Driving Wheel Stretches for Scoliosis & TMJ

I get some of my best stretches right behind the wheel during my long commutes to and fro. Some people might say, wait, should you be stretching while driving? I say, for me, why not? I don't think there's an Oprah pledge for this one...
 

Steering Wheel Stretch #1: Open Shoulder Stretch

I have left curving scoliosis so I try and find way to passively lengthen my spine as often as I can.

Put your left elbow on the window sill and hook your thumb in the armpit (axilla, anyone?), sort of like you're about to do the chicken dance. Not cute but very practical. :/ Anyway, put your right arm up and back against the passenger seat, sort of like people do when they are backing up. Using the knees, slightly brace yourself against the base of the steering wheel. This gives you a strong base of support and also ensures that you can't move your knees when / if you decide to take the stretch to the next level (engaging and slightly lifting the lower abdominals!).

Having both shoulders open and stretching out the tight pectoral muscles from my forward head posture feels great. The chest muscles are tightened in forward head posture (check out this picture of forward head posture which I have). This passive exercise is a good way to loosen these muscles up and help release the tightness that is pulling the shoulders forward. 

Take some really deep breaths in this Open Shoulder Stretch to give yourself a slightly deeper stretch. Really try to make sure that the with the "in" breath, your belly pokes out like you just had Thanksgiving dinner. This makes sure that you are using the diaphragm and that you are allowing air into the belly evenly on both sides. For me, it's hard to expand the lower right quadrant (part) of my abdomen because of my scoliosis induced tightness. Happily, when I expand it, I usually feel a nice spinal release.

Steering Wheel Stretch #2: Wheel Arch 

This one is one of my favorites to do at a stop light. I usually hold the pose for the length of the red light for a series and deep breaths and then release it when the light turns green.

Put your  hands on the wheel at 10 and 4 o'clock. (Check out my post titled the same about why this might be a good idea for you if you have back problems.) With your hands on the wheel, lean forward at the waist to keep your spine really really really straight. Bend your elbows and staying in your leaning forward position, arch your back all the way up to the top of your head. Try to point your sternum (breastbone) toward the middle of the wheel. Your eyes should be gazing straight out onto the horizon if you are doing this right. If you are looking up to the sky, then your arch is way too big and you are at risk for hurting your neck.

If you have some serious tightness in your back from scoliosis (like I do), this arch should take a little effort but it should be worth it. Nothing too crazy, but it's a little harder than if you had no deep muscular torso tightness.

To make the Wheel Arch a little more challenging, at the end of the above described pose, raise the elbows up and outward. Take some deep breaths in this position and you should feel something pretty nice.

Don't forget to make this arch a SLIGHT arch (check out my posting on this topic). You don't want to overdo-the-do and hurt your back. I think sometimes these smaller movements are harder to do because you really have to engage each muscle individually instead of relying on momentum or the like.

Here's a great photo of a Wheel Arch. This woman has her hands on her side; I prefer to use the wheel to stabilize my core. 

My scoliosis and endless hours of driving have inevitably forced my steering wheel and I to become one unit during my commute. Use this to your advantage to think of creative ways to stretch your upper body where so many of us carry stress and tension.

Peace and love.