Slouching can kill your back, especially if you’re doing it for eight hours or more each day. One of the occupational hazards of trucking is that of back problems, and truckers who don’t take steps to protect their backs can have their careers cut short by chronic back pain.
Truck drivers have higher incidences of chronic back pain than most other occupations. It’s easy to see why, as staying in a truck seat for hours each day puts tremendous pressure on the lower back, especially for folks who carry a few extra pounds.
Taking time to get out of the cab, regular exercise, and good posture can help prevent big truck operators from developing severe back pain that can make life unbearable. Here are a few tips to help you with your posture while on the road:
- Get the right truck seat – Your truck seat may be the most important factor in your long-term health as a truck driver. An uncomfortable or worn out truck seat may cause you to slouch, putting pressure on all the wrong places. A new ergonomic seat will help you maintain good posture.
- Keep your seat position high – A high seat position helps to place your pelvis in the correct position. A seat that’s too low makes you more likely to slouch. When you’re sitting, you want to have your knees bent at a 120- to 135-degree
- Stretch at lights and stops – Stretching helps exercise the muscles of your back a little and adjusts your posture.
- Do chin tucks – A few chin tucks at red lights will stretch your neck to keep it from becoming stiff and will help adjust your posture back into proper position if it has shifted while you were driving.
- Get out of the truck and stretch – At regular intervals during your route, you should stop and take a moment to stretch. It will warm up muscles in your back and help your posture when you sit back down.
Suburban Seating & Safety provides consumers with the best in replacement truck seats and truck accessories. Find the right custom seat for your truck today at Suburban Seating & Safety.
