Posture Tips for Driving

Do you drive for a living? Have a long commute to work? Or find yourself bussing the kids around all day? These hours in the car really add up throughout the week, and a lot of people who spend hours in the car suffer back pain! Although you might not be able to change the amount of time in the car, you may be able to tweak a few things to keep you back and body happier during and after your travels! The two most common areas we see strained from driving are the low back (sometimes this can even cause symptoms like tingling, pain or numbness down the legs known as sciatica), and the upper back, neck and shoulders (sometimes this pain also radiates down the arms). Here are a few tips for healthy driving:
 
Low Back

• Low back support: Having some support directly behind your low back (through the curve of your back) will help you stay upright and not round forward and slouch (and your back will thank you!) Most seats have lumbar support built in, but you have to sit upright with your hips pushed all the way back against the chair to benefit from it. If you have your chair pretty upright and the support is not sufficient, use a small pillow, towel, or cushion to add some support. (If it’s uncomfortable it’s probably too much.) 

• Seat positioning: (1) Keep your seat high! This helps keep your pelvis in a more neutral position. If you drive a low profile car and sitting high is not an option, make sure you stretch your hamstrings and glutes regularly! (2) Find a good distance from the pedals – if you’re too far away you’ll feel your pelvis start to rotate backwards. Feel out what’s comfortable. 

Neck, upper back or shoulder strain:

• All of these areas can be bothered by the way you grip the steering wheel! Make sure you’re not holding the steering wheel too high, with your arms high and elbows locked – this position causes your shoulders to slump forward. Rather, hold the steering wheel lowers on the sides with you elbows relaxed.

• Head positioning: MANY people drive and sit with their head forward. This is going to reinforce slouching and forward head posture all the time, and put a lot more force on you neck and back (the muscles that support the head), because instead of your head being directly on top of your shoulders and spine, it is now in front of them. Even if this has become the default head position for you, this can be corrected! When you’re driving (or sitting, standing, anytime!), do chin tucks: tilt your chin slightly downward, and then pull your head (from the chin) straight backwards. You can use your hand to push your chin backwards until you get the feel of it. You should feel a slight pull in the back of your neck – this is good! It’s your neck extensors (the ones that are tired and tight from your forward head posture) stretching! Hold for 5 seconds and repeat this 10 times!

• Shoulder slumping: Do your shoulders round forward when you sit or drive? If so, try scapular retraction exercises: squeeze your shoulder blades together in your middle-upper back. Do this 10 times, for a few set per day. In addition to this exercise, stretch out the fron of your shoulder and chest by doing a doorway stretch (see picture below). Combined, these will help open up your chest and draw your shoulders back to a better posture.

Also, take driving breaks as you’re able to. Sometimes taking a 5 minute break during your drive to stretch out and walk around can make a big difference if your comfort level!

Lastly, stretching your hips, back and shoulders regularly, and exercising the muscles around your hips and spine (back and core muscles) will also help you stay healthy and fend off the aches and pains causes by long amounts of time in a car or truck.
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If you’re suffering back or other pain that’s aggrevated by driving, call us and we can take a look at it and build a program for you to combat your pain! 616-662-0990

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Sources: Posture Direct: Tips to Improve Your Posture; Cleveland Clinic: Back Health & Posture (2015)

​By: Lisa Bartz, Certified Exercise Physiologist (C-EP)

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