Cars! They are everywhere. In one estimate, there were 1.4 billion cars in the world. Or one for every seven people. Many of us end up spending a lot of our time in one. If you do, is there a way to remain active, and also avoid muscle stiffness, and fatigue?
I have found myself spening a lot of time in a car of late. Travelling to many cities to meet people intersted in health and longevity. Many of these trips require travelling by road over distances of three to four hours. In the begining, I resigned myself to sitting back, dozing perhaps. As more time passed in a car, I began to think of ways to prevent the inevitable stiffness.
It turns out there is a lot you can do. While sitting, I ended up doing over 500 calf raises. It was easy. My posture lent itself to doing so. Then I did the reverse, something known as a tiblias anterior exercise. You lift your toes off the ground to stretch the muscles on your shin.
Then I turned to my back. By putting your hands on your head, it is possible to stretch your back muscles. Stretch and hold for a muinute or two and you will feel like you are in a gym. Both upward and backward movements were easy.
Next, you can work on your hands. Carry a tennis ball with you. Use it to strengthen your arms and wrists. Squeezing a tennis ball can do magic to your arms. Next, you can flex your upper arms. Not to work out your hands but improve your neurlogical connections. You do not always need to lift heavy objects to work on your biceps, for example. You can simply flex your biceps, using your nervous impulses. Just the flexing of your biceps will work them out. Of course, not in the same way as working in a gym, but it does make a difference.
So the next time you are caught in a car, dont waste the opportunity.
