Anyone who drives several hours a day knows what all that time in the car does to the body. Nothing about driving promotes balance—your left foot is doing one thing, right’s doing another, you’re stuck sitting in a fixed position, and you may be stressed out from dealing with traffic. When your body is in balance, you’ll find that you’re more alert, responsive, relaxed, and better able to react in stressful situations. This sequence is designed to improve alignment before or after hours spent in the car.

The simple movements demonstrated in the video above, such as pillow squeezes, shoulder rolls, elbow curls, forward bend, arm circles, spinal twists, cats and dogs, and air bench, gently release tension in the body and improve posture. These exercises for drivers help open up the shoulders and hips and stretch the back, hamstrings, and upper body. Take 12 minutes before your next drive to do these posture exercises so you can retain a sense of balance while on the road and avoid pain after spending time spent driving.

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