|
Articles.TravelAndTourismInfo.com (Guest Articles | Visit Main Website ) |
Home | Submit Articles | Login |
| ALL Countries | USA | Brazil | France | India | Spain | Egypt | Travel Tips |
Reducing the Risk of DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) While TravelingBY: Sarah Picot | Category: TRAVEL TIPS | Submitted: 2011-01-20 08:23:07
Travel can do more than just make you tense! Whether you are sitting on a plane, train or car, prolonged inactivity can have serious health risks. Most of us have experienced a sore back, and tight neck or shoulders after traveling. Let's face it; unless you have a seat specifically designed for your body, you are going to feel stiff after a long trip. More alarming, however, is the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT. DVT is sometimes referred to as "Economy Class Syndrome" which is when sitting stationary for an excessive period of time can cause a dangerous Blood Clot in the Leg. Deep Vein Thrombosis, however, is not restricted to air travel. It can happen anytime you are sitting stationary for an excessive period of time. "It's the stationary sitting position that is dangerous in many ways. Not moving around while in a sitting position is bad overall. It leads to clots and cramps...any unusually long periods of inactivity -- whether you're in a plane, train, automobile, or even your office chair -- can impede blood circulation. In turn, the pooled blood can cause a thrombus (clot)" - Barbara Alving, MD, a hematologist and former deputy director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Even though Deep Vein Thrombosis is not restricted to air travel, many people feel literally trapped in their seats and unable to walk around as you could on a train or even by stopping the car during a long road trip. The FAA recommends, "Increasing leg muscle activity during long periods of sitting improves blood flow in the legs. This may include walking around the cabin or exercising your lower legs and ankles while seated." So what are you to do when you are literally stuck in your seat? Why not take advantage of exercises that can be at your fingertips. With all the Travel Apps available, it was only a matter of time before Travel Apps provided users with a solution. Below are a few exercises taken from one of the hot new Travel Apps for iPhone. More than a Travel Planner, Stuck in Your Seat is one of the Travel Apps that gives you exercises specifically designed to be done while "Stuck in Your Seat". Just pick a body part to get stretches and toning exercises for every part of your body. Below are a few simple exercises to increase circulation and activate muscles in the legs and feet to reduce the risk of a blood clot in the leg or DVT. Hug knee to chest Keeping your stomach pulled in away from your shirt, exhale to raise your right leg and hug it into your chest while rounding slightly forward. Stay there for a few breaths. Inhale to lower your leg. Repeat on the left. Repeat 3xs. Leg vice Sit back in your seat but stay lifted in your spine. Your feet are on the floor hip-width apart. Bring your right calf back to the seat and pull in like you want to squeeze the chair in a vice made up of your calf and the back of your leg or "hamstring". Hold for 5 seconds then release the contraction. Repeat 8xs Switch Legs Foot Circles Sit tall on your seat with your feet hip-width apart on the floor. While keeping your stomach pulled in raise your right, bent leg slightly off the floor. Without moving your leg, draw a box with your feet. Start by pointing your foot up and to the right. Next point your foot down and to the right. Move your foot down and to the left. End with your foot up and to the left. This is 1 set. Do 4 sets in clockwise and then 4 sets counter-clockwise. Repeat the series with your left foot. Leg circles Sit tall with your feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. Place your hands on your arm rests or the front of your chair and pull you stomach in away from your shirt. Raise and elongate your right leg slightly. Without moving any other part of your body, make circles with your whole leg. Initiating from your hip. Start by moving your leg clockwise. Keeping your stomach pulled in and your back long and straight, continue to make 5 circles with your leg. Do 5 more circles in the other direction. Challenge yourself to raise your leg slightly at the top of each circle without sinking into your lower back. Repeat on the left leg. Thigh press Sit tall with your feet on the floor hip-width apart. Place your right hand on your right thigh or "quadriceps". Lift your leg slightly and press into your right hand while resisting the movement with your hand. Hold for 5 seconds and release. Repeat 8xs Switch Legs Next time you have to fly, reduce the risk of DVT with foot and leg exercises you can do right in your seat! Even if you take a short flight, moving your body will reduce swelling and overall stress and discomfort. Bon Voyage! Article Source: http://articles.travelandtourisminfo.com/ About Author / Additional Info: Visit www.Dramaticapps.com to get more exercises you can download right onto your iPhone or iPad. Sarah Picot is a certified Pilates instructor, Developer of the Stuck in Your Seat iPhone app, creator of the Pilates for You DVD Series and author of "Pilates and Pregnancy". www.pilatesforyou.com Comments on this article: (0 comments so far)
Additional Articles: • Top Things to Do in Margarita Island, Venezuela • The City of Sails by Boat: Cruises Around Auckland, New Zealand • Family Holidays in South Africa • Looking For Hotels in Europe? Try These Budget Hotels Latest Articles in "TRAVEL TIPS" category: • Beach Rounded Hotels in Davao City, Philippines • Touring in India With a Travel Agency • Places to Eat and Drink in Sydney • How to Find the Right Hotel For Your Needs • Tours and Travels Can Make a Lifetime Experience • Cyprus! Island of Aphrodite • Unexpected Travel Dilemmas Important Disclaimer: All articles on this website are for general information only and is not a professional or experts advice. We do not own any responsibility for correctness or authenticity of the information presented in this article, or any loss or injury resulting from it. We do not endorse these articles, we are neither affiliated with the authors of these articles nor responsible for their content. Please see our disclaimer section for complete terms. 
Copyright © 2010 travelandtourisminfo.com - Do not copy articles from this website. |
|||||||
| | Home | Disclaimer | Xhtml | | |||||||
