Going on holiday should be an entirely perfect and exciting moment – you're getting out of the office or away from your household chores, you're going on an adventure, you're leaving your worries behind, you're seeing new places... it's all good.
Many of us feel a certain amount of anxiety and distress in the build up to the holiday itself because as much as the trip might be long overdue you still have to get there. Never mind the stress of making sure you have all your documents with you, and that you make it to the airport on time; even when that all goes smoothly you still need to worry about the actual flight itself which can be very uncomfortable and even unhealthy and particularly if you are flying long distances.
What should be the enjoyable start to your holiday and a time to relax in itself for many people becomes a stressful and uncomfortable slog that leaves them squirming in their seat and counting the minutes until they land. Here then are some suggestions as to how you can stop that from being the case and make the whole experience a little more pleasurable.
Choose Wisely
The first way to make sure you have the most comfortable flight possible is of course to choose your tickets carefully. Think long and hard about the company you are going to use, the seats you are going to take and the class you are going to pay for. Of course if you can afford it then choosing the best airline and upgrading yourself to first class is going to be the best way to make sure you're comfortable on the flight. Sadly not all of us are in that bracket and have to end up going budget instead. Still there are things you can do – first of all make sure that you choose the most comfortable option from the budget airlines on offer; the best way to do this is to simply search online and compare which comes with the most leg room. Next take advantage of the option to choose your own seat if it exists. Many flights let you book your seat so check in early or look online early and make sure you get the seats with the most space for your legs. On flights where it's a free for all (they exist) just make sure you're there first and at the front of the queue so you have the best chance of choosing a good seat. If you go by the emergency exits then you'll have a lot of extra leg space but you'll also be responsible for opening the exits in the case of a crash. Another great option is to look for a row of three that isn't going to get filled. If there's only one or two people on a three-person row then you can lie down on it and sleep that way, or at least spread out sideways. Win. The bonus of the isle seat for tall people meanwhile is that they can stretch their legs out, though you'll have to move when the trolly comes by.
Relax
A lot of the problem with people on planes is the psychological factor. People just plain don't associate being on a plane with being comfortable and they tend to assume that the experience is going to be unpleasant. They then sit there and focus on all the little imperfect aspects like the slight cramp in their leg or the fact that their head can't lean back as far as they would like and this means that they are certain to find the experience unenjoyable.
So what do you need to do to counter this? Well the answer is to just relax and to enjoy the event as much as you can. Remember that tossing and turning won't make you any more comfortable and instead just focus on the fact that you're sat down and without a care in the world for at least the duration of the flight. Now is a rare opportunity to just relax and to read a book or play on a GameBoy. Apart from anything else just relaxing will help your muscles to relax and this will prevent you from being as uncomfortable.
Take Distractions
As a lot of your discomfort is likely to be caused by focusing on the distractions such as a seat belt buckle in your hip. To prevent this problem you should try and distract yourself as best as possible with reading material, games or music. The more involved you can become with your distractions the less you will focus on how uncomfortable you are. So build up a stockpile of things to distract your attention. That means getting yourself some magazines, a new book, a new game, a new CD and whatever else – then saving them for the flight before you can look at them. Remember to save some for the journey back too.
Dress Wisely
Dressing for an airplane is one of the most difficult things. You have three temperatures you need to consider here – the temperature in your country, the temperature on the plane, and the temperature when you arrive at your holiday destination. What makes life tricky on the plane too is that it's very hard to predict the temperature and this is largely because of the sporadic use of air conditioning. Some planes will have none and you'll be boiling hot, while others will have the air conditioning on full blast and aimed right at your feet – and this can get freezing cold. The solution then is to wear layers so that you can put more on if you're cold or take more off if you're hot. You should also wear soft and comfortable clothes though so that you can essentially pad yourself into your seat. Think nice wooly jumpers and t-shirts that are made from soft neoprene. Don't wear anything too tight, and don't worry too much about looking good because when you land you won't look great anyway. For the legs linen is a great option as it means avoiding shorts which can cause an unpleasant updraft and yet still being cool and ready for when you land in the country.
Bring Slippers
Your shoes will never feel more uncomfortable than they do on the plane. The reason is partly that your feet will be swelling as a result of the pressure (delightful) but also because they can get very hot. However taking your shoes off is just not sociable in such a confined space. Slippers are great because they are comfortable and they contain the smell and you can wear them 'half on' if you like to let some draft in.
Bring a Blanket
Bring the softest blanket you can. It has multiple purposes allowing you to scrunch it up to lean against like a pillow, or letting your wrap your feet or your body. It's perfect for helping you doze off to sleep and the softer and cozier it is the better. It's worth taking some time beforehand in order to buy something that is soft enough to be cozy and small enough to fit in your hand luggage. You might also want to bring a large comfortable jumper which can double up as a blanket and pillow. Those wearable 'snugs' that are like blankets with a head hole get around the problem of having to store the blanket in your hand luggage.
Bring a Pillow
A pillow will be highly useful for resting your head and if you can get the seat by the window that's even better as you can sit it against the wall. Bear in mind that those blow up ones are less comfortable than a jumper or blanket, so if you can only afford enough space for a soft blanket then that will do.
Make a Pact
When you're sat next to someone rigidly trying not to touch them or let them touch you this is not conducive for comfort. Likewise neither is the battle for the arm rest. Assuming you know them (you'd have to be very brave if you didn't) talk to them frankly and agree that you can rest on each others' shoulders. You'll be a lot comfier.
Bring a Neck Support
These are useful for seats that are very upright as they hold your head in place and stop it lolling forward. They're not for everyone but give them a go and then decide whether you can benefit from it.
Use the Table
The table in front of you is designed for laptops and other things, but it has a secondary use as somewhere to lean. You can either lean on this with your elbow and prop your head up on it, or you can bend completely forward have your jumper or blanket on it like a pillow. It's a great change of position, though make sure you're not placing too much strain on your spine.
Get Up
Occasionally getting up to stretch your legs is important for your comfort but also your health and can help you to prevent deep vein thrombosis. Every now and then make sure to get up and go to the toilet and you will feel better for it when you sit back down.
Food and Drink
Taking lots of food and drink and buying some on the journey is a must and can help you get into the zone and feel relaxed on the plane. Everything is a little better if you have a nice mug of hot chocolate with you. Most important though is to drink lots of water. Being on a plane is very dehydrating as a result of the dry recycled air and the air pressure. This can make you very uncomfortable and prevent you from sleeping so bring several water bottles with you. For the same reason you might also be better off avoiding coffee and alcohol (as well as the fact that they're diuretic and might cause you to visit the toilet more).
Deaden Your Senses
Two more very useful things to bring on the plane – ear plugs (or noise-canceling headphones) and an eyemask. This will help you to forget where you are and to shut out the outside light and noise. Sharing a room with 200 other room-mates inevitably means that not everyone will agree on light-out, so this is a good way to make sure you can get some peace and quiet.
Medication
If you do get travel sick then this is of course not conducive to your comfort. Take some travel medication before the flight if this is the case and have some to hand. The other kind of medication that might help could be anti-anxiety if you're nervous about flights or sleeping tablets to help relax you and send you off to sleep.
Sweets
Another cause of discomfort on planes is the change in air pressure that can cause our ears to pop. This can be off-putting and in some cases very painful, but by sucking a sweat you can equalize the pressure and get some relief. Carry some travel sweets with you or a mint and this will help. Yawning is also advised.
Sleep
If you can sleep then you should do your best to make sure that you do, as this will help to pass the time more quickly. Use the above tips – take medication, drink lots of water, shut the world out and bring a soft blanket. Then the next thing you know you'll be landing.
Huwebes, Nobyembre 3, 2011
Why Stretching Is Important
We all know we should stretch, but far too many of us overlook this and choose to get on with the 'fun stuff' instead – the exercise or the sports or the free running. Perhaps though part of the problem is that we are not educated quite enough on the reasons we should be stretching – and perhaps a full list of all the reasons we should be doing it could help encourage us to be more vigilant. Here we will look at a selection of the reasons it's important to stretch.
It Improves Muscle Development
If you're doing a workout with the hope of building muscle then stretching is very important as it enables you to move through the full range of movement. This then results in your building full and long muscles instead of them becoming stunted and short.
It Increases Range of Motion
Not only does stretching increase the range of motion for someone lifting weights while they're doing it, it also helps to increase range of motion and flexibility in general. This then means that you will be more likely to perform things such as the splits or high kicks. It's highly useful in a range of different athletic and sporting events and many athletes practice stretching for this reason.
It Reduces Injury
Stretching reduces the chance of injury by gradually elongating the muscle. If you're more flexible then that will mean that you don't pull or tear a muscle if you are to slip or trip as your body is capable of reaching that position. In the short term it also helps to limber up the muscle and tendon and thereby prevent a pulled muscle or tendon.
It Warms You Up
Stretching can be used as a way to warm up the muscles and it will encourage the flow of blood. This then provides the muscles with an oxygen supply as well as nutrients in order to help them to keep going.
It Improve Posture
Stretching can also help you to improve your posture and particularly stretching the back. It may also be useful for alleviating pain and this is why it is commonly used as a part of yoga and Pilates.
Drawbacks of Stretching
Despite all of its touted benefits however and statistics such as '50% of sports injuries could have been prevented with stretching' – stretching does have its limits. For instance it is widely believed that stretching can help to prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (the 'burn' you get the next day after working out or strenuous muscle activity). Thus many athletes and bodybuilders will stretch following a gym session under the belief that it will prevent them from developing pain – however this is in fact incorrect and it will have no positive (or negative) impact on this pain.
Likewise it is important to recognize that everything needs to be moderated – and too much stretching can be a bad thing. Some sports for instance such as sprinting may actually benefit from the increased elasticity that comes from not stretching too much. Further over-stretching to the point where it causes pain can actually damage joints and muscle thereby hampering performance both in the long term and the short term.
At the same time further studies have shed doubt on whether or not stretching can prevent injury for runners at all – and in one recent survey of 2,729 runners there was found to be no significant benefit of stretching before running. Further – it has been suggested that during the process of stretching the athlete only learns to ignore and overcome the pain associated with stretching rather – which could in fact lead to injury. It was noted however that those who already do stretch should not stop stretching or they might then cause injury.
Conclusion
So the jury is out – and it may well be that stretching isn't quite the crucial crux of an athlete's pre-game that we thought it was. However that said it still has many other benefits in terms of muscle development, posture and flexibility and conventional wisdom still says it's a good idea. You have all the information – so now it's time to find out what works best for you.
It Improves Muscle Development
If you're doing a workout with the hope of building muscle then stretching is very important as it enables you to move through the full range of movement. This then results in your building full and long muscles instead of them becoming stunted and short.
It Increases Range of Motion
Not only does stretching increase the range of motion for someone lifting weights while they're doing it, it also helps to increase range of motion and flexibility in general. This then means that you will be more likely to perform things such as the splits or high kicks. It's highly useful in a range of different athletic and sporting events and many athletes practice stretching for this reason.
It Reduces Injury
Stretching reduces the chance of injury by gradually elongating the muscle. If you're more flexible then that will mean that you don't pull or tear a muscle if you are to slip or trip as your body is capable of reaching that position. In the short term it also helps to limber up the muscle and tendon and thereby prevent a pulled muscle or tendon.
It Warms You Up
Stretching can be used as a way to warm up the muscles and it will encourage the flow of blood. This then provides the muscles with an oxygen supply as well as nutrients in order to help them to keep going.
It Improve Posture
Stretching can also help you to improve your posture and particularly stretching the back. It may also be useful for alleviating pain and this is why it is commonly used as a part of yoga and Pilates.
Drawbacks of Stretching
Despite all of its touted benefits however and statistics such as '50% of sports injuries could have been prevented with stretching' – stretching does have its limits. For instance it is widely believed that stretching can help to prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (the 'burn' you get the next day after working out or strenuous muscle activity). Thus many athletes and bodybuilders will stretch following a gym session under the belief that it will prevent them from developing pain – however this is in fact incorrect and it will have no positive (or negative) impact on this pain.
Likewise it is important to recognize that everything needs to be moderated – and too much stretching can be a bad thing. Some sports for instance such as sprinting may actually benefit from the increased elasticity that comes from not stretching too much. Further over-stretching to the point where it causes pain can actually damage joints and muscle thereby hampering performance both in the long term and the short term.
At the same time further studies have shed doubt on whether or not stretching can prevent injury for runners at all – and in one recent survey of 2,729 runners there was found to be no significant benefit of stretching before running. Further – it has been suggested that during the process of stretching the athlete only learns to ignore and overcome the pain associated with stretching rather – which could in fact lead to injury. It was noted however that those who already do stretch should not stop stretching or they might then cause injury.
Conclusion
So the jury is out – and it may well be that stretching isn't quite the crucial crux of an athlete's pre-game that we thought it was. However that said it still has many other benefits in terms of muscle development, posture and flexibility and conventional wisdom still says it's a good idea. You have all the information – so now it's time to find out what works best for you.
Miscarriage - Dealing With the Emotional Impact
Miscarriage is the term given to the loss of a baby before it reaches full term. Often, people regard this as bad luck, particularly if it happens in the early weeks of pregnancy. It is difficult for many to fully comprehend the power of a woman's grief upon this loss as few can understand that the bonding process between mother and child began when she became pregnant.
For some reason, society understands the loss of a baby when stillborn but not from miscarriage. The grief associated with the latter appears to be seen as a lesser grief. However, many women suffer the most passionate sorrow they have ever experienced during this time.
Even if the miscarriage occurs early in the pregnancy, the parents feel a deep sense of loss. They have often made that emotional investment in this baby and have rearranged their lives in readiness for this new life.
Loss of Belief
Often, the mother loses her belief in herself and her basic belief of motherhood as she feels she has failed to protect this child, despite looking after herself and remaining as healthy as possible. The miscarriage forces her to realize that she can't guarantee the safety of an unborn child and that things don't always go to plan. When you set out to become pregnant, or when you find out you are pregnant, the possibility of losing the baby is not even considered. It is thoughts of a beautiful healthy baby that fill your mind and bring great joy.
Taking Time-out from the World
Women cope in different ways with the emotional impact of miscarriage and one of the common coping mechanisms is to shut everyone out of their world. This is done by taking to their bed, ignoring phone calls and visitors and generally just refusing to take an active part in anything outside of their own world.
This is a perfectly normal reaction and is the mind's way of dealing with the emotional overload of the miscarriage. Because miscarriage can occur very quickly, the impact on both mind and body can be profound and thus, the need for this personal space is a necessity. Besides, you need to come to grips with your loss and if that means a need to feel vulnerable and to snuggle up in bed for a while, then that is okay. Everyone deals with loss differently.
Mixture of Emotions
The misery following miscarriage is described by many as being more intense and consuming than any other sadness they have experienced. Sadness, however, is not the only emotion that a woman suffers following this loss.
Another major emotion is that of anger, whether directed toward yourself, your partner, or even the baby that you have lost. You may feel angry at other women who are having healthy babies and resent women who have not looked after themselves as well as you have and yet have healthy babies.
What Caused the Miscarriage?
The cause of miscarriage is not known. There may be contributing factors which may be able to be identified but not a causative factor. This may cause women to look for blame in themselves and to feel guilty as a consequence. After all, how can they be sure that it wasn't a result of what they did or did not do? No matter how much they are reassured that it is not their fault, they will often still take on some sense of responsibility for the miscarriage.
Some will become consumed in seeking answers about the cause. Was it genetic, something in the food or water, pollution or anything else? No matter how hard you search, you will never find the answer. There is no answer.
Acknowledge the Grief
The profound grief of a miscarriage can be compared to that of the grief you may feel at the loss of a parent or sibling, yet other people cannot understand this. People need to be aware that the loss is not equated to the length of time the woman was pregnant but to the extent to which she had bonded with that baby.
Her grief cannot be adequately resolved until it is acknowledged by all concerned. Because in the case of miscarriage, few women get to see the baby, there is also no closure, thereby creating another obstacle in the grieving process.
Feeling Inadequate
Having a miscarriage can lead to feelings of inadequacy. Often, the woman believes that she is incapable of successfully doing something so basic as having a child and this can cause a drop in self esteem. If you have already experienced miscarriage in the past, these feelings are multiplied, leading to a fear that you will never experience having a child. This can often lead to feelings of emotional insecurity and frustration.
Coping with the Grief How a woman copes with miscarriage is governed by her own beliefs and coping mechanisms. Some may take months to recover emotionally while others may take less. This, in part, depends on the meaning the woman had already attached to that baby and the space she had already created in her life for the baby.
In the case of an unplanned pregnancy, there may indeed be a sense of relief from miscarriage though this is not to say that all miscarriages of unplanned pregnancy are less distressing than planned pregnancies.
Most women will grieve acutely for around a month or more before it subsides. This does not mean that it is forgotten or even resolved but is simply less acute. For the first week following miscarriage, it is quite normal to cry all day and to feel that you have no control over your life.
A general rule of thumb is that it takes around six weeks to grieve after a major life event such as miscarriage. This is considered to be the time of greatest need so if you don't expect too much of yourself during that time, you should be able to move on with your life. This, of course, is only a guide to grieving time. If you need longer to recover or if you recover sooner, that is also okay. Grief is always an individual thing!
For some reason, society understands the loss of a baby when stillborn but not from miscarriage. The grief associated with the latter appears to be seen as a lesser grief. However, many women suffer the most passionate sorrow they have ever experienced during this time.
Even if the miscarriage occurs early in the pregnancy, the parents feel a deep sense of loss. They have often made that emotional investment in this baby and have rearranged their lives in readiness for this new life.
Loss of Belief
Often, the mother loses her belief in herself and her basic belief of motherhood as she feels she has failed to protect this child, despite looking after herself and remaining as healthy as possible. The miscarriage forces her to realize that she can't guarantee the safety of an unborn child and that things don't always go to plan. When you set out to become pregnant, or when you find out you are pregnant, the possibility of losing the baby is not even considered. It is thoughts of a beautiful healthy baby that fill your mind and bring great joy.
Taking Time-out from the World
Women cope in different ways with the emotional impact of miscarriage and one of the common coping mechanisms is to shut everyone out of their world. This is done by taking to their bed, ignoring phone calls and visitors and generally just refusing to take an active part in anything outside of their own world.
This is a perfectly normal reaction and is the mind's way of dealing with the emotional overload of the miscarriage. Because miscarriage can occur very quickly, the impact on both mind and body can be profound and thus, the need for this personal space is a necessity. Besides, you need to come to grips with your loss and if that means a need to feel vulnerable and to snuggle up in bed for a while, then that is okay. Everyone deals with loss differently.
Mixture of Emotions
The misery following miscarriage is described by many as being more intense and consuming than any other sadness they have experienced. Sadness, however, is not the only emotion that a woman suffers following this loss.
Another major emotion is that of anger, whether directed toward yourself, your partner, or even the baby that you have lost. You may feel angry at other women who are having healthy babies and resent women who have not looked after themselves as well as you have and yet have healthy babies.
What Caused the Miscarriage?
The cause of miscarriage is not known. There may be contributing factors which may be able to be identified but not a causative factor. This may cause women to look for blame in themselves and to feel guilty as a consequence. After all, how can they be sure that it wasn't a result of what they did or did not do? No matter how much they are reassured that it is not their fault, they will often still take on some sense of responsibility for the miscarriage.
Some will become consumed in seeking answers about the cause. Was it genetic, something in the food or water, pollution or anything else? No matter how hard you search, you will never find the answer. There is no answer.
Acknowledge the Grief
The profound grief of a miscarriage can be compared to that of the grief you may feel at the loss of a parent or sibling, yet other people cannot understand this. People need to be aware that the loss is not equated to the length of time the woman was pregnant but to the extent to which she had bonded with that baby.
Her grief cannot be adequately resolved until it is acknowledged by all concerned. Because in the case of miscarriage, few women get to see the baby, there is also no closure, thereby creating another obstacle in the grieving process.
Feeling Inadequate
Having a miscarriage can lead to feelings of inadequacy. Often, the woman believes that she is incapable of successfully doing something so basic as having a child and this can cause a drop in self esteem. If you have already experienced miscarriage in the past, these feelings are multiplied, leading to a fear that you will never experience having a child. This can often lead to feelings of emotional insecurity and frustration.
Coping with the Grief How a woman copes with miscarriage is governed by her own beliefs and coping mechanisms. Some may take months to recover emotionally while others may take less. This, in part, depends on the meaning the woman had already attached to that baby and the space she had already created in her life for the baby.
In the case of an unplanned pregnancy, there may indeed be a sense of relief from miscarriage though this is not to say that all miscarriages of unplanned pregnancy are less distressing than planned pregnancies.
Most women will grieve acutely for around a month or more before it subsides. This does not mean that it is forgotten or even resolved but is simply less acute. For the first week following miscarriage, it is quite normal to cry all day and to feel that you have no control over your life.
A general rule of thumb is that it takes around six weeks to grieve after a major life event such as miscarriage. This is considered to be the time of greatest need so if you don't expect too much of yourself during that time, you should be able to move on with your life. This, of course, is only a guide to grieving time. If you need longer to recover or if you recover sooner, that is also okay. Grief is always an individual thing!
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