Exercises To Help That “Tightness” While on a Road Trip
Summer is coming, and quick! For a ton of our clients, and people in general this means more time in the car! If you have ever been on any kind of road trip or even just in a car for an extended amount of time, you know how “stiff” and “tight” you can be when you get to where you are going. I’ve even been affected days after a long drive with lower back pain, neck pain and tightness through my thoracic (upper back) area. All of these aches and pains are a result of poor posture, as well as the shortening of muscles and ligaments due sitting for the duration of the drive.
So, how do we help keep our postural muscles “firing”, and other muscles from “tightening” during these long drives? It's simple, you have to move! (Sidenote: This will make you one of those people at the gas station or truck stop doing weird shit while you pump gas lol but you will feel ALOT better!) We are going to give you some dynamic movements to keep your body loose and able to provide the best posture possible for a long drive and road trips. So, if you can get over the fact you're doing some air squats by the gas pump, you'll be so much happier with how you feel when you get to your final destination, and throughout the duration of the drive.
- 3 sets, For Quality Reps: 10 sec Air Squat Hold + 10 Scapular Push Up (use car or truck to rest hands)
- Every 3-5 gallons pumped, complete: 5 Air Squats. + 10-20 sec Vacuum Pose (you can do these while driving as well)
- 3-4 sets, For Quality Reps: 5 reps Standing YTLW + 10-20 sec/side Standing Psoas Hold + 10sec/side Isometric Lunge Hold
- 3 sets, For Quality Reps: 5-6 reps Waiter Bow + 3-5 reps/side Standing Windmill + 10-12 reps Standing Glute Squeeze
While this is just a small group of examples, you can see how it would be really easy to make up your own little things to do to keep ya feeling limber on the road! These are not complicated exercises that most people will know how to do and if not, there tons of examples on our YouTube Channel where you can find demonstrations.
It’s funny to me that people for the most part will address an issue like this but want some kind of “magical” solution. A pill that can help them stay loose or one simple trick that fixes everything…. But when they hear the solution to their problem is as easy as moving at the gas pump a little they won’t do it. The fear of what a total stranger thinks of them completely voids any desire to help themselves. So while some may say doing things like this are “dumb”, I think letting someones potential thoughts stop you from heloping yourself is dumb, so choose what Kind fo “dumb” y a wanna be and roll with it!