travel flexibility usually refers to tickets and vacation days. But what about our BOdies? Here’s How TO USE STRETCHING TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TRIP.
With the holidays right around the corner, many of us will be heading to see friends and family, or south to escape the snow. Your December plans might entail getting on an overnight flight, or piling into a cramped car for a long day of driving.
While traveling can be a lot of fun, if you’re trying to establish a movement routine it can feel like a hurdle in your path. Although it’s easy to see traveling as a bump in our flexibility training road, it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, traveling is the perfect opportunity to take what you’ve learnt and put it to practice.
At Flexibility with Vera, we develop our flexibility to make life easier and more comfortable in our bodies. With this perspective, there is no better time to test out your flexibility toolkit than while traveling.
The first place you can implement some flexibility and movement is before you set off. Take some time to do a quick warm up, and a thorough, full-body stretch. This way, you won’t compound any existing areas of tightness in your body, and you’ll get out of the car/train/plane feeling alright.
Next, while you’re in transit, take some moments to do a few little movement “snacks”. Space will most likely be very limited, but some neck and shoulder stretches go a long way. This is also a great time to focus on your breathing, as transit can be tough on our nervous system.
Once you’ve made it to your destination, try to get in a post-travel stretch! You probably won’t have a chance to do this until later, as arriving at your destination usually means getting swept up with loved ones or unpacking, but try to at least get a deep, slow stretch with a focus on the back and hamstrings in before you hit the hay. You’ll wake up feeling limber and ready for what your first day of travel entails.
Your trip is a great time to introduce a loved one to stretching. See if your hometown bestie wants to do some splits training with you, or if your grandma wants to try a five-minute shoulder stretch class. It’s a great way to spend time with each other, while also taking care of yourselves and finding some relaxation during the holidays.
Throughout the rest of your trip, figure out where you can warm-up and cool-down with stretching. Before a big day of site-seeing, or after a stressful conversation with your aunt. Remember, movement is a tool for making your everyday life easier.
Something that undoubtedly makes stretching during your travels easier is a movement option that goes wherever you do. Our membership, The Garden, is filled with over 150 flexibility classes that you can do anywhere, anytime.