7 Ways to Have a Healthy Road Trip (Page 2)

3. Plan your pitstops.

It’s important to get out of the vehicle and move your body around every two to three hours. Although it’s most common in air travelers, car drivers and passengers can suffer from deep-vein thrombosis, a blood clot in the legs, if circulation isn’t encouraged with some standing and walking. (Flexing your ankles every so often helps.) Plan your stops around mealtimes and you’ll be less likely to mindlessly munch on snacks while you’re driving. Even if you stop for 15 minutes or less to eat a handful of nuts, you’ll send a signal to your brain that you’ve eaten so you won’t be hungry 30 minutes later.

You don’t want a staycation? Beat high gas prices by carpooling, or taking buses.

4. Adjust your position.

Drivers can avoid slouching by tilting the rearview mirror up a little bit. This will help you sit up straighter to see out the back window, and prevent low-back pain at the same time.

5. Plan some vacation exercising.

Exercising on vacation doesn’t sound like much fun, but you shouldn’t allow a break in your daily routine to totally override healthy behaviors. If you’re going somewhere touristy where you know sightseeing will be in order, you can let your walking time count as exercise. But people who are headed to the beach can also enjoy an early-morning walk (walking on sand is a great calorie burner) or swim in the ocean—trying to move against the current can expend a ton of energy. Or you can park the car and venture into town on a rented bike, or your own two feet. Walking is the best way to learn about a new city or get to know a seaside town you’ve never visited before.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Joe R.

4:03PM PDT on Mar 28, 2012

Thanks.

March 28
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Berny p.

7:58AM PDT on Sep 1, 2011

One more thing......

Leave the kids with your mother and enjoy a free kid holiday............................
HEAVEN!

September 1
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Paula H.

4:14PM PDT on Aug 2, 2011

noted with thanks

August 2
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Alex H.

2:52AM PDT on Jul 21, 2011

These are not just 7 tips these are most beneficent

July 21
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Karen L.

10:38PM PDT on Jul 20, 2011

Thank you. Good basics suggestions.

July 20
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Camila K.

7:34AM PDT on Jul 20, 2011

good ideas

Ruth R.

3:44PM PDT on Jul 11, 2011

Yes.

July 11
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Amanda M.

12:28PM PDT on Jul 8, 2011

Being someone who used to pack everything she needed for a trip in a single duffel bag, I passed those lessons on to my kids. However, with the economy in the sad shape it's in, these days the closest we get to a vacation is when my husband has a day off from work. Community festivals are as close as we get to one-you can make a day of it, and it's free besides! This month's "excursion" will be to the Agricultural Expo in our town at the end of the month (it's our county's version of a county fair). It's a terrific event, and the kids love it!

July 8
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Laura S.

12:50PM PDT on Jul 7, 2011

The first four tips were very helpful. I wasn't aware of the fluid build-up during sleep. No wonder it's so much harder to pack in the morning.

The last three really had nothing to do with the "road trip" as I know it. They may be good tips for a vacation in general, but how does "hit the rails" help me when traveling to a destination by car (which is how I think of a road trip)?

Maybe a different title would be more descriptive of the actual article. Oh well. As the great Willie Nelson likes to sing,

"I can't wait to get on the road again".