Top Tips for Holiday Travel and Vein Care

Traveling is a HUGE part of the holidays for many families.  While it’s exciting to get to your destination, you can spend many hours sitting in tight or uncomfortable places or positions for all the family members on the trip.

These uncomfortable positions can lead to vein issues, so here are some holiday travel tips to use while you are traveling:

• Wear compression stockings – while traveling, this is a simple and effective way to help your circulation.  Wearing these stockings will help bring the blood back up to your heart, which is super helpful if you are stuck sitting for hours.
• Wear loose clothing when you travel – wearing anything tight can restrict blood flow and cause pain, discomfort or issues.
• Try seated calf squeezes – being stuck for hours in a small seat can cause blood to pool at your ankles.  Calf squeezes help push this blood back to the heart.  You can engage your calf muscle easily by lifting your heel and squeezing.  Do this for a couple minutes every half hour.
• Stand up – if you are in a place where you can stand up, stand up for a minute.  Or maybe make a plan to stop every hour and stand and shake those legs out!
• Chose water over sugar drinks – hydrating yourself properly while traveling can help with blood flow and can help prevent vein issues that can arise when your are cramped while traveling.

Traveling can be lots of fun, but we still have to be aware of how we are sitting or how long we are sitting uncomfortably.  Make sure, when you can, to give your legs a break and get them some circulation!

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