How Can You Avoid Back Pain When Driving?
Nowadays, it’s unavoidable to feel any kind of ache in your body when you drive in the country. Why? Try getting stuck in traffic for hours, that’s why! Every driver in the country knows this, considering our country’s known for its traffic that’s a stuff for nightmares! It’s no wonder why a drive home can be tiring for some.
Back pain is one of the most common problems drivers suffer when they’re behind the wheel. If not from entirely from it, sitting too long can aggravate the problem! The reason? It all boils down to bad posture.
Bad posture, when kept up for a long period of time, can give way to pain. Consider the following tips to help you avoid back pain the next time you head out!
## Move your seat forward
Position your seat so that you can get close to the steering wheel and at the same time have an easy access to the pedals and clutch. Remember, comfort is the key!
## Avoid distractions
Driving while doing other things, like surfing the net on your phone or eating, is a one-way ticket to disaster land. Better put that phone or food down if you don’t want to end up in a hospital. Or worse, in a casket.
## Use lumbar support when sitting
Prevent bad posture by using a lumbar support. Using a lumbar support in your vehicle can correct your posture in driving. Adjust in it in such a way that the small of your back fits the support properly.
## Don’t sit straight too much
The idea behind maintaining a good posture is keeping laid back and comfortable. In other words, you should maintain the “S” shape or curve of your spine, as it doesn’t only keep your posture good, but it also absorbs vibration better. By sitting up rigidly, you’ll only strain your muscles more.
## Tilt your seat
Your seat’s backrest should be tilted comfortably enough to support your body weight and without making you hunch forward when you drive.
See to it that the seat should also be tilted such that your hips will be raised and positioned higher than your knees. This way, you’ll prevent your spine from being straightened out. Not only that, but a heightened knees and front part of your thighs will also make you slump more.
## Take a break every now and then
It’s not bad to take a breather occasionally. Pull over and stretch to shake out the painful cramps and aches from bad posture. You can also do exercises on the neck, or massage your lower back to ease the pain.
