The Best Back Exercises You Can Do In Your RV

RV Life

After a long drive, these back exercises will feel great! Photo: Shutterstock

Easy Back Exercises That You Can Do Anywhere

If you’ve ever experienced back discomfort or pain, you’ll know how debilitating it can be. Driving for long distances or just sitting for long periods of time can be hard on our backs, especially if we’ve already suffered a back injury. Even sitting in a comfortable chair for long periods of time can cause back stiffness and/or pain.

We researched and found some of the best back exercises that can be done right in the RV. These exercises were developed by physiotherapists to help their patients avoid or alleviate back stiffness and discomfort. This article will be focused on the best back exercises that you can do to help avoid back pain.

Taking breaks is important

Whether we’re sitting behind the wheel or in a camp chair, we are subjecting our spines and hip flexors to stress. Our bodies do best when they are moving frequently.

However, sitting in the same position for short periods is usually not going to cause any issues for most people. It’s sitting for hours at a time in the same position without a break that can cause sore muscles or herniated discs.

“When on the road, making regular stops to stand up, stretch, and walk around is very helpful. Staying generally physically active by cycling or walking when you reach your destination is excellent for back pain prevention”- Mandy Connell, Physiotherapist

One of the best things we can do for our backs while driving is take frequent breaks. Taking walks during your driving breaks will help alleviate back stiffness and discomfort. Plan your travels ahead of time with RV LIFE Trip Wizard to find rest areas and other stops along the way.

When you are camped, be sure to take breaks from sitting too. Stand up and stretch as often as you need to.

There are also some simple back exercises that you can do right in your RV that will help you avoid or alleviate back stiffness and discomfort. This article will be focused on the best back exercises that you can do to help avoid problems.

Avoiding stiff neck and back muscles

In general, being conscious of back posture can go a long way to avoiding and alleviating back and neck problems. Whether we’re sitting or standing up, we all tend to spend a lot of time looking downward at laptops, phones, or electronic devices. Because the human head weighs about 11 lbs, holding our heads in a forward position puts a lot of stress on the neck and upper back.

Bringing our phone or other devices up higher toward eye level can really help to avoid neck and back issues. If you are working on a laptop, having the top of the screen close to the eyebrow level can help alleviate stress on the neck and upper back. There are tilting laptop desks designed to sit on a table or desk to do just that.

Before doing back exercises

See a doctor if you have back pain. If you are already experiencing back pain, it’s a good idea to see your doctor about it before you do any exercises. Doing back exercises without consulting with a doctor or physiotherapist can cause back pain to worsen.
Stay within your comfort level. Pain is the body’s way of telling you that you need to stop whatever you’re doing (or there will be big consequences). Exercise should never hurt. If an exercise causes discomfort or pain, you need to stop doing it or at least do an easier version of it.

3 Of The Best Back Exercises To Do In Your RV

Here are a few exercises you can do to help keep your neck and back aligned while you are driving.

1. Chin tucks

Chin tucks are one of the best exercises to encourage good posture. This simple exercise helps keep the head and spine aligned. Doing chin tucks as you are driving or just sitting can help prevent neck and back stiffness and pain. You can also do chin tucks in a standing position.

Sit upright and look straight ahead with the ears directly over the shoulders.
Without dipping your head, pull your chin (and head) straight back until a good stretch is felt at the base of the head and top of the neck.
Hold for 5 seconds if possible.
Relax and bring the chin forward again.
Repeat 10 times.
If you experience pain at any point during this exercise, listen to your body and stop.

2. Cat/cow stretches

Cat/cow stretches are named for the form of a cat with its back arched and a cow with a sway back. These stretches are seriously good for keeping the muscles surrounding the spine strong and supportive, especially for those who spend hours at a time sitting. They work the spine in a curve upward and an arch downward.

It’s definitely preferable to have a yoga mat or other padded surface (a sleeping pad could work) for the cat/cow exercise, since it involves being on your hands and knees.

Start on your hands and knees, with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips.
Start with your spine in a neutral position. This means your spine should be as straight as possible.
Next, move your head downward and round your spine upward in an arch. Tuck your bum in as you do this to get a maximum arch in your spine. Hold for 3 breaths. You just did the cat part.
Now it’s time to move to the cow position. Lift your head upwards so you are looking straight ahead.
Keeping your arms and thighs perpendicular to the ground, extend your belly toward the ground so your spine will be curved downward in an approximate “U” shape. Hold for 3 breaths.
Alternate these postures 10 times.
If you experience pain at any point during this exercise, listen to your body and stop.

3. Ear-to-shoulder stretch

The ear-to-shoulder stretch is a neck stretching and strengthening exercise that’s excellent for improving your head and neck range of motion. It’s easy to do in a seated position, but you can do it in a standing position.

Sit or stand upright.
Put one hand behind your back, about midway up.
Put the fingers of your other hand on the crown of your head.
With your head facing forward, use the hand on your head to gently pull your ear towards your shoulder, just until you feel a stretch. Hold for 3 seconds.
Switch hands and do the same exercise on the opposite side.
If you feel pain at any time during this exercise, listen to your body and stop.

Plan your rest stops with RV LIFE Trip Wizard

RVers traveling with kids or pets need to know when and where the next rest area is. With RV LIFE Pro, you can plan ahead with RV Trip Wizard and know exactly when you are going to stop. If you prefer to wing it, the RV LIFE GPS & Campgrounds app will always show you the next rest area nearest to your current location.

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