If you’re used to a well-designed ergonomic chair at work, then seats on planes, trains, and in cars can be a rude awakening for your back. Designed for the masses, these seats rarely provide decent support for the neck and lower back. Here are a few tips on taking care of you back when you travel.
Bring a lumbar support pillow. These small pillows help support your lower back and ease strain. If you don’t have one, airplane pillows make a reasonable substitute when you fly.
Try an inflatable neck pillow. These are designed to be worn collar-like around the back of your neck, and help support your head and neck in uncomfortable seating situations.
If you’re short in stature, try a foot rest. Placing feet on a foot rest rather than letting them dangle from a too-high chair reduces stress on your lower back.
Learn to pack light. Heavy suitcases are not just inconvenient; they’re hard on your back. And as an added bonus when flying, taking just one carry-on bag lets you avoid checked luggage fees.
Learn how to lift luggage properly. With heavy luggage, breaking the lifting task into smaller actions (such as lifting it to the seat, then lifting again to the overhead luggage compartment) makes it less likely that you’ll strain your back.
Don’t stay in one position too long. If you can, stand up and stretch every half hour to stimulate blood flow and un-kink back muscles.
Practice good posture. Keeping shoulders straight and avoiding hunching is good practice every day and it makes travel more comfortable too.
Even people with healthy backs find travel tiresome and can end up with backache after a long day on a plane or train. Fortunately, some very simple practices can minimize strain on your back due to travel.
Posted in 
Tags: