Refinery29—July 9, 2014
You've triple-checked your hotel reservations, packed your bags and gotten your pre-vacation mani-pedi to boot. But, if you haven't given much thought to some of the health issues that could crop up while you're traveling, it's time to start troubleshooting. Read on for seven problems you might face when far from home—and how to prevent and treat them so you can enjoy the R & R you deserve.
Yesterday you killed it at surf school. Today your muscles are killing you. "We call it DOMS: delayed-onset muscle soreness," explains Jordan Metzl, MD, sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and author of The Exercise Cure. "It happens even if you're reasonably fit — you simply engaged different parts of the body more intensely than usual."
Get back on track: Keep moving, but "go with gentler activities, like walking or a low-key bike ride, to increase blood flow to the muscles, which helps them recover," Dr. Metzl says. Ease soreness with ice or a cold bottle of water; popping a pain reliever, like ibuprofen, can also help. Next time you hit the surf or trails, warm up first — like you would at the gym at home — to avoid more aches.
This story originally appeared at refinery29.com.
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