How lo .-Relax on the Road
You can defeat highway tension and fatigue by exercising in your car!
By LAURENCE E. MOREHOUSE
Director, Human Performance Laboratory, University of Caiornia at Los Angees
as told to lames Joseph
Without slipping from behind the wheel
or letting down your alertness, you can bene
fit from a simple "ritual of road relaxation"
that snaps highway fatigue, sharpens per
ception, and eases tensions.
There are two groups of exercises. One is
for use when you are driving; the other
when you are stopped either for a few
seconds at a traffic light or for a few minutes
at a railroad crossing or in a traffic jam.
Relax While Driving
Relax While Stopped
'' .SsSiMt'irh w i S
WW3
1. Wiggle your toes every 15 min
utes or so. Seat pressure blocks
circulation, causing blood to
mass in your feet and legs. Re
duced circulation means less
blood, thus less oxygen, for your
brain; so drowsiness sets in.
2. Relax by breathing deeply
from the stomach and letting
yourself slump down in the seat.
IV 4 'is V .
3. Clench the wheel until your
knuckles whiten; then relax your
grip. This eases tension. 4. En
gage in such activities as wiping
the windshield and reaching into
the glove compartment. Also,
change the focus of your eyes
from time to time, even if only by
squinting at a bug or a speck on
the windshield.
&f "lib
1. If road conditions permit, rest
as completely as possible. Take
your hands off the wheel and
your feet off the pedals; relax
your breathing and your body;
let your head fall backward and
close your eyes. 2. When you pull
off of the road, a sure way to re
duce road tensions is to open the
door and reach out for the arm
rest. 3. Even when you are
stopped briefly, try moving your
head to the extreme left and then
to the extreme right. This exer
cises and relaxes your neck,
shoulder, and back muscles. 4.
Another good tension-breaker in
volves clasping your hands be
hind your head and exerting
downward pressure.
COVER:
The football cheering section arrives by
station wagon to enjoy a pregame picnic
and to launch Family Weekly's annual auto
issue. Ozzie Sweet photographed the scene.
October 21,1962
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