Tips for Keeping Your Back Happy
By Sara Butler
Of all the relationships in your life you seek to improve, the relationship you have with your back should be one of your top priorities. This is especially true if you’re the typical worker who spends a whopping 47 hours per week (on average) at work. Yes, people in the United States work – a lot.
The second biggest reason for missing work, according to the National Institutes of Health, is back pain. These two statistics – working long hours and missing work due to back pain – are inextricably linked. The longer you spend at your desk working during the week, the greater the chance of experiencing back pain. This is what makes it so important to pay attention to your posture and your habits during the day. In an effort to let your back know you care and try to make it as happy as possible, try incorporating a few of these tips into your life!
Stay Hydrated
There are a ton of health benefits to staying properly hydrated, and one of them happens to be keeping your back healthy. Drinking enough of the wet stuff helps to flush your system, helps you to control your weight, helps keep the discs in your back from breaking down and also serves to get you up and moving periodically so you can use the restroom!
That last part is important since staying in one posture for long periods is not good for your body, especially your spine. Getting up and moving around at least once an hour is super important!
Try a Pilates or Yoga Class
You don’t have to be a new age maven or as flexible as a Chinese acrobat to take a Pilates or yoga class – anyone can do it! It’s a great way to incorporate breathing exercises with stretching to help keep your spine healthy and build muscles that help support proper posture while working on your flexibility.
Don’t be intimidated to find a class for beginners where you live. There are many classes available in local communities since they’ve both become popular workouts. Doing either of these exercises at least once a week can have a big impact on your spinal health as well as your overall health. It helps to decrease muscle tension, reduce stress and support proper spinal alignment too!
If you have questions about things you can do over the course of your day to make your back happy, discuss it with your chiropractor during your visit to The Joint Chiropractic!