Why Long Trips Can Take a Toll on Your Body

Snacks are in the bag, the playlist is ready to go, nothing on your schedule, and miles of road ahead of you. It’s road trip time!

Yeah… This is how the first 2 hours of your trip go. 

Eight hours later, and the picture is completely different. 

Your back feels like it’s been superglued to the seat, your legs tingle, every bit of the road looks pretty much the same, and every time you get out of the car, you almost need to learn how to walk again. 

That’s what long trips do. They seem harmless because all you need to do is sit, but your body doesn’t like staying in the same position for hours upon hours. Blood doesn’t flow the way it should, and your muscles get tighter the more you sit, so you get really uncomfortable. 

Most people brush this off as something that comes with road trips, but those small aches and twinges are how your body tells you that it’s struggling. 

The Different Parts of Your Body Affected By Prolonged Sitting

Feeling stiff isn’t the only thing that happens to your body while you’re on the road. No, no. There’s MUCH more that happens behind the curtain.

Circulatory System

When you sit still for hours, your blood flow slows down, especially in the legs. Gravity.

That’s the reason why your ankles swell and your feet feel heavy after a long drive. 

If you don’t move, circulation will get weaker and increase the chance of more serious problems, such as deep vein thrombosis, which is a condition where blood clot(s) form in your veins; and if the clot travels to the lungs, it can be extremely dangerous (even fatal). 

Muscles and Joints

Car seats don’t exactly promote perfect posture, and your body will feel it after a while. 

The neck and shoulders take the brunt of the strain because you’re sitting upright with little to no support. The lower back, on the other hand, is compressed against the seat.

Now add to that hips and knees barely moving during the ride, and you have a recipe for stiffness that you’ll feel even after you’re out of the car. 

Skin and Pressure Points

Believe it or not, even your skin doesn’t like it when you sit for too long. 

Seatbelts rub against the same spots over and over, clothes dig in, and the constant weight on your back and legs creates pressure points. 

On prolonged road trips, those last hours upon hours where you’re forced into sitting in an uncomfortable position with not much room for mobility, this could cause high discomfort and even pain, especially in older adults.

When pressure on the skin isn’t relieved for a long time, this could lead to conditions such as ulcers, which could escalate into fatal complications from untreated bed sores if left unchecked. 

Of course, ulcers (aka bed sores) happen in conditions where the person cannot move for long periods (usually hospitals or nursing homes), so it’s not realistic that you’ll suffer such conditions on a road trip, even if we’re talking about older people. It just goes to show how prolonged immobility and discomfort can become dangerous. 

So, let’s not go in that direction, but instead take frequent stops to rest and stretch your muscles; even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Mental Fatigue

Long drives wear your mind down just like your body. 

You’re staring at the road, alert at all times, sitting still, not having variety in what you see and do, and it all leads to a special kind of exhaustion. You’ll notice that your focus begins to slip and your mood isn’t nearly as good as it was when you first left. The worst thing is that your reaction time goes down, too, which is dangerous if you’re behind the wheel. 

Mental fatigue is a real thing, and you have to be able to recognize it in order to stay safe. 

Your muscles might need a stretch, sure, but your brain needs a break, too. 

Protect Your Body

Stop every 3-4 hours and walk around for a bit. 

This’ll help clear your head and wake your muscles. If you use scenic pull-outs or rest areas, breaks don’t have to be an inconvenience; you can actually enjoy them. 

There are also things to do inside the car to make it more comfortable. You can change the position you’re sitting in or use a cushion for support.

And remember to drink plenty of water because it’s what keeps the blood flowing and the energy steady. As far as snacks go, don’t pack junk food. Pack nuts, fruit, protein bars, carrot sticks, and things like that, so you don’t have crashes like you would from chips and candy. 

Conclusion

By the end of the trip, you might laugh at the fact that your legs have almost forgotten how to work or that your back needs an emergency chiropractor. But unless you like feeling like an old, dried-up pretzel, think about ways to make the trip easier on your body.

Move every few hours, have a cushion on hand, drink plenty of water, make stops – you get the idea. 

After all, you want to arrive at your destination feeling like a functioning human, not like a zombie.

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