As much as we love to travel, it’s not without its impacts on our physical condition. It has long been known that sitting for prolonged periods of time can have a negative effect on previous injury sites, our overall comfort and even our ability to breathe effectively.

Although the research is in its relative infancy, a picture is building that shows us we need to take care when travelling, because sitting for prolonged periods of time (3 hours or more) can cause a number of issues with our health. As with anything to do with health, understanding the problem allows us to avoid it.

In this article, we’ll outline the main issues we experience with travelling and then provide solutions to help you avoid them.

One of the more concerning aspects of long distance travel is the impact that sitting can have on blood flow, putting us at an increased risk of a condition known as Dep Vein Thrombosis, or DVT for short.

DVT is where a blood clot forms in a vein, usually in the leg which can cause severe problems when it breaks off and travels around the body, usually into the lungs. Here it can block a blood vessel which in very extreme cases can be fatal.

DVT can be avoided by promoting blood flow in the lower extremities. The NHS recommend wearing compression socks [1] and moving whenever possible. The jury is still out on how effective compression alone is, but when you combine the effects of compression with infrared, you dramatically improve the effectiveness of the garment because infrared stimulates blood flow. We know for sure that stimulation of blood flow reduces the chances of DVT [2].

The KYMIRA compression socks are perfect for long distance travel thanks to the double-effect of compression and infrared.

There is strong research that links the prolonged sitting posture with an increase in thoracic (middle and upper back) stiffness [3]. The impact of this is wide-ranging, with issues from increased general neck pain through to painful and difficult movement of the upper back, shoulders and arms.By making sure we are active in the days leading up to a long journey, we help to offset the impending stiffness. There are also some very effective stretches you can do to help prevent the mid back stiffness before and after a long journey [4].

By wearing a KYMIRA infrared top, you can help to maximise the blood flow to the upper body to help maintain flexibility in the area, which will reduce the stiffness and associated pain.

There’s two ways that travel can affect our sleep – the main one is jet lag and it only applies if we’re travelling across time zones. For those who are unaware of the condition, when you travel across time zones we disrupt our bodies natural sleep cycle, which can leave us wide awake in the middle of the night, and exhausted in the day time.

The other is less obvious, but it exists and can cause sleep issues. It’s about sleep quality when travelling.

Even if you manage to sleep on long journeys, the quality of the sleep can be affected due to the vibrations, noises and movement of travel. There is research that shows even living near a train line can impact sleep [5], so it stands to reason that sleep quality whilst actually travelling yourself will be affected.

Evidence shows that when exposed to infrared fabrics during sleep, people sleep more effectively, falling asleep quicker and requiring fewer naps following on [6]. This would suggest that they have enjoyed a deeper, more restful sleep.

KYMIRA clothing worn whilst travelling long distances may help to improve sleep quality whilst travelling, making the experience significantly more comfortable.

The purpose of this article isn’t to put you off travelling, it’s to inform you of what the science shows can be negative impacts of travelling and how we can help you to alleviate them and in some cases, avoid them altogether.

With thousands of hours of lab-based study, medical approval of our technology and a track record that shows improvements in health and performance from the elderly to the Olympians, you can be sure that KYMIRA technology delivers exactly what is promises.

Take a look at our range and see what garments can help make your travel easier, safer and much more comfortable.

KYMIRA Medical

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