Advice for the grind on the body?

After working many hours, I had to stop a few days because I got crippling sciatic pain in my lower back, hips, posterior and my legs. I could not stand, walk or sit down for a few seconds at a time. Only laying down.

Has anyone had to deal with this? What kind of body pain have you had to deal with while driving long hours? How have you managed it? How often do you get out of the car and take breaks? Anybody take walks or use a seat cushion?

2017 Nissan Sentra. I feel like the way my seat is designed makes it impossible to drive long hours without injuring myself. It's tilted from the knees down to the butt, where it sinks deeper. It's pretty low to the ground. Raising it higher doesn't raise the butt part of it much. If I pull the seat further from the wheel, I can't reach it. But my thighs practically don't touch the seat and my knees go up to the steering wheel. I can't sit with my knees at 90 degrees because if I adjust the seat that high up, it's too high and I'm about to hit the ceiling/the rearview mirror doesn't adjust higher. I'm not even tall, I'm 5 foot 10 inches. Tilting the back part of the seat back is the only thing that's helped me so far.

Please help.

in uberdriversby subzeroicepunch

100%

Mediaproofup

This is really never talked about enough, we see people posting 80 hour work weeks and not taking a whole next week off because of the pain of the job. But really you need to go to the gym like every day in your off time and then you’re just driving more. You also need to eat right, this is a 24 hour a day effort to do this penny hourly job.

driver-nation

This ^ 100%. Nobody talks about being confined to a very small area for 12-16 hours (I am).

Sitting is the new smoking.

I have a hip joint pain I never knew I have. At the end of a shift my ankles are swollen, you can't even see the bones.

Ideally, I hit the gym in the morning before I drive, 9 am at the gym, in the car by noon. Also when I drive I fast, I only eat one grapefruit, banana at around 9 PM.

I don't recommend the fasting. Problem with this is that you can't always stay hydrated. Restrooms are not always available like in an office. That will exacerbate the headache that comes with fasting.

The kick here is that, Uber pays us $15/hours or whatever (not enough) to work dehydrated, famished, with headache, body pains and with bladder about to explode and possibly long term health effects while the hyena Khosrowshahi is cruising on a super yacht and giving himself millions of dollars in bonuses and stock options. That's the part never talked about enough. Appreciate Mediaproofup bringing it up.

ThackFreak

Four surgeries on my lower back, Airborne, 9 knee surgeries, plus other injuries from 26 years in the Army.
Best advice that helps me, stop at the gym for an hour after driving. Light workout will get most of the kinks out

tenmileswide

Agreed. I do Eats which is arguably harder on the body (much more getting in and out of the car, walking into restaurants, etc.) and gym time has made it much easier to handle. Honestly, I've even lost even more weight because of all of the movement, coupled with strength training ensuring my body can handle the stress, it's actually had a positive synergistic effect on my overall health.

Onedeependent

What workouts are good for the lower back chief?

Mahuta-Misha

Deadlifts

OnlyPharah

Marijuana.

subzeroicepunch

Are you a fellow overwatch Pharah main?

OnlyPharah

Yes indeed! 🤝

iSkiLoneTree

Wait til you're battling hemorrhoids. 🥴

FlatFix6609

😂😂😂😂 amen

Slight_Stranger_5878

Stretching 🙆‍♂️ toe touches after drop off.

ArtisticDegree3915

I just missed 3 weeks of work because my sciatica flared up.

I've done about 6 weeks of physical therapy to get over that. Look up exercises for sciatica. It's often about the butt and legs and not so much the back. And then it's also about core.

In particular, one of the things my PT has had me doing is a lot of glute and side glue exercises.

Squats, but not with much weight.

Reverse crunches with a couple of pounds between my knees.

Reverse lunges.

Side leg raises for side glutes.

Xtrek88

Appreciate you leaving the routine here. Gonna give that a try. Never had issues until uber. Sitting for so long day in and day out is a pain in the butt.

ArtisticDegree3915

I should have talked about the frequency. My aftercare is to do about four or five different exercises a day. This does not have to be a heavy workout everyday. But activating these muscles daily is what she wants me to do moving forward.

Sort of an alternative to that would be doing a bigger workout 3 days a week. Four or five is better. But two or three is better than nothing. I say bigger workout. It's great if someone wants to go to the gym and do full-on workouts. But these kind of exercises I'm talking about could be done at home with like a 2x4 to step up on. Or steps to use to do exercises. Or a couple of heavy objects to hold while doing squats. Not too heavy.

So if you can find some way to form a habit of doing a half hour of exercises at home before you go to work several days a week, that could really make a difference I think.

There's other things. Something called "bird dog" and "dying bug." You might want to look those up. These are core exercises.

ajwalker430

As people who are sitting for long stretches at a time, we ALL really need to prioritize getting exercise and moving around more.

Simple things like not sitting in your car when the rider has luggage. Even if it's against your religion to help with luggage at least get out and walk to the rear of the car while they load their luggage, same when they unload. Every chance I get, I get off my butt and move around.

So many simple things. When you stop for a snack, don't park right next to the door unless you're concerned for your safety late at night, that extra walk to the car and back helps. (Or find different places to stop for your snack instead of that one place in "the hood.")

When I'm done with my day, I like to stop on the university campus (always well lit and safe) and do a brisk walk for a half hour. I also have a stationary bike at home and some resistance bands for a full workout.

EDIT: They say sitting is now worse than smoking and we sit way too much hustling from one rider to the next. We have to make those changes to move more on our own.

papercut105

I got one those little lumbar support pillows. Fixed all of my problems with back pain from driving.

OwlBeYourHuckleberry

some cars have some lumbar support making the pillow too much

Few_Vegetable5622

Every hour or so find a local park get out and take a walk or a run

Aggressive-Cabinet67

Had similar issues after 30 plus years of driving truck and then Uber. Got to a point where i was in bed for 2 months and had to crawl to the washroom. Over the course of 2 years started going to the pool everyday and started stretching and walking for at least 2 hours a day. Everything back to good. Hopefully this helps brother. Our bodies were designed to be moving all day. Unfortunately to make a living we have to make choices that aren’t completely in our best interest.

Proud-Sheepherder-33

[GIF]

Stretch before driving and take a couple stretching breaks when driving. I was in so much pain. I fell to the ground at 5am in the parking lot of my apartment building. My whole body locked up and pain shot through my body. Use a tennis ball or foam tube on your butt and lower back. Ice and heat too

One-Palpitation-4397

I have had 3 lumbar surgeries and a full hip replacement. When my back is bothering me I put on an XL lidocaine patch. I really helps. At night Delta 8 and Delta 9 work very well for my pain.

toomuch1265

I have L1-S1 fused. I deal with crippling back pain daily. My only advice is to get out and take a short walk every hour. I will drop someone off and let them know that I need to get out to stretch my legs so they don't freak out that an Uber driver is walking around in front of their house. Just let them get that you have an issue with your back. Most people can sympathize.

No-Sympathy-6518

Make sure you have your lumbar support all the way up. If you don’t it will cause back fatigue which leads to loss of issues.

subzeroicepunch

Does that mean putting cushion into the curve of your lower back?

No-Sympathy-6518

My cars have a switch that looks like a circle push forward abd it should inflate under your lower back. Some older cars had a lever you pulled down on to comfort the back. Look in car owners manual for diagram

Temporary_Spread5643

Make sure you walk 10,000 steps every day

--R0N--

Has anyone had to deal with this?

Only every cab, limo, and truck driver.

Conscious_Weight9593

Get out and move whenever you can. Someone is needing to load the trunk? Get out and help. Wear compression socks. Take frequent breaks. Invest in a good seat support cushion. Keep your seat upright so you don't slouch.

spring_catbird

I bulged a disc last year. Each day I do the Mcgill 3 and walk for an hour. When driving uber I aim to take a walking break every 30-45 minutes, 5-10 minutes of walking. I also like mixing up rides with eats orders to break up longer periods of sitting.

Mcgill 3 has been huge for me, and I make sure to do it before each driving session. Before Mcgill 3 I do cat & camel. + psoas stretch. I've also been going through various exercises to target glutes, which is tricky when your lower back is off, you can look up videos on this.

Here is a good one for mcgill 3:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trMOPAqcvAM

Bebopplayer1996

Stretch 20 min every morning, run 15 miles a week. No probs

Aggravating-Bar-9301

You have to find a way to stay active in your offtime. Get some exercise for about an hour a day, and don't forget to stretch. Also, a good chiropractor/massage once in a while is helpful.

Academic-Frosting-70

Hey, I'm one of those 80-hour workweek people. What's been working for me is going to the gym 6 times per week, right after im done with my shift, focusing on cardio at the beginning of the week, finishing off the week with lifting heavy stuff. I mostly eat salads and whatever protein I can Monday through Saturday. Sunday is my big cheat day, and it is always a pleasure to look forward to. I'm 40 years old with no back problems and drive a tesla.

run1235

only issue i've had recently show up is some pain in my calf when moving my foot.

Hot-Taro-3878

lounges lounges lounges

subzeroicepunch

Lounges? Lunges?

Hot-Taro-3878

lunges lunge my bad typo

ChemicalOk463

Driving for long hours consistently is not for everyone. I used to get cramps in my legs. They were brutal. Physical activity is your Ally.

Keokuk37

https://www.wikihow.com/Adjust-Seating-to-the-Proper-Position-While-Driving

for longer drives I sometimes have blankets to sit on

Fabulous-Champion-82

Not using something will greatly handicap it than actually using it. Example, if you don’t wear Jordan’s the midsole becomes brittle and one day when you find the right occasion to put them on they will crumble underneath you. If you put them on sure they become scuffed and worn out but that integrity will always be there. Don’t be another fat American!

Likestopaintminis

OK Idk why some of you haven't figured this out yet, but don't do your whole day all at once. I drive 40 hours a week but I don't have this problem because of how I do it. I drive in 4 hour blocks. I do 4 to start the day, usually from 6-10am. Then I go home. When I'm home I go to the gym and work out, and I walk my dogs, and stretch. Around 2 or 3 I go back out and do another 4 hours of driving. Sitting for 8 hours at a time is too much.

No-Revenue7633

Stretch and exercise and strength you back and core

Rubito93

23h

Runners stretch. Foamrolling my hips out. Massage table at planet shitness daily. Stretching in general. Getting a back support and a cushion for my seat.

Mr_washi_washi

I’ve been doing this for about 4 years, and haven’t gotten any chronic pain from sitting too long. Probably because I’m 23 years old, or it could be because I stay active by working out 5-6 days a week. Idk man maybe trying stretching/working out. Or there are probably special butt and back cushions for long drives that you can get.

itsme89

-1

get a tesla, it will reduce your footwork greatly and so the impact on your body while driving. people can hate on tesla all they like but its technology literally can save your body over the long run.

cleppingout

Nah, at least not the model 3. My sciatica was at its worst when I was driving that. My Corolla was better for my back. I ended up figuring it was because the seats are too low to the ground. I drive a minivan now and it’s been a lot better for my back. The only positive for the model 3 would be that you can only drive for a few hours before you need to spend an hour at the charger, forcing you to take a break.

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