Relieve The Travel Stiffies With A Stretch

This entry was written on Nov 30, 2008 by our Running Guru Heidi Splete

Yes, they say that the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the biggest travel day of the year. I was part of that statistic today, with about an 8-hour trip from northern NY back to DC. It took a little longer than expected due to rain, but at least the traffic wasn't bad. But enough about my ride, the point of this post is that if you have been doing a fair bit of driving, make an effort to fit in some calf stretches when you stop for gas, etc.

Try this variation on a calf stretch that you can do on a curb:

Place the ball of your right foot on the curb or a step with the rest of the foot haning over the edge. Holding onto a railing, pole, tree, or your car for balance, lower the right heel towards the ground. Keep your right leg straight (you will be bending the knee of your left leg, which remains standing on the curb or step. Hold as an easy stretch and count to 20. Repeat on the other side. Then get back into the car feeling refreshed (ok, maybe not totally refreshed, but your driving leg will feel a little better).

Safe travels!