Summer is upon us, and so are long road trips to go to Disney or take a trip out west to see the National Parks. Whether it's a family vacation or a solo adventure, spending hours in the car can be extremely rough on your body. But don't worry, Anthros and our posture specialists have got you covered to reduce the aches and pains of long car rides!
The first and most obvious step is to adjust your seating position to your comfort level and optimize a safe driving position. Make sure your seat is positioned correctly to ensure your back and legs are supported. When you sit in one position for a long period of time, you can experience soreness all over your body. Try to intermittently adjust your body position by opening up your hip angle with the common feature known as recline.
Dynamically changing the positions of the lumbar vertebrae and pelvis during sitting has been found to help reduce posture-related pain.1
You want to spend most of your time in an upright posture, not reclining while driving, but adding frequent movement throughout your car ride can help reduce pain.
Sitting for extended periods of time creates havoc on your body. Taking breaks as often as possible to stretch your legs and move around can help prevent lingering pain. Try to plan out a few stops at scenic locations or interesting landmarks to help motivate you to take a break. While you're stopped, take the opportunity to do some simple stretches like touching your toes for your hamstrings and a wall stretch to open the chest and shoulders.
I don’t think anyone has ever stated, “My back feels great sitting in my car seat for hours”. This could be attributed to the fact that most car seats only provide adjustable lumbar support to support the spine in sitting. Science would tell us that you to achieve that proper spinal curvature in sitting, which can reduce pain over time, one would want pelvis support.2 Roll up a towel and place it right at the top of your pelvis. You can adjust the thickness of the roll as to how much support you need while driving long distances.
By using these three tips you can make your next long car trip more comfortable and enjoyable. Take the wheel for your comfort on the road and don't let pain and discomfort ruin your road trip.
Looking for an office chair to reduce pain from long-term sitting at work, look no further than Anthros.
Anthos is the only chair in the world that is guaranteed to improve posture, or your money back. The science backed, patented design, is registered with the FDA as a posture improving chair and is proven to have the lowest pressure (most comfortable) cushion on the planet (verified by University testing).
Take the next step to reducing pain, increasing comfort and maximizing performance!