When driving, particularly for longer than 15 minutes, this is a great opportunity to work on one’s posture.
First step is to sit in our car seat as we normally do and look in the rearview mirror. Second step, sit a little deeper and make sure you are square in your seat. Now raise yourself up a little, not much by lifting from the sternum (center of our chest). This elevates our shoulders as well.
Now look into the rear view mirror and you’ll find it is pointing to the back seat. Relax off this posture a little and set the mirror to this new position.
As you begin your drive everything will be fine but after about 10 minutes you’ll relax into your old postural habit and when you look in the mirror it will be pointing to the ceiling. DON'T ADJUST THE MIRROR - ADJUST YOURSELF! THE POSTURE POLICEMAN HAS SPOKEN.
Kidding, just kidding, not really. When we are trying to change an old habit it takes time and reinforcement. Neuromuscular re-education refers to rewriting movement patterns. This requires repetition and the car is a great place to start.
The thing is all too often we get in, turn around to reach something in the back seat and without knowing it we're sitting slightly turned and not really square in the seat.
So the key things:
- Sit deep and square in the car seat
- Lift gently from the sternum, also notice how this raises the shoulders
- Adjust the rearview mirror to this new posture
- Monitor your posture as you drive, don’t change the mirror change how you are sitting.