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Travel Observations …Making the Right Choices

It is the beginning of my destiny… my promise to God when he saved my life in that accident in January 2012. Many great things have happened along the way, with its fair share of trials. Through it all I’m still standing, with the love and care of a handpicked few.

I’ll start my degree in Podiatry in a couple of weeks, but I’ve arrived in England safely and ready for the journey ahead. As Persons walking through an airportI walked through Piarco, Gatwick and Newcastle Airports, I observed many things which I thought I would share with you.

 

What footwear are people wearing to travel?

 Obviously due to my destination, I was not in the company of persons taking a quick flight to Tobago. So the question is – what are people thinking? Rather, are they thinking? Flip Flops…really? Certainly not an ideal choice!

 On the flip side of that, a number of persons were in exceptionally high heels and wedges. Many seemed to be having problems with the balancing act, whether due to the luggage they were also carrying, typical afternoon, and in some cases morning edema (swelling) of the feet. Overweight caused instability for some, or just poorly designed footwear with little or no support. Biomechanical issues or issues of misalignment are usually the biggest factors in these cases.

 Shoes that are too big or too small in size would also cause issues. It’s similar to the extremes of too flat or too high.

 On the plane

There are many people that never got up. Even if you didn’t need to use the bathroom, on long flights it’s important to stretch your legs. Additionally, pointing exercises should be done with your toes, and your feet should be rotated. For tall persons it is essential, as the economy class on most aircrafts don’t allow for much extra room to stretch your feet.

 The weather affects us differently

Persons who are accustomed to four seasons would not think about covering their feet in 21 degrees celsius weather, but for me, I have to wear appropriate footwear.

Impact of clothing

Intermittent ClaudicationToo tight trousers/jeans can also be an issue as it could cut off circulation. This could result in Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) setting in. Deep Vein Thrombosis and Intermittent Claudication are two conditions that many are unaware they have.

They both fall under the general category of poor circulation. For persons aware of the fact that they suffer from such, they should take precautionary measures such as wearing compression stockings; wearing comfortable and well supported shoes; and do massage therapy after a long flight to ensure proper circulation is restored. If you are diabetic, taking these precautions is even more critical.

Another observation regarding clothing was the fact that depending on where you came from or where you are going, the temperature speaks to moisturising the skin. Whether it’s hot or cold, the skin needs moisture. More so if it’s chilly or cold, and worse if it’s a new climate your skin is being exposed to or hasn’t been exposed to in a while. Your feet generally tend to take quite a beating and get pretty ashy. Not a nice sight!

 Advice

 My advice to you if you have to travel is, to be safe rather than be sorry after. Keep in mind that:

 ·         Flip flops provide no support; use sensible footwear.

·         High heels and high wedges are the opposite of, but no different really to flip flops.

·         Proper clothing choices should be made, if you have a medical condition that may be affected by such choices.

·         Cream should available to moisturise your skin as needed.

·         Compression stockings should be checked out for use if your situation warrants it.

 

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