I always have a hard time traveling. When I fly it feels
like every single sports injury I’ve ever had in my life comes back on the
plane. I ache, my legs swell to tight knots of muscle and my lower back injury
from senior year of high school always acts up. My sport requires me to travel
a lot so I’ve had to adjust and find ways to make traveling less hard on my
body. Here’s some tips and tricks to make the next time you travel more comfortable,
especially if you’re an athlete.
1.
Hydrate: This is so important. When you fly, or
even travel long distances in the car, your body naturally gets dehydrated. You
most likely aren’t around the normal watering holes you have back at home. The
more dehydrated you get the more your muscles ache and the more time you need
to recover from your flight before you can get back to full training. I always carry an empty water bottle with me
to fill up and always end up buying a spare water bottle and Gatorade once I
get past security in the airport. Coffee and caffeine are diuretics: meaning
they will dehydrate you. So no matter how tired you are, drink some water
instead. Your body will thank you.
2.
Take pain medicine: I’ve flown a lot now to
understand that I can’t skip out on my Tylenol when I travel. The pressure from
the airplane is really hard on my legs. Even if I’m not hurting by the time the
plane takes off I still make myself take some pain medicine because I know I’ll
be needing it.
3.
Wear comfortable clothes: I’ve seen way too many
women at the airport wearing dresses and heels to fly on the plane. This is
ridiculous. Wear sweats. Wear your old running shoes or a pair of Birkenstocks.
Wear a sports bra. I like to get up and stretch before and after my flight and
there’s no way I could do that if I was all dressed up fancy for no reason.
Also if you’re a runner and you’re wearing heels for the duration of your
flight, have fun trying to run the next morning. Because you won’t.
4.
Foam roll: This is what helps me the most. After
my flight or if I have a layover I ALWAYS pack my roller stick with me. Being
able to roll out my tight swollen shins and calves makes such a big difference.
I take 20 minutes or so to roll my calves, my Achilles tendons, my quads, IT
Band, low back, and shins. Rolling out your legs promotes new blood flow and
flushes the swelling out of your legs and back out into your blood stream. The
tightness that accumulates in your lower legs after flying can all be flushed
away once you roll. I’m obsessed with my rollers. I have the Stick, a plastic
roller, two different foam rollers, a hand roller and then a pool ball that I
use to massage out the bottoms of my feet. Rolling out may hurt at first but
it’s the best thing you could do for yourself. And for the record, everyone
wondering if their giant plastic roller will make it past security worry no
more! I’ve never had a problem bringing my roller with me in my carry on.
5.
Eat right: DO NOT TAKE TRAVELING AS AN EXCUSE TO
EAT LIKE AN UNSUPERVISED CHILD IN A CANDY STORE. Seriously people. Use some
self-control. You will feel so bloated and disgusting if you eat all that nasty
airport food. My best advice is to eat a big meal at home before you leave for
the airport. I always stock my carry on full of granola bars and say no to all
treats on the day that I travel. If I have a layover and need to eat, I usually
stop at a café and buy organic sandwiches and kettle chips, any drink that I
order I ask for no added sugar or vanilla. If you have a longer flight and like
to snack bring along a pack of gun to chew on. I never understand those people
who load up on snacks and spend their entire flight aimlessly eating. Whatever
you do please don’t drink soda or energy drinks. Soda and energy drinks are
made from the devil himself. The fastest way to gain weight, clog your
arteries, and overwork your heart is to pump yourself full of that liquid
sugared crap. Just drink water people, or a sports drink. Remember food is
fuel, not a past time.
6.
Visualize: During the time I’m in the air flying
I like to turn on my favorite workout playlist and visualize myself going
through the motions. I imagine myself running as hard as I can down the track,
using perfect form. I focus on every single muscle in my legs and arms and tell
them how they are going to work. I imagine what it’s like to hear my spikes
hitting the track over and over again. I imagine
myself during a race doing everything perfectly.
Since flying makes me a little nervous, when I focus on running I calm down. I
take the time to practice control and visualize the type of athlete I want to
be. You have to be honest with yourself when you do this. Take your biggest
weakness as an athlete and visualize yourself defeating it. For example I don’t
feel like I have a strong kick at the end of my races. I visualize myself
running the last 400 meters of a 5k as fast as I can. I practice speed and
perfect form in my mind over and over again so that once I do step on the track
I’ll already know what to do.
7.
Wash your hands: this is simple guys. Airplanes
are actually really gross if you think about it. Essentially they are just
giant germ tubes. Bring hand sanitizer, wash your hands, and don’t get too close to
people. You will get sick. I
promise you that if you aren’t cautions you will get sick from someone else’s
germs and have to take a week off of training and end up out of shape. This happened to me when I flew home last December and I caught the nastiest cold that didn't go away for weeks.
Following these simple steps will hopefully improve your next traveling experience. This past weekend I flew home to Washington and didn't land in the airport until midnight. Taking care of your body will decrease the need to recover and you'll be back on your feet running in no time!
