Are Your Knees Ready for that Long Road-Trip?
Posted on Jul 12, 2023 8:24am PDT
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