Back pain is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the globe. Research suggests that as much as 80% of the population experiences back pain at some point in their lives. Nor is the problem only confined to the older generation. The demographic characteristics of people experiencing back pain cover all ages and income levels.
This means that the right time to start making suitable lifestyle changes for better back health is now. But there is a lot of uncertainty about the right lifestyle routines to follow in order to keep your back strong and pain-free until the end of life.
Below are some of the scientifically backed ways for a healthy back that will last you a lifetime:
Core muscle strengthening
Stability is one of the key factors when it comes to the long-term health of your back. If the back is not strong enough, then the body tends to take the support of passive structures for stability. These structures include ligaments and spinal bones.
Weak muscles around your core and lower back area are the primary cause leading your body to find stability from other body structures. As a result, it only stands to reason that strengthening your core muscles is beneficial for your back, though studies suggest that even general exercise is good enough for back health.
As such, the importance of building better core strength for a longer-lasting back cannot be overstated.
Posture
It’s extremely easy to fall into the habit of a bad posture when sitting and standing. Sedentary office jobs and long working hours have only contributed to a wide percent of the population developing bad posture. Poor posture directly affects your spine and is a major factor in chronic back problems and pain.
The spine’s natural shape has a curve that allows it to evenly support your upper body weight. This curve changes shape when a person is positioned in a chair, as sitting increased the weight for the spine to support. If you are prone to slouching, the problem only worsens and can damage your vertebrae.
It is important to be mindful of your posture and practice safe sitting. The natural tendency of most people is to slouch, especially when working on a computer or writing on paper. But with enough practice, you can train your body to sit upright in a way that supports the natural curve of the spine, rather than forcing it to readjust in harmful ways.
Balanced Diet
No health-related discussion is ever complete without mention of a balanced diet. The same is the case with the spine. Essentially, the spine is a network of tiny pieces of bone. Therefore, foods and nutrients considered beneficial for bone strength should be a part of your diet. Anti-inflammatory foods and Vitamin D, in particular, are good for healthy bones.
However, vitamin D is not as freely available as other vitamins. Chief sources of vitamin D include sunlight, seafood, egg yolks, and supplements. Making sure that you are regularly exposed to one or more of these sources in sufficient quantity is key to maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D for a strong spine.
Quality of mattress and sleep position
If you have an old, bumpy mattress, it may harm your spine and the quality of your sleep each night. The problem of using a poor mattress is thus multiplied because poor sleep indirectly affects your whole body and provides much-needed relief to every part of the body after a hard day’s work.
Poor mattresses also directly affect your spine by causing its natural curve to warp. Often, the even structure of an old mattress can compel you to sleep in certain positions more than others, and these positions may not be the best for maintaining the integrity of your spine in the long run.
Therefore, a good quality mattress is vital if you plan on keeping that back straight and stress-free well into your old age. At the same time, practice better sleeping positions that don’t put undue stress and weight on your spine. A simple healthy position is to lie flat on your bed with a pillow under your knees.
Safe exercise
While exercise is necessary for keeping your back strong and in good shape, it’s very easy to hurt your back if the particular movements and forms you are following during workout are incorrect.
To make sure your exercise routines aren’t harmful to your back (or any other part of the body, for that matter), it pays to have a trainer supervise your movements and forms, at least when first starting out. Closely observing your stance, posture, and movements during weight-lifting exercises in a mirror is a good way of making sure you aren’t unnecessarily putting tension on muscles that shouldn’t be playing much of a part in that particular exercise.
This doesn’t mean that you should avoid exercise altogether because routine exercise is arguably one of the most important steps you can take for preserving the correct shape and posture for your back.
Mental health
It’s not obvious that depression and mental disorders should play any part in back pain. But research shows that there is a strong correlation between depression and back pains. One of the reasons that depression contributes to back problems is the general lethargy and lack of motivation that depressed individuals often experience.
This prevents a lot of people from making suitable lifestyle changes that are beneficial for their backs. Moreover, depression often causes poor sleep cycles and insomnia, which in turn play a role in reinforcing harmful sleeping postures and promoting an attitude of indifference to such unhealthy habits. Seeking professional counseling and therapeutic assistance can be a big step towards improving your overall health and life.
The Wrap Up
Our backs are notoriously weak and prone to developing problems during the course of life. However, there are many immediate steps you can take to better care of your spine. These range all the way from improving your posture and sleeping better to incorporating exercise in your daily routine and seeking mental counseling.
While there is a lot you can do for the health of your back, the worst is ignoring to care for it altogether. Start with small steps and develop healthy habits that are responsive to the needs of your back.
You’ll be saving yourself from a whole lot of pain, money, and worry just by being mindful of your back’s health.
