Car seats are designed to be comfortable and ergonomic, but that doesn’t always mean it’s structured to accommodate your best posture which can be the source of back and neck pain or strain when driving for long periods. Nearly a quarter of UK motorists experience these aches according to a Motorpoint survey.
To help find a solution, the motoring experts teamed up with lead consultant osteopath and co-founder of The Back In Shape Program Michael Fatica. The expert revealed a lot of adjustments in your car seat can contribute to this issue, but a single towel could hold the answer as he urged drivers to start carrying one in their car.
He said: “If your car seats don’t already have adjustable lumbar support, you can place a small, rolled towel between your lower back and the seat to provide extra lumbar support. It might not seem like much, but it supports the natural lordosis (curve) of the lower back and will help you sit more effectively, ensuring the best possible posture.”
Alongside this, the expert recommended some other adjustments to your car seat explaining that the best position for your musculoskeletal system is:
If you’re going to be in the drivers seat for a longer period of time, Michael urged: “Be a fidget! Whether it’s moving or wriggling around in your seat or stopping for regular breaks on the motorway, any form of fidgeting is great as it helps to keep redistributing the weight around your lower back and through the discs of the lower back in particular. Consistent pressure on the same spot can damage the tissues as it results in strain building on one point.”
Regular stretching and movement when you’re out of the car can also help prevent driving-related pains. Michael specifically recommended the hip flexor stretch, hamstring stretches and the ‘bed decompression technique’.
The first of these is relatively simple, activating the muscles on the front of the thigh by kneeling in a lunged position and pushing forward a bit more to feel the stretch on the front of the back hip. Michael recommended using supports like a bed or chair for balance and towels or cushions under your knee to make it more comfortable if necessary.
He recommended holding this stretch for 30 seconds per leg and keeping a careful eye on your back to make sure your spine doesn’t arch as lunge forward. He warned: “This common technical error will lead to pain and aggravation of the back pain or, in worse cases, sciatica.”
For a hamstring stretch simply kneel with one leg outstretched to the front and a slight bend in it. Then push your bottom backwards and bend forward at the hips, keeping your spine neutral.
You should feel this stretch in the middle of the back of your thigh and hold for around 30 seconds per leg. But make sure your back doesn’t round as you go forwards which can cause or aggravate back pain.
Finally, Michael recommended a ‘bed decompression technique’ for three to five minutes after every long drive. He explained: “Lie across or off the end of the bed with the edge of the bed in your armpits, arms dangling down at the sides. Your back and legs should be relaxed.
Simply press your arms into the side of the bed to gently stretch the length of your spine. Hold this stretch for five to ten seconds, relax and repeat.”
“When finished, slowly get off the bed, do not rush! Try just a few times at first, then build up to the full five minutes. This is a really effective way to relieve the pressure placed on the spine.”
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