A few tips for the next time you leave on a jetplane. The first one is easy, don’t sit down in the airport. I went on a trip this winter (I hope you guessed Las Vegas) and one thing I never do while waiting to board the airplane is sit down. The entire plane ride is sitting, so why do extra beforehand? I stand and wander around the terminal (which doesn’t take long in YQR). A good idea is to find your gate, then wander around until just prior to boarding time. This will get you moving before a 3+hour sitting session. A big help for your legs and back.
Another tip involves your fancy rolling luggage. Pulling that bag behind you is much easier than carrying, but technique matters. First, when rolling the bag, don’t have your arm extending back very far. This will stretch your biceps and potentially lead to your arm becoming sore. This is similar to reaching into the back seat of the car. Another thing to consider is your forearm/wrist position. A better position is to have your palm forward when holding the handle. This will relieve some tension on the biceps and forearm vs your palm facing backwards.
Lastly, when unloading your heavy bags from the conveyor after a long trip, consider your lifting technique. After sitting a while and potentially sleeping, you are not really limbered up for heavy lifting. Be careful not to yank the bag off with a big twisting motion. Remember to avoid twisting and bend with your knees. Go and re-read our lifting topic, you can see the photos there.
Until next time, keep wandering.