While many people find comfort in planning out every detail of their upcoming travels before they happen, one thing that’s commonly overlooked when planning and preparing for a trip is the potential for injury.
Especially if this is a trip you’ve been looking forward to for a long time, your rose-colored glasses might make it hard for you to contemplate anything bad happening to you along the way. But if statistics are to be trusted, there’s always a chance that you could get hurt while you’re away on vacation.
So to help reduce these chances for yourself, here are three ways you can avoid common traveling injuries.
Make Safe Transportation Plans
One of the biggest causes of injury for travelers is being in car accidents. Because of this, it should be of the utmost importance to you that you make plans for safe transportation throughout the entirety of your travels.
According to the CDC, some of the best ways to ensure you’re using safe transportation include always wearing a seat belt, staying off the roads of developing countries at night, and not riding on dangerous forms of transportation, like motorcycles or overcrowded buses. If you can stick to these guidelines and make plans for safe travel, be it on the road, the air, or the sea, you should be confident that you can avoid injuries that others may experience.
Prepare Yourself Before Your Trip
Depending on the type of traveling you’ll be doing and what kinds of activities or adventures you’re wanting to take part in, you may find that you’re much more active while on vacation than in your normal life. While this can be great for your health, you’re going to want to make sure you’re in good enough health that this adjustment doesn’t cause you to get injured.
To do this, Scott Adams, a contributor to the Huffington Post, recommends that you spend some time preparing physically for your trip before you leave home. This could include walking more, doing some hiking, or going swimming to strengthen your body.
Be Smart While In Transit
If you’re going to be traveling for long periods of time over your vacation, it’s a good idea to be smart about the hours you’ll spend being sedentary.
According to Consumer Reports, sitting for long periods of time on a plane or in a car can put you at risk for developing blood clots, which could throw a real wrench in your travel plans. To avoid this, try to get up and moving as much as you can and wear clothes that are loose-fitting to your body to allow for good circulation.
If you’re going to be taking a trip soon, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you avoid some common traveling injuries.