RV Lifestyle

Sitting Pretty: How To Combat Sitting-Induced Soreness

Staying Healthy While RVing

Summer may be coming to a close, but road trips can keep happening when you travel in an RV.

Today’s question has less to do with your RV and more to do with your personal experience:

“I get so stiff from sitting all day during road trips. I know the obvious answer is to get up and stretch, but are there other things I can do?”

You’re right. Getting up and stretching is the best way to avoid sitting-induced stiffness, but it actually helps with much more than just loosening you up. Whether you’re behind the wheel or in the passenger seat, you can sit for up to 10 hours a day on a long road trip. Did you know that when you sit down for periods longer than four hours, your body’s metabolism starts to shut down? This means that your circulation slows, your blood sugars get stored as fat, and your mood-enhancing hormones aren’t released to your brain. This is known as “sitting disease.” Who knew that sitting could have such an impact on your body!

So what can you do when you need to put in long hours on the road? It’s easier than you might think. Simply stopping every few hours will allow you to stand up, stretch and even do a couple squats, all of which can help get your blood circulating. Plus, since you’re in an RV, you can do this inside if the weather doesn’t allow you to get outside.

We also can recommend a few products for those stretches of driving.

Shiatsu-To-Go. A mobile masseuse for your next RV adventure? Yes, you heard correctly! Shiatsu-To-Go has four pulsing points that respond to pressure. There's no "on" or "off" switch; just lean on it for as long as you like, and pull it away when you're done. This will help ease any discomfort.

WonderGel Cushion. The WonderGel Cushion's honeycomb design cradles your hips and tailbone, distributes weight equally and eliminates pressure points. It’s also proven to significantly reduce vibrations from bumpy roads!

Neck Pillow. Want to catch some Zs when you're in the passenger seat? Just tuck this around your neck, close your eyes and relax. It will reduce the pressure on your neck and allow you to sleep with better sitting posture.