STRETCHING OUT

Exercising during driving breaks and at campgrounds is good for your body and mind.

By Lynn Difley

Travelers petrification, I call it. After sitting for hours as a driver or passenger, you stop and try to get out of the vehicle, only to find that your body has turned into a block of wood. You are too stiff to walk, your back aches and the pain throughout makes you wonder whether you will survive this trip or not.

Have no fear, there is a way to untie the crippling knots you have accumulated and turn your body back to limber.

I’m a certified exercise instructor with 20 years of experience teaching fitness and strength training. My husband Robert and I travel fulltime in our RV. These days we maintain our fitness by running, walking, swimming, kayaking, bicycling, lifting weights, stretching and practicing tai chi and yoga wherever our Bounder happens to be. But years ago, I was as stiff as I could be, even after a short drive. Exercise was the answer.

The simple reason for this common form of stiffness is lack of movement. The human body is a marvelous piece of equipment, able to manage such complex activities as balancing, walking, stooping, reaching, twisting and lifting. It is designed for movement.

Our ancestors never knew the tightness that comes from enforced inactivity. They were always on the move – stretching, reaching for the juiciest fruit, crouching to stalk game, climbing, running and, for the most part, using their bodies to the fullest range of movement. They had no need for exercise programs. Their very survival depended on their ability to move their bodies quickly, powerfully and efficiently.

In today’s challenging environment, mental agility has become more important for survival than physical ability. Therefore, we have need of a planned program to restore our bodies to their peak capacity and undo the damage of our sedentary habits.

When kept in a loose, flexible state through regular stretching and flexibility routines, the body functions to perform ordinary tasks with ease and responds to stressful situations efficiently. When forced to remain in a static position, the unused muscles tighten. Legs, made for walking, suffer when they are pressed against a chair or seat of an RV, restricting blood flow and circulation for hours at a time.

When your back is not moved, it becomes tight, sometimes almost locked into position. Add to this picture a pair of shoulders cramped by hours of tension and a neck held in an unnatural position and you begin to get the picture.

Driving is a stressful and tension-producing activity. Our bodies cannot respond to every anticipated danger that the mind signals, which takes its toll on cramping muscle and tightening posture. As soon as you unfold yourself from the seat, you will hear the body’s move me message in dozens of stiff, aching muscles and body parts.

Now that we understand the cause, we’re ready to treat the symptoms.

First we will walk. Remember, you have not been moving your legs for who knows how long, so they are going to feel stiff and restricted. Walk slowly at first, encouraging the blood to circulate. You will find the legs respond to this attention in an amazingly short time. When your legs loosen, stretch them out further by taking slightly longer steps. As you regain your "land legs," continue to walk for at least 10 minutes in a long, comfortable stride.

Once the walking has increased the blood flow throughout the body, you can begin to stretch out the tightness.

One of the most productive – not to mention satisfying –exercises to do for upper body tension are shoulder rolls. Lift your shoulders as high as possible toward the ears, then slowly and evenly roll them a far forward as possible, down and then to the back, attempting to press the shoulder blades together. Make these circles as complete as you can, listening to the accompanying snap and crack of the joints as they respond to the stretch by releasing tension. After four rolls, reverse the direction and give them four more gentle circles.

Once the shoulders are loosened, the neck should be gently rotated. Imagine your head is a clock. Point your nose at 10 o’clock and slowly circle it down until your chin is close to your chest. Continue rotating until your nose points at 2 o’clock. Reverse this partial circle, breathing deeply. Now point your nose over your left shoulder, looking as far as is comfortable, behind your back. Turn your head and look over your right shoulder. Swivel your head slowly from right to left four times in each direction and feel the neck area relax.

Now for your poor, stiff spine, a back arch. Place your hands on your lower back and gently arch up. Your chest should be lifted. Release the arch and repeat four times.

A fourth exercise is the torso twist. Turn from the waist and look over your left shoulder, then gradually rotate until you are twisted round to the right. These should all be smooth, gentle movements, accompanied by deep breathing. After a couple of these trunk rotations, come back to center and reach up with the right hand as high as possible to "pick apples" just beyond your grasp. Allow the whole side of the body to stretch and reach, then repeat on the left side. Again, let these movements be slow and steady and breathe deeply to increase your stretch.

By now you should feel much looser and less tense. If you can spare the time, go for a vigorous walk. Get some exercise while you are stretched and your blood is circulating. Why not reward yourself with an exploration of the area and take full advantage of a limbered, ready-for-action body?

Remember, a 25-to-30 minute brisk walk will fulfill the daily minimum requirement for cardiovascular health and, if you are on a trip, this may be the best chance you have to take care of your heart, lungs, circulatory system and keep your weight under control. Happy travels.