The act of traveling exacts a physical toll on your body (see my previous article on making long-distance travel comfortable for tips to lessen the impact), and we often don’t have time to recover even after we’ve disembarked from the plane, train, or automobile. We set out on our sightseeing adventures soon after arriving at our destinations, and, more often than not, we conclude our trips with sore, aching legs.
Even though now I favor slow(er) travel, I have not always made this a priority. A few years ago, my mom and I spent just seven days on a trip through Rome and Paris. Both cities are amazing, vibrant places bursting with historic monuments, world-class museums, and enough people-watching to keep you busy all day. Even seven days in each city wouldn’t be enough time to appreciate either – but, like many people, we had a short amount of time for traveling and it seemed unthinkable to bypass any of the highlights. We ran ourselves ragged each day, and spent each night with sore legs.
If that story sounds familiar to you, here are some yoga poses to help you out:
☆ Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend). This has the benefit of stretching your legs and releasing tension that you might be holding in your back. A nice variation is to grab your elbows while in the pose.
☆ Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend). Use a strap or a scarf if your legs are particularly tight, and make sure that you take it easy to avoid injuring tight muscles.
☆ Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose). I find this pose helps my hips after a long day.
☆ Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose). Use a bolster or folded blankets for this restorative inversion to make it more supportive.
☆ Balasana (Child’s Pose). I like to use this classic restorative pose at the end of a jam-packed day of sightseeing.
Do you have any favorite yoga poses for tired travelers’ legs? Let me know in the comments!
Image credit: micadew