Drive Yourself To Fitness
00.0.00 12:00 AM
Drive Yourself To Fitness
By Sally Squires
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
If you're like the typical Washingtonian, you spend at least an hour a day in your car. You may not think of your auto as a fitness center, but those long commutes, maddening traffic snarls and endless carpools can provide a surprising opportunity to tone your muscles -- and maybe relieve a little stress.
Besides, if you're doing some simple exercises in the car -- even just while waiting for another red light to change -- you're probably not snacking, a less benign pastime for many drivers and their passengers.
Of course, car exercises aren't a substitute for the minimum 30 minutes of moderately brisk activity, such as walking, advised for all adults. Workouts in the car are isometric, or stretching, so they don't challenge the heart and cardiovascular system. They must also be done with common sense so as not to distract from driving.
But these surprisingly simple exercises can help strengthen core muscles that are important for the back. They can tighten pelvic floor muscles that help prevent incontinence and may help improve sexual function. They can also relax neck and shoulder muscles, which can help improve posture and alleviate tension.
"Instead of sitting around and doing nothing while you're driving, you can at least do a couple of things that can give you more energy and revitalize you," notes Canadian physiotherapist Maureen Hagan, who has just been named personal trainer of the year by IDEA, a group with 20,000 fitness and health professionals.
Hagan has developed exercises for her clients to do in the car and uses them herself to help stay awake, alert and less stiff on long drives. The beauty of these exercises is that they can also be done at your desk. Some can even be done at meetings that require you to sit for hours -- without anyone noticing.
"I have to bite my tongue a lot in meetings," Hagan laughs. So she relies on these exercises to help keep her from saying things she might later regret. "They relax my body and my mind," she says.
Here's how you can turn tedious commutes, traffic jams or hours spent sitting in the office into opportunities for some isometric exercises and a few stretches. Except where noted, do these exercises three to five times every 15 to 30 minutes.
Start at the top. Do a posture check to counteract the driver's slump (which also occurs at your desk). In the car, sit up straight, trying to "grow an inch" taller by bringing your shoulders back. Lift your head so that your upper spine is erect and in more of a straight line. Retract your chin so that your ears are directly in line with your shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds while breathing in and out. Do a set of five to 10 reps.
Open your heart . Roll your shoulders up and then back while holding the steering wheel. (At your desk, you can let your arms and hands follow.) Gently pull your shoulder blades down and back toward your tailbone and your back pockets. "This movement helps reawaken those middle back muscles," Hagan says. It also helps loosen shoulder muscles, which tighten during stress.
Let your navel kiss your spine . Tighten your abdominal muscles to scoop up your belly and pull in your waistline so that your navel moves toward your spine. "This takes the stress off the lower, lumbar spine," Hagan says.
Grab a ticket. No, not a traffic ticket, and don't use your hands. Imagine that you have a winning lottery ticket. Grasp it and hold it tightly between your cheeks --"and I'm not talking about your face," Hagan says with a laugh -- while counting to 10. "You will get rich in posture even if you are not winning the lottery." Doing this exercise helps counter the numbness in the large gluteal muscles in your posterior that can result from prolonged sitting. She also advises men to remove wallets from their back pockets since sitting on them can add to the numbness and increase the risk of painful sciatica.
Grip the wheel . Clench as tightly as possible, then release. At the same time, try to relax your shoulders and sit up straight. Repeat about one second on, one second off about 10 times. "Most people don't realize how hard they are gripping the wheel," Hagan says. "This helps them relax and is also good for stress management."
Heel-toe presses. During long drives on cruise control, lift your heels and push up on the toes, raising your knees a little. Then lower your heels and raise your toes slightly toward the roof of the car. Do three reps on each leg every 30 minutes. For city driving, perform this exercise at stop lights.
Work your pelvic floor. With age, added pounds and inactivity, the pelvic floor muscles grow limp. That increases the risk of both urinary and fecal incontinence and can compromise sexual function. Do Kegel exercises throughout the day to counteract. Without using your derriere, draw up your pelvic muscles "from the ground floor to first floor," Hagan says, "while also drawing in your belly button. They work best together."
Whether you choose to try these exercises or not, safety remains essential. So keep those eyes on the road and your attention on driving as you grip the steering wheel or tighten your glutes. ·
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