Stretching should be a routine stop in any man’s roadtrip. Stopping to stretch is about as important as stopping for gas, snacks, and weird roadside attractions. To stay limber during road trip limbo, try these stretches.
Your Groin
One of your most sensitive areas requires great attention for stretching. To stretch the groin, you’ll need to stay seated, which means you can work on stretching the groin while you are in route. Of course, groin stretching is never advised for the driver. It is best to sit up straight with your lower back firmly against the chair. Cross one leg over the other and hook your ankle around your knee with a slight flex. This stretch will immediately indicate to you how your flexibility is doing by how high up your knee is angled. The higher your knee, the less flexibility. Work on stretching it out by using your hand to push gently on the knee of your crossed leg. Feel the stretch along your inner thigh, groin, hip, and low back.
Your Lower Back
While in the car, you can bring your knees to your chest and slightly twist from side to side to relieve low back pressure. If you’re in an empty back seat, you can lay on your back and do the same, cradling and rocking your low back to give it a massage and release stiff muscles. Once you are able to get out of the car, you can do the standing parts of a vinyasa yoga flow to stretch the lower back. Stand up straight in mountain pose and reach high into the sky. Taking a deep breath in, slowly allow gravity to bring you downward, reaching for your toes. If your back is exceptionally tight, put a bend in your knees as needed. Each time you hit a point of restraint, pause, hold the position, take a deep breath in, and on the exhale push just a bit further.
Your Legs
Legs get restless, irritable, and discontent when they are sitting for too long a period of time. You’ll want to stretch each part of your leg from your hip flexors to your calves. Start with a quad stretch by bringing your ankle back toward your glutes and holding with your hand. Tilt your pelvis forward while driving your knee forward against the pull of your hand for a stretch. Lunges and moving through a Warrior 1, 2, and 3 sequence will fire the legs while opening the hips and low back. For calves, find a wall or use the side of the car and tire to flex your foot toward and away from the vehicle. Lean into the stretch until you feel the pull along your calves.
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