Most of us spend at least 5 days a week driving to work on a regular basis. So if you commute an hour a day, that is 5 hours a week, 20 hours a month, and 240 hours a year driving. And that’s just driving to work, not including errands run to/from work or on days off.
With that much time in the car, it’s crucial to have good posture while driving. If any of these signs look familiar, it is time to make adjustments.
Bad Posture includes:
- Poked Neck
- Shoulders Hunched Forward
- Upper Back Rounded forward
- Pelvis slouched
If you said yes to having any of the above, odds are it came from sitting in front of the computer. These symptoms can lead to bigger issues like constant headaches, back pain, and more. Safety is a top priority, so if any of these next exercises cause more pain, please refrain from doing them.
Seat Adjustment: Keep your seat height high (as it can comfortably go). Make sure you can see complete vision of the road, and your feet can comfortably reach the pedals. If the seat is too low, it will cause slouching and result in rounded posture which is what we want to avoid.
Lumbar Support: See that the back of your seat fits comfortably with the natural arch of your lower back. If your car does not have this feature, use a rolled towel or small pillow instead. If the lumbar support is not correct, this can leave you with the tendency to round your back.
Elbow Position: Keep your elbows low and close to your body, in a comfortable position. Don’t flare them out. This keeps your shoulders safe and in a neutral place. Don’t place your elbows on the side of the window, this makes the elbows flare-ending in bad posture.
Change your Driving Position: Develop a range of different positions for driving. Sitting in the same position can cause discomfort.
As said before, safety is a main concern. Many long–term injuries can be prevented by protecting yourself and maintaining good health.
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