“Have your seat almost upright, because if not, usually over time, you’ll round your spine. And you’ll ‘lead’ with your chin forward. That’s not great for your lower back or your neck. Ideally, you want your head pretty close to the headrest. And then you’re almost kind of tucking in your chin instead of going forward with your chin. A lot of new cars have built-in lumbar support; these days you can adjust it. In my car, I can actually move it up and down. I didn’t even know that for the longest time! At the base of your spine, you’ve got two bones that stick out on each side. The lumbar support should sit right above those bones—your ‘lumbar spine.’ A lot of car seats are too low; you’re better off tucking a towel or sweatshirt right above your lumbar spine. Also, make sure you’re not sitting too close to the steering wheel. Keep a slight bend in the knee without reaching for the pedals. But just like at a desk, they say even the perfect posture is not perfect if you’re there all day long. So it’s not a bad idea after a few hours or so, just to pull off to walk around a little bit.”—Bill Wells, a chiropractor and the owner of the Urban Athlete in Toronto
This article was originally published in the Winter 2020 issue of Cottage Life.
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