The commute to work is something that so many of us are familiar with, and unfortunately it is a necessary part of our lives for most of us. The lucky few have a short commute, perhaps they live only a 10 minutes’ walk from work or better yet they work from home. However for the rest of us we have to use some form of transport and it can definitely be time consuming.
As leading London Chiropractors one of our main concerns with people taking lengthy commutes is the health of their backs.
Different ways of commuting
There are many different ways you can commute to work, you can drive, walk, run or cycles or you can take public transport in the form of the tube, bus or train. If you are leading a high level life your commute might even involve flying.
Whatever method of commute you choose on a daily basis the chances are you won’t be looking after your back in these scenarios. As leading London Chiropractors it is of concern to advise you on how to keep your back in condition.
Keep your back safe during daily commute
If you mainly stand on your commute, perhaps you take the bus or train and it is always busy then you’re actually in a bit of luck. In our modern lives we sit down too much and this has a negative effect on our overall health, not just our backs. So standing is a great option. If you do stand make sure;
- You wear comfortable shoes and loose clothing
- You stand in a relaxed manner with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Make sure you’re not overstretching to the hand rail
Sometimes you’ll get a seat or like the majority of commuters across the country you simply drive to work and you have to sit down. If that’s we as busy London Chiropractors advise you to;
- Relax in your chair
- Avoid stiffness by moving around a bit every 10-20 minutes or so
- Perform a sitting down exercises such as buttock clenches, foot circles and shoulder shrugs
- Ensure you are sat in the correct driving position for your size and height.
If you take a bag on your commute just make sure it isn’t over packed and you can handle the weight, you use a rucksack and carry it on both shoulders.
Finally, if you can make sure you walk. Our bodies are designed for movement so let’s get out of our sedentary lifestyles and walk to work where possible.