How to Survive a Road Trip

If you're like me and the 91 million other Americans driving across the country for the holidays and you need a little help maintaining your sanity, here are a few ideas. 

1.  Plan ahead: it's inevitable - hunger and munchies hit when you're in the car for a long time. Do yourself a favor and pack some healthy snacks. There are plenty of places along the way to get junk food. Having healthy alternatives on-hand will help to avoid these temptations. Ideas for guilt-free munching - sliced fresh veggies (my family went through an entire gallon Ziiploc FULL in 9 hours), sliced apples, clementines, pretzels, grapes, sandwiches, etc. Save the guilty pleasures for after the healthy alternatives. 

2.  Rest stops: For me it's easy, My husband and I can run around like a crazy person at rest stops, playing tag, doing jumping jacks, etc with our kids and dog. They obviously need to get the crazies out. But so do we! Even if you don't have kids or a dog as an excuse, you can use the extra spaces designed for movement at any of our nation's rest stops. Walk the loop, do push ups against a bench, stretch your legs, anything to get your blood circulating and keep you energized throughout your drive. 

3.  Keep moving in the car: This is easiest if you are the passenger. Glut squeezes, abdominal squeezes, kegels, ankle pumps and circles, hand and wrist stretches and circles, shoulder blade squeezes, seated marches, or neck stretches can all keep your blood moving and help avoid stiffness and soreness. 

4.  Posture! It's easy to fall into the "car slouch" with your shoulders rounded and your head jutted forward. Scoot your butt all the way to he back of the seat, squeeze those shoulder blades, tuck your chin, and relax your shoulders down. 

5.  Back pain? Follow the steps on #4 and sit on a cutting board. Someone recommended this to me years ago after I hurt my back when I was pregnant with our 3rd child. It really made a difference, as it provides a solid base of support for the pelvis and helps to align your spine. 

Overall, you will have more energy and feel better once you arrive at your destination if you can keep moving and utilize healthy fuel for your body throughout your journey. Happy Holidays!