Tips for Taming Travel Tension over the Holidays缓解假期旅行疲劳的建议

For many people， travel is a necessary part of celebrating the holidays with loved ones. This means enduring all the stressful hiccups1 that can come with traveling and spending time away from the comforts of your own home.

对许多人来说，旅行是与所爱之人共度假期的必要环节。这意味着要忍受可能由旅途带来的各种劳心费神的鸡毛蒜皮，还要经历离家在外的种种不便。

You may face delays， diversions and many hours of sitting that can take a toll2 on you mentally and physically. So， whether you’re driving to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving or flying to see family in another country， try the five tips below to reduce stress and tension so you can enjoy the holidays.

你也许会遭遇延误、绕行，以及一坐就是数小时，身心俱疲。所以，无论你是开车去奶奶家过感恩节，还是坐飞机去另一个国家探亲，都可以尝试以下5个建议，这些建议能让你缓解压力和烦躁，从而享受假期。

Take control of your posture and breathing

调整姿势和呼吸

When you sit for long periods while traveling， your posture often suffers. Given the intimate relationship of your breathing pattern and your posture， slumping while seated leads to shallow， rapid breathing， which incites your body’s stress response. It’s a vicious cycle that increases physical and mental tension.

旅途中长时间坐着，往往让人疲惫不堪。鉴于呼吸方式与身体姿势紧密关联，坐着时垂头弯腰会使呼吸变得短促，进而引起身体的应激反应。这种恶性循环会让身心都更加疲乏。

That’s why it’s important to take control of your breathing at least once an hour while traveling to help restore your posture and cultivate a sense of calm. Taking just five or six long， deep breaths while focusing on getting your low ribs to move can make a big difference！

这就是为什么旅途中有必要至少每小时调整一次呼吸，以帮助恢复身体状态，让人平静下来。只需做五六次长长的深呼吸，同时注意移动下肋骨，情况将大为改观！

Just 90 seconds of deep breathing elicits3 a relaxation response that decreases your heart rate， blood pressure and stress hormone production， according to research.

研究表明，仅仅90秒的深呼吸即可让人放松，降低心跳速度、血压和压力荷尔蒙分泌。

Drink enough nonalcoholic fluids

饮用足量不含酒精的饮品

Those muscle cramps and achy joints you experience on the road may have a lot to do with your fluid intake. Considering that our bodies are mostly water， hydration4 is important for proper joint lubrication and circulation. But your hydration level doesn’t just affect you physically. When you’re dehydrated， it increases your body’s cortisol （primary stress hormone） levels， which can lead to feelings of anxiety， exhaustion and overall irritability.

你在旅途中所经历的肌肉痉挛和关节疼痛可能与你喝的饮品息息相关。考虑到我们的身体大部分由水组成，那么水分供给就对适当的关节润滑和血液循环至关重要。但水分供给程度不仅仅影响你的身体。脱水时，身体的皮质醇（主要的压力荷尔蒙）含量会增加，继而让人产生焦虑感、疲惫感，使整个人容易烦躁。

Even when you aren’t traveling， the holidays make it easy to become dehydrated. With all the festivities， we often forget to drink as much water as normal， especially when cocktails are flowing. Alcohol suppresses natural production of the antidiuretic hormone5 vasopressin6， which keeps us from urinating too much. Without it， we find ourselves in the bathroom more often. Counter the dehydrating impact of alcohol by drinking one glass of water for every cocktail.

即使不在旅途中，度假时也很容易脱水。参加庆祝活动时，我们常常忘记像平常一样多喝水，特别是当鸡尾酒管够的时候。酒精会抑制抗利尿激素的自然生成。抗利尿激素可防止我们排尿过多。没有它，我们去洗手间的次数会频繁得多。每喝一杯鸡尾酒后喝一杯水可对抗酒精的脱水作用。

Stand and walk every opportunity you can

抓住一切机会站立和行走

Studies abound regarding the health dangers of prolonged sitting， yet few people seem to make an effort to avoid it while traveling. Looking around the airport， you’ll find most everyone sitting at the gate waiting to get on their plane， where they will inevitably remain seated for at least a couple of hours or more.

有关久坐危害健康的研究比比皆是，但似乎鲜有人会在旅途中尽力避免久坐。在机场环顾四周，你会发现几乎所有人都在登机口处坐着等待登机。在那，他们不可避免地要坐上几个小时甚至更长时间。

Break up bouts7 of sitting by taking advantage of opportunities to stand and walk around whenever possible. At the airport， take a walk around your terminal. Some airports even have yoga rooms with public access. When traveling by car， find a park or even a mall on your route where you can get out and take a 10-minute walk.

无论何时都尽可能抓住机会站起来四处走动，以避免一次次久坐。在机场，可在航站楼到处转转。有些机场甚至设有公共瑜伽室。自驾旅行时，可沿途找个公园或者商场也好，这样你就可以下车步行10分钟。

Stretch out the tension

伸展紧绷的肌肉

Lots of sitting during travel also means compressed side waist muscles， overused hip flexors8 and tight low-back muscles. If you want to be more comfortable and avoid pain when traveling， you need to stretch out those muscles whenever possible.

旅途中久坐也意味着侧腰肌受到挤压，髋屈肌过度使用，以及下背肌紧绷。若想在旅途中更加舒适，避免疼痛，你需要尽可能伸展这些肌肉。

My go-to travel stretch is the warrior hip flexor9 release.

我必做的旅途拉伸动作是弓步髋屈肌拉伸。

Here’s how to do it：

以下是拉伸方法：

Stand to the right of a wall， chair or other stable surface. Place your left hand on it for support.

站在一面墙、一张椅子或其他稳固面的右边。左手放在上面作为支撑。

Step your right foot back into a short lunge position10， dropping your back heel and pointing your toes out slightly.

右脚后退成短弓步姿势，放下后脚跟，脚趾微微向外。

Bend your front knee to align above your ankle， while your back leg remains straight.

前腿膝盖弯曲，与脚踝上下对齐，同时后腿保持绷直。

Inhale as you lift your right arm up and over your head.

吸气，同时将右臂向上举过头顶。

Exhale as you side bend to the left， feeling your left lower ribs rotate inward.

呼气，同时向左侧弯，感受左下肋骨向内旋转。

Avoid arching your lower back.

下背部不要拱起。

Hold for three long， deep breaths. Repeat on the other side.

保持不动，做3次长长的深呼吸。换边重复以上动作。

Take recovery seriously

认真对待体力恢复

You might be so relieved to get to your destination that you think plopping down11 in a comfy chair is all you need. But it’s even more beneficial to get your legs up above your heart， which promotes venous blood flow and helps reduce lower-body swelling.