Summer is here, and that means one thing: traveling. There’s nothing quite like hitting the road with your friends and family, but things can go awry rather quickly if you arrive at your destination with lower back pain from driving. But knowing a few helpful back stretches for driving and how often you should stop to stretch can ensure that you get where you’re going pain-free and ready to have fun.
How Often Should You Stop and Stretch?
Stretching in the car isn’t too bad if you’re in a passenger seat, but it can be a bit more challenging when you’re at the wheel. Not only do you have less room with the steering column in front of you, but you should also be sure that you’re always staying fully focused on the road ahead. That’s why you should stop and stretch every once in a while—but how often should you?
While you no doubt want to make good time on your road trip, you should stop and stretch about every two hours. It’s not just how often that matters—make sure you’re taking about 15 minutes each time you stop and using that time to stretch. Build time into your trip for these kinds of stops so that you’re not feeling stressed when you get back on the road. You and your back will be glad you did.
In general, you should be taking time to stretch every day whether you’re getting behind the wheel or not. Regular stretching will help strengthen your body overall, and that can be a huge help when it comes to preventing back pain while driving.
Avoid Lower Back Pain from Driving with These Stretches
Once you’ve taken a break and gotten out of the car, you can perform some stretches that will help prevent lower back pain from driving. The easiest by far is bending over and trying to touch your toes. Spending two or three minutes performing these stretches will help keep you loose and limber.
There are several other great lower back stretches that can prevent pain from driving, but many of them require sitting or lying down. If you stop at a rest area with a grassy area, break out a blanket or bring an exercise mat and try back stretches like the cat-cow, piriformis, and child’s pose. Spending a good 10-15 minutes on these stretches can help you feel more rejuvenated when you get back behind the wheel and prevent lower back pain from driving.
Get Road Trip-Ready with Preferred Chiropractic of Midland
Knowing how often you should stop and stretch and the right kinds of back stretches can be a big help for your upcoming summer road trip. So can a chiropractic adjustment—and that’s where Preferred Chiropractic of Midland comes in. If you’re looking to prevent lower back pain from driving on your big adventure, call us at (989) 837-5998, schedule an appointment online, or visit our offices in Midland, MI.
