We May Be Sitting On And In Our Problems
Posted by:  on January 27, 2010 Leave a comment

We spend a reasonable amount of time sitting in cars, and the problem with most car seats is the faulty design. The seat was designed around the average posture, which isn’t so red hot!
Seats in small cars seem to be the worst culprits. They incline back and encourage your body to collapse, rounding your hips and chest, compressing organs, and restricting your breathing and forcing your head forward.
Let’s take a look at the first photo:



































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Photo #1 – Poor posture caused by car seat that inclines back.
• My hips are lower than my knees. This jams the leg bone back in the pelvis.
• My spine is behind my hips,so I have no base of support under my spine in this position.
• These positions ultimately force my head forward in an unnatural and unsupported position.
So what do we do to correct this?
To correct these flaws takes a bit of ingenuity and the help from some extra support in just the right places.
The first correction is bringing the seat as upright, as much as you car allows, to bring your hips under your torso.
Look at the second photo:
• I used a slanted wedge (higher in the back) to lift my hips higher than my knees.





































Photo #2 – Posture improves with use of slanted wedge under hips and oblong pillow between shoulder blades.
• I moved my buttocks back into the seat as far as possible. This opens my hips and allows space to support my spine above it. It created the natural lumbar curve. With this arrangement I now have several inches of space between the seat back and my mid spine.
• I used a small, oblong, buckwheat type pillow to fill in this space, just below or between my shoulder blades. It can be moved slightly up or down this area. This prop will give me a reminder to keep my chest lifted.
• With these corrections in place, it allows my head to move naturally  over my shoulders in a much more supported position.
The next time you purchase a car, be mindful of the posture the seat offers your body.
On long trips try adding five minutes an hour to your journey. Take the time to get out of the car to move and stretch.
Until then, with these simple but profound adjustments to your own car seat your travels will be much more enjoyable and healthier for your whole body.
Give it a try today!!!