Staying Active on Vacation: More Important Than We Think
Vacations and Rehabilitation: Why It’s Essential to Keep Up with Your Exercises Even on Vacation
For many people, vacations are a well-deserved time to slow down, unwind, and set aside the obligations of daily life. When you’re following a rehabilitation plan, it can be tempting to view your prescribed exercises as just another task you can get back to once you return home.
However, vacation is precisely the time when it’s particularly important to maintain the progress you’ve made as part of your treatment plan. Whether you’re receiving physical therapy, occupational therapy, kinesiology, osteopathy, or care from another rehabilitation professional, the recommended exercises are an integral part of your recovery.
Even though a week or two without appointments may seem insignificant, completely stopping your exercises can have real consequences for the progression of your condition.
Exercises: A Treatment in Their Own Right
When a rehabilitation professional recommends exercises for you to do at home, it’s because they’re important for your recovery. They’re part of the treatment itself, just like the other modalities used at the clinic during your follow-up visits.
Exercises are chosen to meet specific goals:
- Reduce pain.
- Improve mobility.
- Build strength.
- Facilitate a return to daily activities.
- Prevent relapses.
- Improve endurance and exercise tolerance.
Clinic sessions allow us to assess your condition, adjust your treatment plan, and provide guidance. However, much of your progress comes from what you do between appointments.
Vacations can sometimes bring new physical challenges
Vacations don’t necessarily mean more rest for the body. On the contrary, many people suddenly increase their activity levels:
- Long sightseeing walks.
- Hiking.
- Biking.
- Water sports.
- Gardening.
- Work at the vacation home.
- Long car or plane trips.
This change in routine can put additional strain on structures that are already sensitive or in the process of healing. Prescribed exercises then serve as a tool for preparation and maintenance, helping the body better tolerate these new physical demands.
What Can Happen When You Stop Exercising Completely
Of course, no one loses all their progress after just a few days of rest. However, the body needs regular stimulation to maintain the adaptations it is developing.
A Lengthened Rehabilitation Process
One of the most common effects is a slowdown in progress. After several weeks of effort, completely stopping exercises during vacation can lead to a partial loss of progress. Upon returning, it is sometimes necessary to repeat certain steps rather than continuing with the planned progression.
As a result, achieving goals is delayed, and the overall duration of rehabilitation may be extended.
Increased Pain
Many exercises are prescribed specifically to help manage pain. When these exercises are interrupted for an extended period, some people notice:
- Increased stiffness.
- A return of muscle tension.
- A decrease in tolerance for physical activities.
This situation can be particularly frustrating when you had just begun to feel an improvement.
A Decrease in Mobility and Strength
The “use it or lose it” principle also applies to rehabilitation.
Gains in flexibility, joint mobility, and muscle strength take time to develop. When exercises are stopped completely, some of these improvements may gradually diminish. Movements that seemed easier before the vacation may then become more difficult upon returning.
Pain, muscle tension, and discomfort often affect sleep quality. When a condition is not well managed, some people experience:
- More nighttime awakenings.
- Difficulty finding a comfortable position.
- A general drop in energy.
However, sleep plays an essential role in tissue recovery, pain management, and overall well-being.
Not Getting the Most Out of Your Vacation
This is probably the most paradoxical aspect.
Many people take a break from exercise to enjoy their vacation more fully. Yet, the opposite effect can sometimes occur. Imagine going on a hiking trip with a knee that’s still in rehabilitation, or visiting a new city while recovering from a lower back problem. If the condition worsens during the trip, certain activities may become less enjoyable, or even impossible.
Sticking with your exercise routine often helps maintain a higher level of comfort and endurance so you can fully enjoy your planned activities.
5 Tips for Continuing Your Exercises During Vacation
A common misconception is that if you don’t have access to all your equipment or your usual environment, there’s no point in doing the exercises. In reality, a program performed at 70 or 80 percent of your usual intensity is generally much more beneficial than stopping completely.
Here are a few simple strategies to stay active during your rehabilitation, even when you’re away from home.
- Plan your exercises before you leave
Talk to your healthcare professional before your vacation. They can:
- Identify priority exercises.
- Temporarily simplify your program.
- Suggest travel-friendly alternatives.
- Answer your questions.
2. Pack a “travel rehab kit”
Most exercise programs can be done with minimal equipment or with items that take up little space in your luggage (e.g., resistance bands, massage balls, etc.).
Packing the equipment you need for your exercises and keeping it within easy reach will help you remember to do them even when your daily routine is different.
3. Incorporate the exercises into a daily activity
It’s often easier to maintain a habit when it’s part of your routine. So, doing your exercises after lunch, before your shower, or before bed can help reduce the risk of forgetting them.
4. Cut Back on Duration Rather Than Skipping Exercises
If you have a busy schedule, it’s better to do a shorter version of the program than nothing at all. Even 2 to 3 exercises or 10 to 15 minutes can help you maintain your progress.
5. Keep Your Goals in Mind
Remember why you started your rehabilitation. Whether it’s to reduce your daily pain, play with your children, get back to sports, or return to work safely and sustainably, every exercise brings you closer to that goal.
In Conclusion
Vacations are a precious opportunity to recharge, but they shouldn’t mean a complete break from your rehabilitation process. The exercises prescribed by your healthcare team play an essential role in maintaining the progress you’ve made and in achieving your long-term goals.
Staying active, even in a simplified way, will allow you to enjoy the activities that make vacations so pleasant even more.
After all, a few minutes of exercise each day is a small investment to protect the weeks, or even months, of progress you’ve already made! Not to mention that your therapist will be delighted to see your progress when you return!
Have a great vacation!
By Vanessa Daoust, occupational therapist at Physiothérapie Universelle Fabreville.