Sore Back After Travel: Why It Happens and 7 Fixes

I've taught tennis for more than 20 years, and every year around Thanksgiving I hear the same thing from my students the week after the holiday: "I don't know what happened. I didn't even play. I just sat in the car for six hours and now my back is killing me."

I travel a lot for tournaments and clinics, so I know the feeling. You get off a plane or out of the car, stand up, and your lower back, hips and neck feel like they belong to someone twenty years older. You didn't lift anything or hit anything. You sat still. That's exactly the problem, and here is what I tell people to do about it.

Why travel makes your back sore

Sitting for hours in one position is hard work for your body, even though it doesn't feel like work. Car seats and airplane seats are built for the average body, which means they fit almost nobody well. Most of them let your lower back round into a C shape, push your head forward, and leave your hips bent at the same angle for hours.

Your muscles hold you in that shape the whole time. They get tired, they get tight, and when you finally stand up they complain. Add a heavy suitcase, a carry-on you swing into an overhead bin, and a night on a hotel mattress or a relative's pull-out couch, and it's no surprise people come back from a trip needing a vacation from the vacation.

Where it hurts usually tells you what caused it:

Lower back: a seat with no support in the curve of your back, so you slump for hours.
Hips and the back of the legs: your hips stay bent the whole trip, and the muscles in the front of the hips and the hamstrings tighten up.
Neck and the top of the shoulders: sleeping sitting up, looking down at a phone or tablet, or a headrest that pushes your head forward.
One shoulder or one side of the back: carrying a heavy bag on the same shoulder through the airport, or lifting a suitcase with a twist.

The mistake I see most

People think of the trip as rest. They figure that since they're "just sitting," they don't need to warm up, stretch, or move. Then they get out of the car and go straight to carrying luggage, or they land and go straight to a tennis match or a round of golf.

I think about a long trip the way I think about a long match. Your body needs a little preparation before, some movement during, and some recovery after. It takes about ten minutes total, and it makes a big difference in how you feel when you get there.

7 fixes that work

Support your lower back. Roll up a sweatshirt or a small towel and put it in the curve of your lower back. In the car, sit all the way back in the seat and bring the seat closer to the wheel so you aren't reaching. This one change helps more people than anything else on this list.
Get up every hour. On a plane, take the aisle seat if you can and walk to the back once an hour. In the car, stop every one to two hours, even for five minutes. Walk around the gas station, swing your arms, and do a few of the stretches below.
Move while you sit. Every 20 or 30 minutes, squeeze your shoulder blades together for a few seconds, roll your shoulders, pump your ankles up and down ten times, and gently tuck your chin. Nobody will notice, and it keeps things from locking up.
Pack lighter, carry smarter. Use a roller bag instead of a duffel when you can. If you have to carry a bag, switch shoulders often or use a backpack on both shoulders. Lift a suitcase into the trunk or the overhead bin with your legs and keep it close to your body. Don't twist while you lift; turn your feet instead.
Drink water. Plane air is dry, and people drink less on travel days so they don't have to stop. Tired, dried-out muscles get stiffer. A bottle of water every few hours is easy.
Support your neck if you sleep. A travel pillow that keeps your head from dropping forward or to the side saves you a stiff neck the next day. Wear it with the thick part behind your neck or under your chin, whichever keeps your head upright.
Don't go straight from the seat to the court. If you're traveling to a tournament or a golf trip, plan a walk and a real warm-up before you play. Your hips and back need ten minutes to remember they can turn.

A 5-minute reset for rest stops and layovers

I do this at almost every stop. You can do it next to the car or in a quiet corner of the gate area.

Standing back bend: hands on your lower back, gently lean back a little and come back up. Five times. It undoes some of the slumping.
Hip flexor stretch: step one foot forward into a short lunge, keep your back leg straight and squeeze that glute. Hold 20 seconds each side.
Hamstring stretch: put a heel on a curb or a bench, keep your back straight, and lean forward from the hips. 20 seconds each side.
Trunk turns: feet apart, arms loose, turn side to side like you're looking over your shoulder at a ball. Ten easy turns.
Calf raises and a short walk: ten slow calf raises, then walk for two or three minutes.

When you get there

The first evening matters. Take a 15 to 20 minute walk to loosen up your hips and back after the trip. A warm shower helps. Before bed, do the hip flexor and hamstring stretches again and lie on your back with your knees bent for a few minutes. If you're sleeping on an unfamiliar bed that's too soft, a pillow under your knees (on your back) or between your knees (on your side) takes some pressure off your lower back.

And if you're traveling to play, go easy the first day. I tell my students who fly to tournaments to plan a light hit the day they arrive, not a full match.

How Active 10 fits in

I started Active 10 because I wanted something for my own aches after long days on the court, and a long day in a seat leaves me just as stiff. It uses menthol and capsaicin as its active ingredients, with magnesium in the formula. It's for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with simple backache, arthritis, strains, bruises and sprains. A stiff, achy lower back after a long drive or flight fits that description.

A few tips from people who travel with it:

The 3oz roll-on is under the TSA 3.4oz liquid limit, so it fits in your carry-on bag with your other liquids. It also reaches your lower back and shoulders without getting cream on your hands, which is nice in a hotel room or a car. There's more on that in my article on roll-on relief for back and shoulders.
The 4oz tube is a good one to keep in a checked bag or in the car for the trip home.
Don't use it on broken or irritated skin, don't wrap the area tightly, don't use it with a heating pad, and wash your hands after using the tube. Keep it away from your eyes.

Always read the Drug Facts label for directions and warnings before you use it. If you're working at a laptop on the trip, my tips on a stiff, sore neck from desk work apply on the road too, and if you plan to run while you're away, see sore legs after running.

When it's more than travel stiffness

Normal travel soreness is a dull, general ache that eases once you walk around and is better in a day or two. See a doctor if:

one calf or leg is swollen, warm, red or painful after a long flight or drive. Get that checked right away;
you get chest pain or shortness of breath. Call 911;
pain runs down your leg or arm, or you have numbness, tingling or weakness;
the pain started with a fall or lifting injury, wakes you up at night, or isn't better after a week or two.

The short version

Support your lower back, get up every hour, and move a little while you sit. Pack lighter and lift with your legs. Do the 5-minute reset at stops, take a walk when you arrive, and go easy on the first day if you're there to play.

Sitting still is harder on your body than it looks. Give your back a little attention on the way, and you'll get out of the car feeling like yourself instead of like you just played five sets.

Darrin Cohen is a tennis pro with more than 20 years of teaching and the founder of Active 10.