10 Tips For A Healthy Spine
Increasingly, back pain is becoming the main reason why many people don’t enjoy life as much as they want it to. Going to work with this kind of pain decreases productivity and messes up focus, bonding with the family also get affected as well as those daily task or activity around the house that you enjoy become such a drag. Being able to move around comfortably is essential in our daily living, that’s why this is the perfect time to start thinking about having a healthy spine; in that case here some tips that can help you take care of your back.
1. Strive To Be Fit
You don’t necessarily have to be stick thin, but the excess weight adds pressure on your spine that causes strain on your back which leads to more serious back problems.
2. Ensure Appropriate Sleep Support
Don’t forget that along with the effort to be fit, you also have to rest. But getting 8 hours of sleep doesn’t mean you’re doing your body and back, in particular, a favor. Aside from getting the right amount of shut eye, you also have to mind the firmness of the mattress and the height of your pillows, ensuring that your head, neck and back are properly aligned.
3. Lift Right
Bend your knees, keep your back straight and lift the item using your legs not your back, this way you avoid injuring yourself while lifting anything. In addition to that, when it’s obvious that the item is heavier than you are, don’t try to lift it alone.
4. Mind Your Posture
When you get told to sit properly, stand straight and don’t slouch it doesn’t mean that they’re just exercising the inner military officer in them, it would do you good to adhere to that instruction because poor posture is actually the main factor that causes back problems over time.
5. Stay As Far As You Can From Smoke And Stress
Smoke isn’t just the culprit of respiratory diseases it also lessens the oxygen level that your body requires if you want your bones and muscles in a good shape. Stress, for that matter, doesn’t just trigger other illness but aggravate all symptoms of existing illness. Mix those two and you are surely headed to join the back pain sufferer community.
6. Do Stretching
Whenever you move, your neck and back moves as well. Regular stretching keeps you from injuries, promotes good range of motion and maintains your joint function which means it will be good for your spine in the long run.
7. Strengthen Your Core
Muscles in your middle and lower back as well as your stomach support your spine and keep back pains at bay. So you might want to inject core exercises in your regular activities.
8. Don’t Be A Couch Potato
Keeping your butt and your back glued to the couch and bed may feel rewarding at first but will make you pay double in the future. Inactivity contributes to obesity, frail bones and limits your mobility which causes unbearable back problems for you. You don’t have to be a triathlete to prevent all of those from happening, but make sure that you do something else aside from sitting and lying down all day.
9. Load Up With Liquid
Our body consists of 70% liquid, which obviously mean our entire body wouldn’t function well if you let yourself get dehydrated, and that includes the spine. Experts say that our spinal discs are susceptible to dehydration, when that happens they shrink which also causes serious disc conditions.
10. Be Vigilant For Symptoms
When you’re feeling pain anywhere in your body, that means your body is trying to send you a message that something is wrong. Granted that back pains are normal part of life, especially if you’re always tired, but chronic pains may mean there’s an underlying problem. Continue ignoring the warning signs and a bigger problem may just blowup one day. Don’t self-medicate and consult your immediate health care provider, physiatrists, or chiropractor for proper medication and treatment.
Did I forget something else? Share your own tips to take care of your spine and battle back pain that is troubling most people nowadays and you might just save another person from suffering from it.
