A Pain Free Holiday
December is a few days away and along with this comes travel for the holidays. This blog is to remind you of how to keep your posture during drives and carrying your baggage. Here are a few tips to help prevent sore necks and shoulders.
Posture for the different styles of bags
If you will be travelling using a backpack for hand luggage or for walking around a new town, make sure that you have the backpack on both your shoulders to balance the weight. To make sure the bag does not pull you off center pull the straps tight so that the bag rests on the middle of your back. Try be aware of where your shoulders are. If they are pulling up to try support the straps wiggle them around so that they can relax. If you are one to hold onto the straps make sure that you keep your arms relaxed. Remember the golden rule, only pack what you can carry.
For all your clothes and toiletries you may be using a roller bag. You want to make sure your posture is right so that your shoulder and upper back do not get strained. Ensure that you use your hand more by making sure that as you pull the bag you are not tensing your upper arm. And ensure that you stand up straight to lead the bag along.
On your long days of shopping for presents and food you may feel tired and stiff in the neck and upper back. This can be avoided by carrying your handbag correctly and evenly distributing the weight of your shopping bags.
Everyone carries their handbags in different ways, they can wear them across the body with the strap on the opposite shoulder, or the bag and the strap on the same shoulder or carrying the bag in their hand. Each way has a different effect on the body. If you wear the bag across your body you may rotate your upper body more. If you wear your hand bag on the one shoulder you start to lean your body to one side. Carrying your handbag in one hand also has a similar effect to the shoulder as there is more weight on one side of the body.
When wearing your handbag across your body, you want to make sure you are not twisting your body to support the weight of the bag. You can achieve this by taking a moment to feel if your weight is balanced on both feet, once your bag is in position. Take a breath to make sure you have not tensed up and be aware of how your body feels before heading out. If the bag feels that it is becoming too heavy gently turn your hand up to give the bag extra support. Make sure you do not lift your shoulder when doing so.
If you wear your handbag on the same shoulder as the bag then you would like to ensure that you switch the bag between shoulders during the day as all the weight is carried on one side. Make sure you do not lift your shoulder to hold the bag up. And try balance your body by imagining the weight of the shoulder bag as part of your body.
You should be aware of the following if you carry your hand bag in your hand, or you carry a briefcase, and when you are carrying your shopping bags. Make sure your wrists and hands are carrying the weight of the bag instead of your shoulder. Try make sure you are balanced. Slightly bend your elbow so that your body allows for your hand to work. With bags allow them to naturally swing and let your arm relax into the motion. Ensure your shopping bags’ weight are even on both sides.
Incorrect vs Correct backpack posture.
You may feel tired and stiff in the neck and upper back.
Make sure you do not lift your shoulder.
Posture for driving
Now that you know how to carry your luggage here is a few tips on your sitting posture when driving or sitting for long periods. In the holiday period we may be driving longer distances than what we are used to. Or we could be sitting for an extended amount of time in an airplane. Here are a few tips when driving to maintain your posture and to prevent those unwanted neck and shoulder pains. These tips are also good to be noted for your daily commute between work and home.
Make sure that you are sitting right. This is achieved by:
Ensuring that your gluteal muscles are as close as possible to the back rest.
Ensuring that your shoulders are resting as close as possible to the back rest. Make sure that you can reach the steering wheel with slightly bent elbows. Shoulder contact with the backrest should be maintained while moving the steering wheel during the drive.
Ensure that your weight is distributed evenly on the seat and that you can press the pedals fully in without overextending your legs. The best way to know this is if your knees are bent at an 120˚-125˚ angle. Also make sure that the hollow of your knee is about 2-3 fingers away from the edge of the seat to prevent the restriction of blood flow.
If possible, adjust your seat as high as it can go in your range of comfort. Make sure you can see the road completely and that your head does not touch the roof of the car. If you cannot adjust your seat, make sure to do hamstring stretches after your drive.
Set your review mirror as required while maintaining your ideal posture. This will allow you to have a visual cue of when your posture has changed.
Make sure to use lumbar support so that you can maintain the neutral arch of your lower back. This can be done with a rolled-up towel or a small pillow. If it feels like the towel or pillow is jabbing in your back then the towel or pillow may be too thick.
Stretches for the car
There are stretches you can do while you are in the car to keep those muscles from tensing up. Here they are:
Chin Tucks:
When you have stopped at a red light or at any roadworks you can do some chin tucks to help strengthen your neck muscles. Make sure you are sitting correctly in your seat.
Place your head on the head rest.
Gently tuck your chin in and hold for 5 seconds. Make sure that you can feel the stretch along the back of your neck.
And the relax the chin forward,
Repeat these ten times. Or as many times before the traffic light turns green.
Scapula Retraction
This is the action of squeezing your scapula together. Hold this action for about a minute to 2 minutes. This will help strengthen your rhomboid muscles which are normally the culprits for upper back pain.
Once you have reached your pit-stop or your destination you may want stretch out your muscles.
Body stretch
When you get out the car make sure to stretch out your anterior muscles by lifting your arms above your head and reaching for the sky. This will help blood flow to the muscles before you tackle the unloading of your bags from the car.
Ensure that your gluteal muscles and shoulders are against the back rest.
Make sure to use lumbar support.
Gently tuck your chin in and hold for 5 seconds.
Squeeze your scapula together.
Body stretch.