Are Your Knees Ready for that Long Road-Trip?

3 Knee Health Preservation Tips to Help Enjoy You the Journey and Destination

Summertime is unofficially considered “road trip season” in the United States. And as an avid traveler myself, I know firsthand what a long drive in the car can do to your body. According to some analysts, more than 95% of summer travel in America is done by car. Hundreds of millions of Americans will take a road trip this summer. For those who battle knee pain, road-tripping can present a few challenges. But armed with some solid tips, you can still have a great trip without your knees screaming at you from every rest stop.

Pack Proactively: Consider how long your trip will be and how much stuff you’ll really “need” to bring. People tend to overpack when they know they can fit whatever they want into their vehicle. But all that stuff has to go somewhere – from home to the car, then from the car into the place where you’ll be staying, and then back into the car and home again. That’s four trips where you’re carrying likely-heavy loads. Save your knees the burden of taking it and pack as light as possible.

Chunk Up the Drive: If you’re like most people, you just want to “get there.” So you’ll consider driving for hours just to eat up the travel time. However, if you’re someone who battles chronic knee pain, this strategy isn’t the safest road to travel down. Stopping at intervals along your route, getting out of the car, and stretching your legs is essential. Don’t worry; the few additional minutes this might cost are well worth it when you arrive at your destination pain-free.

Share the Load: Whether it’s packing, loading, or driving, if you’ve got travel companions with you, be sure to share an even distribution of the duties involved in your road trip adventure. Helping distribute the load lessens the likelihood that you or your travel companions will develop a knee or other orthopedic injury while prepping for or along your travel journey.

Road trips are a phenomenal way to experience the nature and majesty of our great nation. As you get out and explore the open road, armed with the above tips, you’ll help ensure that your memories don’t include nagging knee pain at every curve in the road.

Sources:

https://www.foxla.com/news/summer-2023-travel-season-predictions