Why Do Road Trips Make You So Tired? 5 Tips To Maintain Your Energy

A long, picturesque road trip is all we need for an extended weekend getaway. The empty roads, coffee breaks, and isolated countryside can be a welcome change from our usually busy lives. However, road trips are also surprisingly tiring – why is that?

Road trips are tiring due to the extra energy expenditure. During a road trip, your brain is constantly on alert, even as a passenger, increasing mental fatigue. Your brain also causes your muscles to subconsciously tense to adjust to the changes in speed or direction.

In the rest of this article, I’ll explain why road trips can be so tiring and give you a few tips on keeping your energy up during your next road trip. Let’s get started!

Reasons Why Road Trips Make You Tired

Road trips can be extremely tiring for some people, although others may find them energizing. How you feel during a road trip depends on your physical and mental state.

For example, some people find road trips exhausting for no discernable reason. On the other hand, others find them invigorating and claim that road trips bring them peace of mind.

There are many reasons why road trips might be tiring for you. However, they can broadly be divided into the following two categories.

Mental Exertion

Mental exertion plays a bigger part in the loss of energy during travel than most people realize.

One big reason for physical and mental exhaustion during road trips is your constant state of alertness. When we drive, our minds automatically focus and remain alert for other cars, obstacles, signals, etc. This state of alertness becomes intrinsic to anyone in the habit of driving, which means that you probably retain this habit even when you’re a passenger.

A lack of planning could also lead to mental exertion, which leaves you drained of energy.

Physical Exertion

Apart from your mental state of alertness, your body also physically expends more energy while traveling than when in a stationary position. Everything from the constant change in direction and speed to the make-up of the car itself produces minute muscular adjustments that lead to more energy expenditure.

When driving, your car constantly changes direction as the road winds and twists. You also have to regularly adjust your speed on the road. Plus, if you have an older car or the road is bumpy, the car itself shakes and moves.

All these factors cause your muscles to tense to counteract the force on your body and this takes up quite a bit of energy over a few hours.

Tips To Keep Your Energy High During Road Trips

Road trips are meant to be fun and relaxing. If you’re constantly tired during road trips, you’re not likely to enjoy them much. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of ways through which you can ensure that you don’t get too tired while in the car.

If you’re the type of person who gets tired easily on road trips, here are a few ways to stave off the exhaustion.

1. Regulate Caffeine Intake

If you’re planning on driving for a long time, you’ve probably planned for a stop on the way for a coffee break and to use the toilet. However, one cup of coffee in a few hours will not be enough for an extended drive.

Ideally, you should carry a flask of coffee with you and take regular sips every hour or so. If possible, make more stops at coffee shops along the way so that you can sit in one place for a while and guzzle your coffee.

2. Take Regular Breaks

To prevent your muscles from getting sore, always take regular breaks to stretch your legs – at least every hour or two. Park your car at the side of the road or stop at a gas station or coffee shop while you walk up and down for a while. This will help you stretch your legs and relieve muscle tension.

While you’re at it, you can also lightly stretch the rest of your body. This will take care of any sore muscles resulting from the constant movement of the car.

3. Switch Drivers

If you’ve got at least two capable drivers in your group, consider switching drivers regularly. Make sure you switch every two or three hours, allowing everyone enough time to rest.

If only one driver drives the entire time, that person will get extremely tired after a few hours. This is a dangerous state to be in while driving because it could lead to any number of issues including an accident.

So, to prevent one person from taking on the entire burden of driving, make sure to switch drivers every three hours at most. Follow the previous tip if you don’t have more than one driver.

4. Plan Your Trip

The best way to keep your energy high during a road trip is to plan for it.

I understand that it can sometimes be freeing to simply hop into your car and drive off into the unknown. If you feel like that’s what you need, go for it! However, if you’re not specifically looking to do a spontaneous trip, it’s best to thoroughly plan it out.

Planning your trip will take a lot of the mental exhaustion out right at the beginning. Furthermore, if you know exactly what you plan to do, there’s no need to panic.

Ask yourself these questions:

Where am I going?
What do I want to do during this trip?
How often will I need a break?
How long will it take me to drive there?
How many breaks should I account for in the travel time?
Are there any places on the way to stop and get a coffee or food?

Checking off these questions on your list before starting your trip will eliminate a lot of tension. This way, you will know exactly where you’re going, how long it’ll take to get there, how many breaks you plan to take, where you plan to stop for a break, and what you plan to do during your trip.

5. Rest Days

It’s important to ensure that you’re not packing your trip full of activities and leaving no time to rest. Traveling by road is already tiring enough. If you’ve stopped somewhere and you plan to stay there for a few days, you should leave at least one day to laze around.This will give your body one crucial day to rest and recover from the grueling trip.

If you don’t have much time to spare, keep aside at least half a day to do absolutely nothing.

Final Thoughts

Road trips can be tiring because of the constant mental tension and the physical exertion of car travel. However, you can keep your energy up during your trip by following these tips.

Regulating your caffeine intake.
Taking breaks while driving.
Switching drivers.
Planning your trip.
Planning for rest days.

Follow these trips to remain more energetic during your next road trip.