Lead Foot - Cramped Calf

I’m spontaneous, or possibly crazy.  Toe-may-toe, Toe-mah-toe.   I drove to San Antonio on a whim to spend 24 hours with my nephews.  In the process, I spent A LOT of time in the car.  (I think actually more time in my car than in San Antonio)  Needless to say, I need a massage!During the drive, I had a lot of time to think.  So I started to really pay attention to my body and how I was feeling.  Driving creates all sorts of aches and pains.  I know a lot of people have been spending a lot of time this summer traveling, so I really think it was a great way for me to reflect on the issues traveling creates on our bodies, and feel some empathy the next time a recent traveler walks in my door!So here’s a quick breakdown of what I felt and how I corrected or dealt with my problem:

• Hands and wrists started to ache.  I noticed my wrists were overly extended and I had a tight grip on the steering wheel.  Loosening my grip and keeping my wrist in a neutral position eliminated the issue.
• Neck pains and aches.  I would try to stretch as often as possible and rest my head on the head rest
• Back and hips became stiff and achy.  Frequent adjustments to my seat were helpful. I stretched and moved my body during rest stops.  I would bring my knees up to my chest one at a time to loosen them up.  I didn’t care what I looked like, I needed relief.  Touch my toes, let my whole spine just hang there.   I would also stretch my chest open to help with that pain in between my shoulder blades.

Rotate your trunk when you stop.  Twist from side to side!  It’s such a wonderful stretch and movement for our bodies.The one thing I forgot to do was stretch my calves.  When I woke up the  morning after getting home, I could barely walk on my accelerator leg.  My foot and calf were both so tight from the extended period of time it spent in plantar flexion!  Learn from my mistake and stretch those calves.What are your travel aches?  What do you do to get rid of them?