Hundreds and thousands of us do it each week, whether by train, car, bus, motorbike, cycle or foot and the daily commute can not only be an unwelcome source of stress but can also take its toll on our backs.
According to consumer research by the British Chiropractic Association, almost a third of the working nation relies on public transport and the journey is not short of stress with 50% left fighting for seats and only occasionally or rarely sitting down. One in ten commuters never gets to sit down at all and one in three commuters (32%) are currently suffering from back pain.
So add stress, lack of comfort and lack of seats together and it’s a potential posture nightmare …. but standing tall could be the best way to travel; our increasingly sedentary lifestyles mean we spend most of our working day sitting down, so actually standing (as long as it is comfortably) is a good way to start and end the day.
In the BCA survey, driving came out top as the most common method of commuting, with over half of working Brits (55%) using a car to get to and from work.
Commuting by car may be seen, by some, like the easy route, but driving remains a key trigger of back pain, contributing significantly to the length of time spent sitting inactive each day at both work and home. Sitting down can put twice as much pressure on the spine as standing up.
It is not just the mode of transport used for the daily commute, other factors are contributing to poor transport posture, in particular the type of bag carried and its contents. Despite rucksacks being the most suitable form of bag, if worn correctly with both straps, fashion trends continue to dominate, with 58% of people in the survey choosing a bag with one handle which essentially loads the weight onto one side of the body.
For further information on chiropractic and if it can help you or your colleagues please call Health on Hand Mansfield, 15 St John Street, Mansfield, on: 01623 635333.
Or visit www.healthonhand.co.uk
Special rates available to 2020 members: Initial Consultation and treatment £40, follow up treatments £30. Offer valid the whole of 2019. Please quote ‘2020’ when making the appointment.