Healthy in the Driver’s Seat: Ergonomics

Driving with Uber offers great flexibility and opportunity to achieve work-life balance. As with all earnings opportunities though, there are also potential health consequences that driver-partners should be aware of. Ergonomics is the discipline that seeks to adapt work environments to maximize worker safety according to the principles of human physiology. Or, more simply, ergonomics is about fitting the work to the person rather than the person to the work.

As part of our partnership, GoHealth/Legacy Urgent Care has provided helpful ergonomics tips for approaching the day-to-day work as an Uber driver-partner. There are several ways in which practices may be adapted to maximize safety. First, it is important to use proper lifting technique when assisting passengers with their bags. Many of you may already realize this, but there is also a temptation to compromise and cut corners if your passenger or you are in a hurry. Remember proper lifting technique involves squatting down and lifting with the legs, rather than bending forward at the waist and using the back. Additionally, keeping bags close to your body and turning your whole body to load the items into the car is much safer than rotating the torso to load the luggage. These simple changes in technique will make a big difference in reducing the likelihood of back strain and injury.

While seated in the driver’s seat, paying attention to your body positioning will pay dividends in the degree of strain on the back and neck over the many hours you’re behind the wheel. The ideal posture while seated should minimize strain on the spine and the discs between the vertebrae. This can be achieved by lowering the seat so that the knees are slightly above the hips. The low back, or lumbar region, should be somewhat forward from the seat back. A small investment of $20-30 in a commercially available car lumbar support pillow can really pay off.

After you’ve got your seat positioning down, next turn to your posture. Proper posture refers to the alignment of the spine in the position that puts the least stress on the discs and supporting tissues. Good posture has been declining over the past decades as we spend more time sitting, using computers and looking down at our phones. At the same time, we have witnessed higher rates of disability than ever before due to chronic neck and back pain. In other words, it turns out that your mother knew what she was talking about after all.

If you do have poor posture, you’re not alone. The good news is that posture can be corrected. Because the default position you assume while sitting is deeply ingrained, the process of retraining posture habits can be challenging. Thankfully, there are a number of traditional posture retraining devices as well as newer high tech options available, such as Lumo Lift™ and Upright™, that can help to rebuild your posture habits via Bluetooth technology and your smartphone. If you suffer from back or neck pain frequently, spending some time retraining your posture now could spare you from chronic pain and disability down the road.

Try these simple tips to take control of your health while in the driver’s seat:

• Invest in a lumbar support device for your car seat
• Find a posture training device that fits your budget and personality
• Adjust your seat and lifting practices to avoid injury
• Assist passengers with lifting cautiously and lift with proper technique

We at GoHealth/Legacy Urgent Care would like to help you in your quest to stay healthy. We offer free Flu shots and discounted services for Uber drivers and their family members without insurance. Additionally, we have a special offer only available for drivers through our partnership with Uber, which involves a comprehensive wellness screening for only $100. Please visit us at any of our 18 (and growing) Metro Portland clinics and take your first steps towards a healthier you in 2017.