Man with back pain after long car drive. Incorrect sitting posture problems ,Muscle spasm, rheumatism. Pain relief, ,chiropractic concept.When you think about going home for the holidays, you probably envision a warm crackling fire, long mornings in your pajamas, and big helpings of mashed potatoes. Before you can enjoy these creature comforts, you must make it to your family’s house safely. If you start to experience stiffness in your neck, shoulders, back, or hips while in the car, try these road trip stretches to make your travels more bearable.

Road Trip Stretches for Drivers

If you’re the one driving, you have to sit still and face forward for hours on end. This creates the potential for significant stiffness and pain over the duration of your road trip. Fortunately, you can stretch in a few different ways without even stopping the car.

  • Shoulder rolls: Shrug your shoulders and gently roll them back to loosen up your neck and upper back muscles. Repeat a few times as needed.
  • Thread the needle: Keeping your left hand on the steering wheel at the 10:00 position, bring your right arm across your body and under your left arm. Touch the driver’s side door and crawl your hand along the panel toward the rear of the car to spread your shoulder blades. Go as far as you can, and hold the stretch for a few seconds. Repeat on the other side, with your right hand at the 2:00 position on the steering wheel and the passenger seat as the prop for guiding your left hand toward the rear of the car.
  • Shoulder stretch: Take your right hand off the steering wheel and place it on your right shoulder blade, with your elbow pointing up toward the roof of the car. Use the back of your seat to help deepen the stretch. Hold for a few seconds and repeat with the opposite arm.

Road Trip Stretches for Passengers

As a passenger, you can perform all the stretches the driver can plus a few more since you’re not required to keep your hands on the steering wheel or your eyes on the road.

  • Neck swivels: Sit up tall and lean your head to the right so your ear comes close to touching your shoulder. Hold for several seconds. Then, roll your head forward so your chin nearly touches your chest. Feel the stretch in your upper back. Finally, swivel your head to the left and hold for a few seconds. Return to an upright position. Repeat the swiveling motion as many times as you wish.
  • Back twists: Sit forward in your seat and rotate your torso to the left. Grab the back or arm of your chair to deepen the stretch. Hold for several seconds and repeat on the other side.
  • Hip stretch: Place your left foot flat on the floor and lift your right ankle onto your left knee. Lean forward to enjoy a nice stretch in your hip and lower back. Repeat on the other side to complete the stretch.

Road Trip Stretches to Perform at Rest Stops

Every time you pull over at a rest stop or gas station, be sure to stretch those hard-to-reach muscles that tense up after several hours in the car.

  • Pectoral stretch: To loosen your pecs, stand in a doorway and lift your arm to a 90-degree angle with your fingers facing up. Place your palm on the doorframe and lean into the stretch. Repeat on the other side.
  • Hamstring stretch: Assume a wide stance and lean down to touch your toes. Bend your knees slightly, breathe deeply, and only reach as far as you’re able.
  • Hip stretch: Get down on one knee so you’re in a lunge position. Push your pelvis forward to bend your front knee and straighten your back one. Stabilize yourself with your hands on your leg or the ground in front of you. Repeat on the other side to complete the stretch.

Relieve Chronic Pain at Spine Correction Center

These road trip stretches are useful for everyone, but they’re especially helpful if you have chronic pain and stiffness. In addition to stretching often, you may want to visit Spine Correction Center in Fort Collins for natural chronic pain management. We address neck pain, lower back pain, hip pain, knee pain, and much more—all with a natural, non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical approach.

To learn more about our techniques, please call us at (970) 658-5115 today. We offer free consultations, which we can conduct online, over the phone, or in our Fort Collins office.