Anyone else feeling this?

Driving, whether short or long-haul, often leads to back pain.

After a short drive, you're in pain for a bit,

and after a long one, it lingers for days. Your back aches and feels sore,

and you can't get comfortable whether you're sitting or standing. It's tough to straighten up too!

Why is that?

In fact, it all makes sense:

The cramped car interior limits your movement, making your waist muscles stiff;

Wrong seat angles over-stress your waist;

Gripping the steering wheel for ages keeps your waist and back muscles tight;

When you drive, speeding up too fast or braking hard puts all the force on your waist.

Let me show you some ways to protect yourself

1. Adjust your seat

Make sure your seat height allows your thigh to be nearly parallel to the ground, with your knees bent at around 120 degrees.

Keep the angle between the backrest and the seat at 100-110 degrees for good waist support.

Align the center of the headrest with your ears to lessen neck and waist impact during abrupt stops or rear-end collisions.

2. Support your waist

Put a small, soft pillow, or a rolled-up towel or T-shirt, behind your back at waist level. This keeps your lower back's natural curve and eases the strain on the muscles and ligaments there.

3. Sit up straight

While driving, don't lean to one side for too long, as it can put more stress on your waist and lead to pain. Instead, sit tall with your chest out, shoulders back, and upper body straight.

4. Be mindful of braking

When you brake hard, your body jerks forward due to inertia and forward force. This makes your neck and lower back bend forward quickly and then bounce back. If this happens a lot, you can get a whiplash injury. The structures that keep your lower back stable can get tired and damaged from too much hard braking. This can cause lower back muscle strain, fasciitis, and even problems like a slipped disc or lumbar spondylolisthesis.

5. Rest and move wisely

Don't drive for too long. Every 2-3 hours, stop at the side of the road or a service area to rest. You can also do some simple waist exercises to loosen up those muscles.