Your typical road trip checklist would consist of;
-snacks
-drinks
-good music
-pillow if you’re not driving
-reading material
But if you’re the driver, what extra steps would you take for yourself aside from frequent (or not so frequent) stretch and bathroom breaks? Even if you’re not driving for that long, a 10-20 minute commute can still impact you negatively.
There’s honestly not much to it, you just have to turn on that self-awareness (and maybe 1 piece of equipment).
To really break it down;
– if you drive with your wallet in your back pocket – you’ll cause an imbalance
– if you drive with your left leg hiked up – you’ll cause an imbalance
– if you lean on the centre console – you’ll cause an imbalance
– if you drive with your seat too far away from the wheel and pedals and you slouch to accommodate for that gap – you’ll cause an imbalance
So pretty much any super comfortable position you drive in is going to be bad for you. It’s because of an already existing imbalance that you subconsciously modify your body to keep comfortable. Even if you take driving out of the equation, just poor seated posture in general with cause a lot of headaches (literally) so why should sitting while driving be any different?
I have many patients that brush off my deeper questions during my assessments of commuting. They always respond with “Oh my commute is only 15 minutes each way” and the insinuation that their driving is not the cause or a contributing factor of their pain.
Well guess what, it is.
I even ask what type of vehicle they drive and I’m usually given the make and model, but sorry I’m not a Kelly’s Black Book and sometimes have no idea what you drive! I just need to know if you drive a sedan, SUV, or truck and that answer gives me a whole lot of information.
This reason is the chair alone puts your body in the ideal position of the shape of the vehicle. If you drive a sedan, you’re typically more reclined and if you’re in an SUV or truck, you’re more erect. People who’s jobs revolve around commuting alone, are more prone to severe imbalances and require more hands on and active therapy to correct.
I’ll attach a link of my Instagram video showing the changes to your hips with seemingly minor external factors.
The easiest resolutions are;
– drive with a small lumbar bolster as this allows your spine to be in its ideal shape
– don’t hike up your left leg (trust me – even I’m still working on this)
– don’t lean onto the centre console
– don’t drive with your wallet in your back pocket
It may seem easy, but as soon as you drive that self-awareness goes out the window real quick. Subconsciously when you experience the slightest discomfort, your body will just shift. It becomes challenging to tune in, realize and fix it, but eventually it will become as second nature as putting on your seat belt without realizing it.
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