Summer Weekends, Boating and Your Spine

Dr. Joe’s Power On Podcast from Sheppard Chiropractic, Episode 45.

This episode explains why people often feel sore and stiff after summer weekends, especially after boating, travel, and other outdoor activities.

Dr. Joe Sheppard describes how most post-weekend pain isn’t from a single injury, but from accumulated stress—lifting heavy items, poor posture on boats, long car rides, dehydration, and sudden bursts of physical activity after a mostly sedentary workweek (“weekend warrior” effect).

He highlights how boating can be particularly tough on the spine due to constant vibration, awkward seating positions, prolonged sitting, and twisting movements. Water sports like tubing can also place unpredictable strain on the neck and back. Travel adds further stress through long periods of sitting, tight hips, reduced circulation, and fatigue.

The episode outlines common warning signs of spinal stress such as stiffness, back pain, neck discomfort, headaches, and muscle tightness.

Dr. Joe emphasizes that chiropractic care can help restore spinal motion, reduce tension, and improve recovery after these physically demanding weekends.

He also provides prevention tips including staying hydrated, stretching before activity, changing positions often, and lifting properly.

Overall, the key message is that summer activities are enjoyable but can quietly overload the spine, and proactive care can help prevent lingering pain and stiffness.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

In the time it takes you to get home, work, or play, Dr. Joe's podcast will inform and educate you on chiropractic, nutrition, and fitness, keeping you and your family up to date on current products, health tips, and optimized living with chiropractic care. And here's your host, Dr. Joe Shepherd.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Hello, my name is Dr. Joe Shepherd of Shepard Chiropractic. Today on Dr. Joe's Power On Podcast, episode number 45, we're talking about something a lot of people experience this time of year without ever realizing it. Why your body suddenly feels wrecked after a summer holiday weekend. You know the scenario. You spend the weekend out on the boat, traveling, swimming, lifting coolers, playing yard games, driving for hours, sleeping somewhere other than your own bed. And then Tuesday morning rolls around, you wake up stiff, your neck won't turn, your lower back feels tight. You walking into work like you've aged 30 years over a three-day weekend. And people say, Man, I must have slept wrong. Maybe, but more often than that, your spine just went through a lot of stress than you ever realized. So today we're going to be talking about how bloating affects the spine, why summer activities trigger back pain, the weekend warrior problem, how travel impacts the nervous system, and what you can do to keep your body functioning well al through the whole summer. And yes, we'll talk about how chiropractors can usually tell exactly who spent the weekend on a boat. So kick off those shoes, preferably not your feet screaming in pain. Take a deep breath and maybe roll those shoulders back and let's get aligned together. So why do the summer weekends beat people up? Well, summer weekends are interesting because people suddenly go from being relatively inactive during the work week to trying out for the Olympics over the holiday weekend. All weekend, you know, sitting at a desk, minimal movement, looking at screens, tight hips, poor posture. Then Memorial Day weekend hits and suddenly you're carrying 70 pound coolers, pulling tubes behind boats, tossing footballs, climbing in and out of pontoon boats, riding jet skis, and standing for ten straight hours. Your spine notices a lot of people think injuries only happen from one big event, but honestly, most summer back pain comes from repeated stress and fatigue. Tiny stresses repeated over and over eventually overwhelm the muscles and the joints. That's usually when people throw their back out, as they call it. And by the way, nothing actually goes out. Your body simply reaches a point where it can't compensate anymore. And you know, boating is harder on your spine than people think. Now let's specifically talk about boating because this is a huge one during the summer in this area. People think boating is relaxing. Mentally, sure, but physically it's not always. Your spine takes a beating on the water, especially your lower back. All that vibration and impact, it's one of the bet biggest issues is that constant vibration. Even calm water creates repetitive forces through the boat seat, even into your spine. Your lower back absorbs that stress over and over. Now imagine rough water, speed boats, tubing, wake hopping, and sitting for hours. That repetitive compression irritates your joints, muscles, and your discs. And the tricky part is you may not feel it immediately. A lot of people wake up the next day wondering why they suddenly can't move. That delayed stiffness is extremely common. You know, people just have poor posture on boats. Let's be honest, nobody sits perfectly upright in a boat. People slouch, they twist sideways, they lean awkward, they brace themselves constantly, and they sit without support. Your muscles spend hours trying to stabilize your body against movement. That creates a lot of fatigue and tension on your muscles. And your neck usually pays a price too. Especially if you're driving the boat while looking forward into the sun's glare all day. That forward head posture builds tension really fast. And you're what is that weekend warrior effect? Well, it's one of my favorite chiropractic topics because we see it all the time. The weekend warrior. This is the person who does almost nothing physically during the week and then suddenly becomes wildly athletic for about three days. Your body likes consistency. It adapts well to regular movement. But sudden spikes in activity not so much. Think about this. Have you ever sprinted in six months? Maybe. Don't play five straight hours of beach volleyball. Your muscles and ligaments need preparation. Otherwise your body compensates poorly. That's when your muscles tighten, joints lock up, inflammation increases, mobility decreases, and suddenly you're Googling, can coughing cause a slip disk? By the way, please stay off WebMD after weekend holidays. According to the internet, your mild neck stiffness is probably a rare private disease from the lake water exposure. Yeah. So long drives and travel stress. Well, let's talk about that one. People underestimate how stressful sitting is on your spine, especially driving for long periods of time. Hip flexors tighten, low back compresses, blood flow decreases, and neck posture worsens. Then add traffic, stress, poor posture, fast food, and dehydration, your nervous system gets overloaded. That's why so many people return from vacation needing another vacation. And sometimes people walk into the office after a road trip looking like they survived a covered wagon journey across the America. So what about those twisting injuries in water sports? You know, tubing and water sports are another major culprit. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-fun. Just tubing is basically the organized chaos for the spine. You're twisting, you're bouncing, you're holding on for dear life, and you're getting launched into the air. Your muscles are constantly reacting unpredictably, and your spine already has restricted areas or weakness, those sudden forces trigger pain very quickly. This is especially common with sciatic, mid back pain, neck strain, muscle spasms. And a lot of people don't realize how tense they were until the next morning. So how do you know those stressful areas in your spine when you're stressed? Well, here are some signs your spine may be struggling after a holiday weekend. Neck stiffness, trouble turning your head, lower back soreness, tight shoulders, headaches, pain going down your leg, tingling, muscle spasm or cramping, fatigue. Your body is very good at giving warning signs, and the problem most people ignore them until things become severe. That's what human nature. Nobody acts concerned until they need help putting their socks on. So how can chiropractic can help? At Shepherd Chiropractic, our goal was to help restore proper motion and nervous system function within the spine. When joints stop moving together, surrounding tissues tighten and compensate. That creates stress patterns through the body. Adjustments help restore motion, reduce interference within the nervous system. Many patients notice better mobility, less stiffness, reduced tension, improved posture, and better recovery. And honestly, a lot of people simply feel more balanced afterward, especially after travel or physically a demanding a physically demanding weekend. So what are some simple tips to protect your spine this summer? Before we wrap this up, let me give you a few simple advices and tips. Stay hydrated. Your spinal discs need water. Summer heat plus alcohol plus sun exposure equals dehydration really fast. And dehydrated muscles tighten more easily. Drink more water than you think you'll need. Stretch before your activities. I know nobody wants to stretch before getting on a boat, but your body would appreciate it. Focus on your hamstrings, your hips, your lower back, and your shoulders. Even five minutes can help a lot. You know, and change your position as much as you can. Don't sit in one position for hours. Get up and try to move around. Walk a little. Your spine craves and loves movement. Lift smart. Cools become approximately 900 pounds on holiday weekends. Use your legs. Avoid twisting and lifting. And maybe don't try to carry six folding chairs, two bags, and a cooler in one trip just to prove that you can do it. Don't ignore the small problems. Small stiffness becomes big stiffness surprisingly fast, especially if you repeatedly stress the same areas every weekend. Okay, so as the summer gets rolling through and started with that boating, travel, and late weekends, cookouts, and all the fun that comes with all that, just remember your spine is involved in every single activity you do. If your body is feeling stiff, sore, and tight, or just maybe not functioning the way it should be after a busy weekend, chiropractic care may help quite a bit. We'd love to keep you moving well this summer. You're a Shepherd chiropractic located in Cincinnati, Ohio. And all as always, you know, with that in mind, I look forward to speaking with you on your next visit. I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen to me with your busy home, school, and work schedule. And I've always said, it is easier to build a child's future than repair an adult. Have a great weekend, and thanks for listening.

SPEAKER_00 12:17

Thanks for joining us on this episode of Dr. Joe's Podcast. Discover more insights on chiropractic, nutrition, and fitness on next week's episode and at Shepherdchiropractic.com.