Imagup General Magazine 2024
Spine-health holds major significance as it impacts your overall health and wellness. Your spine supports the central nervous system that controls every cell in your body.
A fast-paced life involving continuously sitting in front of a screen can negatively impact your spine and lead to many health issues. This is why it’s essential to take good care of your spinal health. Here’s how you can do that-
Exercise
Being active and exercising has numerous benefits for your mental and physical health. For a healthy back, you should exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week.
Even when you are on your work desk, take frequent breaks. Every hour or so, get up and take a walk or simply stretch. Stretching keeps your body flexible and helps maintain a good range of motion.
Ergonomics
Make sure your laptop, desktop and work desk is set up at the right height. It is important to customize your workspace according to your body’s requirements. This helps in reducing strain on your spine and lower back.
Choose a chair that provides necessary back and neck support. Again, move and change your position frequently. Proper ergonomics plays a key role in preventing neck and back issues.
Practice A Good Sitting Posture
Maintain the natural curves of your spine by practising a good posture. If you have a job that requires you to spend most of the time on your desk, make sure you reevaluate your sitting posture. Besides that, sit on an exercise ball for 15-30 minutes every day.
When driving, adjust the height and distance of the seat, and make sure your knees are slightly bent, and the back is well supported. Also, use a portable lumbar back support to cushion the seat and straighten the spine.
Lift Correctly
Whether you are working out with weights or lifting heavy objects at work, be careful. Use correct lifting techniques to avoid pulling muscles or causing a slipped disc. Keep a wide stance and always lift by bending your knees and hips, not your back.
Proper Diet
As we know, a balanced nutritious diet is essential to maintain overall health. A healthy diet also ensures good spinal health. It helps develop a lean body and strengthen muscles to support the spine.
That said, take a proper diet every day. Consume lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats along with B-complex vitamins and Omega-3 supplements
Stay Hydrated
Adequate water intake has countless health benefits. One of these benefits is a healthy spine. Often herniated discs occur due to loss of fluid in the spine causing the disc to slip out of place. Hydration helps with maintaining fluidity in joints and thereby preventing spinal disc shrinkage and slippage.
Drink 8-10 glasses of water every day.
Sleep Well, And In The Right Position
Sleeping on your stomach can put a strain on your back. It is advisable to sleep on your side for better spinal health. Also, invest in a supportive mattress and pillow to ensure proper alignment of your back and neck.
Besides that, get enough sleep (six to eight hours daily). Certain studies reveal that insufficient sleep leads to a higher risk of back and neck problems.
Quit Smoking
Certain studies have shown that smoking reduces the blood supply to the discs between the vertebrae. It can make the discs brittle and eventually fall out of place, leading to a herniated disc.
Maintain Healthy Weight
Use a weight calculator to determine a healthy weight for your height. Excess weight can put a strain on your lower back ligaments and muscles and causes back pain. Exercise regularly and take a balanced diet to lose excess weight.
Wear The Right Shoes
The footwear/ shoes you wear, play a huge role in your posture and spine health. They support your lower back and help your body stay in proper alignment. That’s why it’s important to wear the right kind of shoes.
The Right shoes have a supportive base, good fit, and the area that fits the back of your heels is not extremely tight.
Sunbath Everyday
Vitamin D is essential to keep our body functioning well. It strengthens the bones and energizes the body. Furthermore, it encourages the body to stand up straighter. So, expose yourself to sunlight for 10-15 minutes daily.
Practice Relaxation
You might not know this, but stress can also cause back pain. Learn relaxation techniques and practice meditation. This will boost your mood, reduce stress and improve your posture. Meditating regularly helps you focus on your core that automatically straightens your back.
There is no right or wrong way to meditate, but try focusing on something that helps you destress and loosen up.
Attend To The Warning Signs
Don’t ignore back pain or spinal problems. If you experience constant back pain for a lingering period of time, visit a doctor.
Such problems, when ignored, can worsen and cause serious health troubles. Listen to those warning signs. If your body is worked out all the time, attend to its needs, and seek the correct treatment.
Osteopathy
You can also consider alternative therapies to strengthen your back. Osteopaths perform manipulation techniques to the spine and help to improve its functions. They incorporate strengthening and stretching exercises, hot and cold therapy and other methods to increase blood flow, loosen tight muscle tissues and boost the feeling of relaxation.
Consult osteopaths at Bodytonic Clinic to gain advice and treatment on how to reduce back pain and restore function.
Final Thoughts
Let’s face it. Most of us don’t take good care of our spines. Improper posture and lack of proper care leads to discomforts, back, neck and spine problems in the future.
Do your spine a favour by exercising regularly, maintaining a good posture, sunbathing, meditating, eating right, sleeping well, staying hydrated, visiting an osteopath, lifting correctly, practising workplace ergonomics, and attending to physical discomforts.
By incorporating these easy practices, you can ensure the long-term health of your spine.
