What’s the best seating position to reduce tension while driving?

Question

Long commutes can take a toll on your posture if you’re not careful to sit in the right position. Tell us your tips for relieving shoulder and neck tension while driving.

Answer 1

As a practicing chiropractic physician we advise the driver to sit comfortably close to the steering wheel so that the legs are flexed and not extended straight. This allows the lower back to remain in a better relaxed attitude. If your vehicle's seat is not equiped with lumbar (low back) support, tuck a small pillow in the small of your back for support. Also, on a long trip, take a rest at least every 2 hours and walk arround and stretch your spine........... Good luck, Dr. Gary D

Answer 2

First of all,the quality of the seat is important.Now for the real part.No one will assume the same position for an entire trip,but instead will shift positions every so often to seek their comfort (that is human nature).Probably no one on this forum has driven more miles than myself,and I have made many trips cross country,not to mention the hours I sat behind the wheel of my unit while I was a police officer.Just be sure to stay awake and stop and get out of the car at least every hour,and if you get sleepy,pull over in a safe place and take a little nap.As far as the tension goes,just do the same thing that you do (or should do ) when at your computer.Easy listening music is a no no because it can put you to sleep I can't count the times I have pulled people over for erratic driving due to being sleepy.Just stay alert,and don't get white line fever.Drive safely.

Answer 3

The important thing is to sit in a driving position that does not require you to tense any muscles. You should not have to crane your neck to see, nor lean forward or back to keep your hands on the wheel, nor stretch your legs nor bend your knees to comfortably reach the pedals with your feet. The less strain and strength required to sit while driving, the less tension you will accrue after long periods of driving. I have been able to drive comfortably for four hours at a time by adjusting my position for minimum effort.

Seating is important too - a seat that does not fit you will cause either cramping or pressure sores. You must choose a car seat that supports you all across the bottom, not just on the sides ("bucket" seats) or on the buttocks (bench seats.) Unfortunately, the seats come with the car, so buy a car with a comfortable driving seat, regardless of any other selection criterion. If you cannot just sit in the seat for two hours in traffic, no posture adjustment will do any good.

Answer 4

One of the problem with ALL Vehicles is the LUMBAR Support -- for someone who is TALLER than the average Female (and yes, that is me), plus add on to the fact that I am also a true 'lefty' (which always means that controls are backwards as well) ... there is NO best seating Position that reduces Tension/Pain in the Shoulder or Neck while driving.

Even with adjustable lumbar support, putting the seat in a 90 degree position (straight back), it is STILL Not straight enough for me to drive distances withOUT pain ... and that is the TRUTH. I've had to cope with this over the years by purchasing various covers for the seats, and filling under the cover with towels bound to make sure the seat does NOT have the built-in lumbar support causing me pain while driving.

I also have long legs -- so any passengers sitting behind the driver's seat have NO Leg room whatsoever ... and I lose that seating position as well.

Answer 5

The ideal position to reduce tension while driving is universal... the seat should be positioned where the driver isn't leaning forward to reach the steering wheel nor stretching to reach the gas pedal. The problem is that we aren't all the same size and achieving this position becomes difficult for those who aren't "average". Build a car that both shaq and gary coleman can drive comfortably and you've got a winner.

I think the car companies could do a better job designing around drivers. Seats should have way more positioning options. Do something about those headrests while you're at it. They offer virtually no support...give us something that we can actually rest our heads on. Neck support....hello.

Throw some of that there space age memory foam in the mix.

Answer 6

Believe it or not, good posture helps relieve tension as well as keeping you alert and ready for the unexpected. Keeping your back straight, against the back of the seat, hips centered, legs slightly bent to the floor and a relaxed two handed grip on the wheel will ease the tension of those commutes. By constantly scanning your surroundings with your eyes and turning your head often to check over your shoulders, you will keep from becoming stiff in the neck. Also, it is found that gripping the steering wheel too tightly is the most comman cause of the exhaustion of driving in traffic. Wear your seatbelt!!!

Answer 7

I just change position when I need to. At a stop light or during a low speed area is best. If I have to, I'll get out and stretch because if I don't, I risk falling asleep at the wheel.

Loud music and cold air help some, though, and singing as I'm driving as well as keeping busy or talking to someone else. It helps, but eventually on long trips I'll have to stretch anyway. The other stuff only postpones it.

PS: As for posture, I have to have my window cracked, my seat up as stiff as it can be, one foot braced on the floor and the other hovering over whichever pedal I'm using at the moment. I find being upright and not too relaxed helps keep me awake.

Hey, in case you're wondering, how about making those seats so that they go back farther for long legged people so they can put the back of the seat in a more upright position? I hate having to push the seat in a reclining position just so I can fit my legs under the steering wheel. It'd also be nice if I didn't have to have them scrunched up almost vertical. I like my back to be upright, but my legs need to be extended or the muscles cramp up a lot and just plain out cause pain. Make a car like that and I'd be glad to drive it. ;)

Answer 8

Sitting erect with the head slightly resting on the head rest and not leaning forward. Arms rested on the armrest on each side and grab the steering without too much pressure. The distance between the seat and the steering should be such that all of the above conditions should be met.
Even for long commutes, this is the best posture according to me. Actually, I just enjoy driving and it is never a chore for me. I am very happy when I have to drive irrespective of what kind of car or SUV. May be it has more to do with one's mind than one's posture.

Answer 9

Check out Mary Bond's book
"The new rules of posture"
Basically out car seats are designed for americans with bad posture. Keep the back all the way "up". push your hips back into the crack between the seat and the chair back.
Engage your transverse abdominus (most of us are weak here which is why we have so many lower back problems).
Ensure the head is on top of the neck, not forward (check out alexander technique to improve your habitual neck/head position). Basically this is not a simple question since you must put in the effort to sense, know and create your body's alignment to do this. With our sedentary lifestyle, most of us have systemic alighment problems. You will need a small cushion behind your shoulder blades (or so) to sit correctly in a modern car with the seats they have. consider having a physical therapist help you use the multifadae to hold your back up-these are the muscles close to the spine. However without abdominal support, which is not developed by the patterns of our lives, it's difficult to do any postural activities correctly. All of our movements originate from our posture.
As you can tell I've been obsessed with my posture for about 6 years. It's getting better.

Answer 10

First, sitting in the seat itself, the driver's back should be flat against the back of the seat with the buttocks squarley tucked into the corner created at the intersection of the seat back and bottom. The underside of the legs should be in contact with the seat bottom. The purpose of this position is to provide as much surface contact between the driver's body and the seat. This has safety benefits as well as providing the driver with the most tactile feedback as possible.

Second is the arm position. When the driver is tightly strapped into the seat as described above, the arms when fully extended should allow the wrists to rest at the top of the steering wheel. This allows the arms to be slightly bent at the elbow when fully extended for a turn. The purpose of this position is to prevent the arms from being overextended during turns (the shoulders should not need to lift from the seat back even to do a full arm crossover). Overextending the arms will cause them to tire quickly, and will cause the driver to lose sensitivity to the vibrations in the steering wheel.

Third is the leg position. When any of the pedals are fully depressed with the ball of the foot on the pedal (not the toes), the leg should still be bent at the knee. This is to prevent overextension as described for the arms. Additionally, given that most hobbists are driving their street cars, be sure that the knees are not against the underdash or steering column. In fact, there should be several inches room to prevent injury in event of a collision. The right leg in particular will need enough knee room to allow the ball of the foot to be on the brake pedal, and the heel to be on the gas pedal for heel-toe downshifting.