5 Everyday Things To Do To Protect Your Back

Back pain is a common health concern caused by several factors like injuries and improper lifting. As your back muscles are vital to your spine and body movement, it’s imperative to keep your back healthy. Let’s dive into 5 science-backed techniques that you can do every day to strengthen your back and prevent the back pain that can significantly impede your daily activities. 

Tips for a Healthy Back

1. Know the Correct Way of Lifting Heavy Objects

You could strain or hurt your spine if you bend to pick up heavy objects in an incorrect posture and when you use your back instead of your leg muscles for lifting. Here’s a step-by-step proper lifting technique as recommended by Mayo Clinic and a physiotherapist  that you can do to avoid back pain:  

1. Stand as close as possible to the object.
2. Widen your stance
3. Squat and bend your knees whilst keeping your back straight.  
4. Use your legs to lift the object.
5. Use a chair as a transition point when moving the object.  
6. Do not lift and twist at the same time. Move your body with your feet in the same direction as the object. 

Additionally, it helps not to overexert yourself by taking a break during frequent heavy lifting of objects and, if possible, ask another person to help you with the lifting. 

2. Avoid Slouching

Slouching and prolonged sitting put pressure on your lower back. You tend to hunch over for hours using your smartphones or working on your computer. It’s easy to stay slouched even if you’re no longer using your devices. 

According to Harvard University, poor posture can lead to health issues such as fatigue and muscle strain. The National Health Service (NHS) has also identified slouching in a chair as a common posture mistake that can increase muscle tension and, consequently, pain.       

Here are some of the techniques that you can do to prevent slouching:

1. Have an ergonomically correct workstation for good desk posture. 
2. Take screen breaks as much as possible. 
3.  Part of back protection is not sitting for too long. Try to get up a couple of minutes every half hour to walk around or do some stretching.

3. Don’t Forget to Work Out 

Regular exercise helps build your muscle strength and keeps the excess weight at bay, lowering the risks of back injuries and pain. 

Weightlifting can strengthen your core and back, as well as low-intensity workouts such as yoga, walking, light jogging and stationary cycling.  

You can complement your workout with healthy eating and intake of calcium and Vitamin D for stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis.

4. Change your Sleeping Position

Sleeping flat on your back without proper support could put stress on your pressure points, and so is sleeping on your stomach. If you’re used to sleeping on your back, slightly elevate your knees using a pillow or rolled towel underneath to protect your spine. Support your neck with the correct pillow height. 

Sleeping sideways with a pillow placed between your knees is the recommended sleeping position to avoid lower back pain and ensure spinal alignment. 

Replacing your old mattress with a new one that is neither too firm nor too soft is great for back protection and improved sleep. Invest in the right mattress that makes you feel comfortable and relaxed and that is good for your back.

5. Massage Your Back

A good massage can help relieve backache, increase blood flow and ease muscle soreness. These days, you can use devices such as neck and back massagers to enjoy massage therapy right at your home.  Check out how our Neck and Shoulder Massager with Heat can help relieve stress, muscle pain and fatigue. 

Always consult a health professional before getting a massage for your back pain or injury. 

The Bottom Line

Back pain has serious health implications and could worsen if ignored. Following the five techniques above is a step in the right direction towards promoting and maintaining your back health.