Published October 24, 2026 03:30AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Prepping for long road trips can feel exhilarating. Packed bags and itinerary set. Check. Salty, sweet snacks stashed in a handy spot? Check. Plush interior, blankets and pillows, blasting A\/C, and a carefully curated cruising playlist ready? Check, check, check, and check.<\/p>\n
Of course, even the coziest upholstery and upbeat bangers can\u2019t always shake that aching, exhausted feeling that sets in after the third or fourth hour on the road to your favorite trailhead or camping grounds. You\u2019re not lifting heavy things or solving complex math equations in the car: you\u2019re just sitting there. Why do long road trips make us feel so utterly blegh<\/i>?<\/p>\n
Basically, a whole lot of nothing and everything is happening simultaneously when you\u2019re stuck on the car for hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe human brain requires a certain level of stimulation to remain engaged and alert,\u201d John Gaspar, PhD, told Outside<\/i>. \u201cBoth too much and too little stimulation can lead to impaired performance.\u201d Gaspar is the director of human factors research at the Driving Safety Research Institute<\/a> at the University of Iowa. His main area of expertise is studying how humans interact with vehicles and how impairment, distraction, and other factors affect driving ability; one of his current projects focuses on alleviating drowsiness during long overnight drives.<\/p>\n If you can relate to feeling pretty terrible during a long drive on your way to your ultimate outdoor destination, experts explain why and exactly what happens to your body on a road trip.<\/p>\n Reading a book or doomscrolling for hours on end is a piece of cake. But focusing on the road for extended periods, however, is a totally different ballgame, Gaspar told Outside<\/i>.<\/p>\n \u201cA driver\u2019s eyes are really informative during fatigue\u2013 or drowsiness-impacted long drives,\u201d Gaspar said. Even early in a road trip, drivers start to shift in their seats and do what they can to stay awake. This describes that antsy feeling you get while sitting in the driver\u2019s seat. People may amp up the music volume or blast the A\/C, Gaspar said. \u201cAt later stages in the drive, drivers will start having microsleep events, where they actually fall asleep for several seconds. These changes happen pretty quickly, especially when drivers are somewhat sleep-deprived,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n These microsleeps, Gaspar explained, can occur within the first hour to 90 minutes of a long drive. Unfortunately, he says the things you might do to wake yourself up\u2014like rolling down your window or cranking up the music\u2014are virtually useless in regaining alertness. \u201cPeople do a lot of things they think<\/i> will help with fatigue that have actually been shown to have little to no benefit,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n In short, Gaspar said, sitting in the car for a long period feels bad and tiring because you\u2019re understimulated and overstimulated at the same time. You might feel overtaxed by the stress of navigating\u00a0and swerving around angry jerks in suped-up monster trucks, but simultaneously understimulated from moving down a long stretch of road, he said. Together, they\u2019re a bad combination for staying alert.<\/p>\n According to Brian M. Cervoni Rosario, MD<\/a>, a sports medicine physiatrist at Boston Medical Center, your upper body can take a beating during long hauls on the road.<\/p>\n \u201cThe neck and shoulders suffer disproportionately because drivers actively stabilize the head against vehicle motion while maintaining forward gaze, creating sustained isometric contraction<\/a> (tightening of the muscle) in the neck flexors and upper trapezius,\u201d Dr.\u00a0Rosario told Outside<\/i>. In other words, your neck and upper back muscles get really strained.<\/p>\n Plus, if weaving through traffic stresses you out (which is probably the case for all of us), you might carry a ton<\/a> of that tension in your neck and shoulders, <\/a>hence the stiff upper body.<\/p>\n Gripping and controlling the wheel for an extended period can affect your hands, too. A 2022 study<\/a> of taxi drivers found that their handgrip decreases because of the car\u2019s vibration while it\u2019s being operated.<\/p>\n For a lot of us, driving feels like second nature\u2014the average American spends about one hour behind the wheel daily<\/a>, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA) Foundation for Traffic Safety. Given how frequently we cruise, it\u2019s sometimes easy to forget\u00a0we\u2019re operating a 4,000-pound piece of heavy, complex machinery, one with near-constant movement and vibrations. Those same vibrations that affect grip strength pulse through the entire body<\/a>, too, affecting your driving and contributing\u00a0to pain.<\/p>\n \u201cVibration transmission from the vehicle seat amplifies spinal loading, particularly at the lumbar and cervical regions,\u201d Dr. Rosario said. The cervical region<\/a> of the spine includes the seven vertebrae of the neck that support your head.<\/p>\n Plus, your lower body also undergoes subtle but repetitive isometric muscle contractions to reach and press the pedals with your legs and feet, which research<\/a> shows can often lead to discomfort over time. Sitting for long periods also places a significant amount of compression on the butt, thighs, and back, resulting in stiffness.<\/p>\n The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> notes that people who sit in vehicles for prolonged periods are more likely to develop blood clots, so it\u2019s especially important to get out and move whenever you can.<\/p>\n Predictability is crucial for a healthy stomach, Rudolph Bedford, MD<\/a>, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John\u2019s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, told Outside<\/i>. But on a road trip, your routine can get\u00a0wildly out of whack.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you move, your gut moves. You don\u2019t move, it doesn\u2019t move, so when you\u2019re sitting in a car for long periods, you can get backed up,\u201d he said. \u201cBloating and gassiness are very typical of bus drivers and cab drivers; they\u2019re traveling a lot. The constipation is a setup for hemorrhoids to occur.\u201d<\/p>\n He said a seatbelt compressing on your stomach doesn\u2019t help much, either.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, you\u2019re probably not grabbing the most gut-friendly items\u2014like a fiber-packed apple or a pack of carrots\u2014at whatever gas station, fast-food restaurant, or questionable local dive bar you find on the road.<\/p>\n \u201cUsually people are reaching for foods that are low in fiber, high in fat, and have plenty of salt. All of those things tend to slow gastric emptying,\u201d Dr. Bedford said, adding that sodas, sugar-free gums, and caffeine can also contribute to abdominal woes.<\/p>\n For most of the ailments above, the primary, no-fail solution is to simply pull over. \u201cOnce fatigue and drowsiness set in, the best thing a driver can do is stop to rest, even if just for ten to 20 minutes,\u201d Gaspar said.<\/p>\n To alleviate abdominal discomfort: \u201cStop every two to three hours,\u201d Dr.\u00a0Bedford said. \u201cWalk around for five to ten minutes just to keep things moving. It stimulates the bowels and keeps gas moving through your system. More importantly, it supports leg circulation.\u201d<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t feel safe exiting your car, simply pulling over to twist your torso, flex your ankles, and focus on something besides the road can help.<\/p>\n Yes, frequent pull-overs will make your ride longer. But as the trite old saying goes, those pit stops might make the journey feel like half the fun\u2014or at least make the next part of the trip a bit less excruciating.<\/p>\n Want more Outside<\/i>\u00a0health stories?\u00a0Sign up for the Bodywork newsletter<\/a>. And for tips on how to train, fuel, and recover better,\u00a0sign up for the Sweat Science 101 newsletter.<\/strong><\/p>\nYour Eyes Get Extremely Tired, and Your Brain Tries to Keep You Awake<\/h2>\n
A Long Road Trip Wreaks Havoc on Your Neck, Shoulders, and Hands<\/h2>\n
Every Body Part From Your Butt to Your Feet Take a Hit<\/h2>\n
Food in Your Gut Doesn\u2019t Move, and You Get Backed Up<\/h2>\n
The Solve for All Road Trip Pains? Stop and Get Out of the Car.<\/h2>\n