalised muscular aching result from the lack of movement, cabin atmosphere, fatigue and dehydration associated with long international airplane travel. Thankfully in the last few years there has been exercise information in the media and in-flight to reduce the risk of DVT (blood clots). Here's a few more suggestions.

Preparation for the Trip

1. If you are participating in a special event, book your ticket to arrive in plenty of time to recover from the trip. Allow 2-7 days depending on how far you're travelling. If you have to acclimatise to different conditions as well, you may have to consider arriving even earlier.
2. Do your best to get an exit row or aisle seat so you have more leg room and can get up frequently without disturbing others. Allocation of seats is usually at the discretion of the airline check-in staff. You may be able to pre-request an exit row or aisle seat when you book the ticket, however to be sure you should arrive at the check-in desk as early as possible before other passengers take these seats. Make sure you get your seating allocation and boarding passes for your onward connecting flights then too.
3. There is something else to check for now. On a recent international flight I had arranged an aisle seat but was surprised to find a sizeable metallic box taking up nearly half the legroom under the seat in front of me. For someone tall like myself it was a real annoyance as I had to sit and try to sleep with my legs (which barely fit) to the side of this box. The airline engineers have told me that it is an extra electronics box related to the new in-flight entertainment systems in the seat-back. There are quite a few of these boxes on the plane so it would be good to avoid sitting behind one!
4. Put some thought into your packing. Keep bag weight and size manageable and distribute the weight evenly. You'd be surprised how many travellers injure themselves trying to haul inappropriate luggage. Make sure you've got some anti-inflammatories (or any other required medication) in your hand luggage if you think you might need them. An old tennis ball will come in handy too... more on this later! Remember to pack the 'dangerous'items in your checked luggage.
5. Do some light exercise and extra stretching the day before you leave. This will help your physical condition and ensure that you feel loose and relaxed.

In Waiting Lounges

1. You'll have plenty of time to sit down on the plane, so stand and walk around as much as possible when waiting to board.
2. Do stretches and exercises for your legs, arms and spine. Stretch your major muscle groups including hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteals, adductors, calves, pecs, lats, biceps, triceps and posterior shoulder muscles. With your hands supporting your low back, tilt your trunk from side to side and arch backwards to mobilise your spine. Stretch
   your trunk side flexors by keeping your hips steady then stretching one arm up over your head and tilting your trunk to the side.
   
3. The tennis ball comes in handy as a self-massage tool. Place it in behind your back (at any level) adjacent to the spine and lean back against a wall. Take some deep breaths and roll up and down over the ball to mobilise the spine. You can also use this method to massage out tender knots in the hips, thigh and shoulder blade regions in standing and hamstrings and calves in sitting on the floor with your legs stretched out in front.

On the Airplane

1. Get up and walk around whenever the aisles are free of traffic. The staff usually don't mind you standing near the exit doors doing your 'waiting lounge exercises for brief periods of time.
2. Prevent excessive leg swelling by doing circulation exercises, working your way up the leg. Roll your feet on the tennis ball, wiggle your toes, do ankle circles and pump your calves before doing static thigh and bottom contractions. Do these as often as possible and keep your legs uncrossed in-between times . If you have circulation problems such as varicose veins or have had a DVT in the past, consider wearing circulation stockings. Massaging the calf muscles vigorously helps too.
3. Other exercises you can do in your seat include curling your trunk forward and back, rotating your trunk to either side, neck movements in all directions, stretching your arms overhead and forwards, gripping, forearm muscle stretches and deep breathing relaxation exercises.
4. Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol (even though it may be free!).
5. Don't fall asleep in an awkward or unsupported position. This is especially good advice if you want to be able to move your neck when you arrive! Use a pillow behind your neck or one of the blow-up horseshoe pillows if you have one. Some airlines have the headrest flaps which you can bend in from the sides to support your neck - these work well. Try to grab a few extra pillows from the overhead lockers on your way in - you'll find these useful to shove into the small of your back when sitting. Unfortunately the seats on planes do not accommodate all sizes and postures so the pillows will help to keep your back straight in sitting.

On Arrival

1. Once again do your stretches and exercises when you're waiting for your luggage and lining up for customs and immigration. Walk to the baggage collection area instead of taking the moving walkways.
2. Once you've arrived at your hotel and checked in, take a short walk or do some easy exercises in the pool or gym to get
   all your body systems going again before passing out on the bed!
   
3. For sportspeople, ease into your training over the next few days, doing extra stretches to assist recovery. You are bound to be a little tighter than usual.
4. Enjoy yourself!

The Take Home Message

With a little preparation and light exercise you can ensure you arrive in top physical condition for your overseas trip.