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Tips for Surviving a Long Road Trip by Car
Are you looking forward to your trip with a mixture of excitement and dread? Are you excited to reach your destination, but worried about how you will feel when you get there? You are not alone, as a long car trip can be exhausting even if you are not driving, especially if you suffer from chronic back or neck pain.
One important thing to remember is to take frequent rest stops. Getting out and moving around will ease any tension you may have from driving, and will allow your muscles to move and stretch. Drink water on these stops rather than sugary sodas that will cause you to experience a “sugar crash” later. Bringing along a thermos of cold water is also an excellent idea.
Make sure to keep a nice steady pace and don’t try to be “speed racer”, if you are driving. This will minimize stress and help to conserve fuel as well. It goes without saying that “road rage” will take its toll on you, so simply accept that you are going to run into both good and bad drivers on the road, and let things go when people irritate you.
Bring along some CDs with your favorite music, or even good books on tape. These will make your trip go faster, and help you to enjoy it more.
Your neck and back will thank you at the end of the trip if you also bring along an ergonomic seat. Back supports should be lightweight and fully portable, and they should also be fully adjustable so that changing drivers throughout the trip will not be a problem.
A good posture and back support should contain an adjustable lumbar support, which is indented in the center to limit direct pressure on the spine. It also limits support to muscles adjacent to the spine, so that muscles all the way across your back are not weakened. This lumbar support should be adjustable with respect to depth, height, and placement.
Don’t forget your ergonomic seat support on your next long road trip – it will make the difference between arriving exhausted and in pain, and arriving fresh and ready for your vacation!
Rachel Clarkson
Rachel Clarkson is the founder of the Back Pain Blog.
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