Healthy Posture Travel Tips

In the long-ago Pre-Pandemic days, travel was relatively care free. Now it means essential face masks, vaccinations, packable antibacterial wipes and as much self-care as possible.

Kara Froula, Ergonomic Expert and Creator and Founder of BackEmbrace, offers a reminder that a healthy posture, whether at home or on the road, has been proven to improve mood and boost energy, which can make a world of difference to anyone’s 2021 Post-Pandemic trip.

She suggests the following posture-related tips for healthy travel:

Keep yourself as stress-free as possible, as well as aligned, to help prevent back/neck/shoulder pain.

Pack an extra sweatshirt (or pack a towel). Roll up and place on your lower back for extra lumbar support.

Most car/airplane seats are concave lending themselves to a hunched back posture.

Apply a heat and ice type of therapy to your hot-spot areas (most common: the lower back and neck).

Apply a salve with essential oils that contains cooling/heating agents like wintergreen or peppermint to the area. Or, you can use OTC lidocaine (plus menthol) temporary patches.

Lighten the load on your shoulders and use a roller bag and backpack.

Heavy suitcases and picking up large items can wear you and your posture down. If you do opt to carry a bag, choose a backpack to balance the weight and prevent shoulder misalignment.

Try removing items from your purse and use a bum bag or lightweight fanny pack.

Wear a comfortable posture corrector that can be worn over or under clothes.

A posture corrector, like BackEmbrace, provides instant shoulder retraction to correct hunching and slouching. It also activates your posterior muscular chain allowing you to stabilize and maintain a strong upper torso, ideal for those long travel days.

Do some seated posture exercises that can be done even on an airplane.

For every hour you travel, take 5 minutes to do these simple seated exercises. Complete 1 set of 8-10 reps of each:

Chin tucks

Spinal twists

Lower abdominal muscles: Pull your belly button in toward your lower back. Hold for 15 seconds, relax and repeat.

Contract your back: pinch your shoulder blades to activate and fire your posterior chain (back muscles)

For more information visit BackEmbrace.