10 tips for a healthy back, this Memorial Day weekend!
1. Exercise your back regularly. Walking, swimming (especially backstroke) and bicycling are all excellent ways to strengthen your back muscles.
2. Always bend your knees and your hips, not your back.
3. Never twist and bend at the same time.
4. Always lift and carry objects close to your body.
5. Try to carry loads in an back friendly bag.
6. Maintain a good posture. Avoid slumping in your chair, hunching over a desk or walking with your shoulders hunched.
7. Use a chair with proper ergonomic support. Sit with your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest. Change how you sit every few minutes. (Check out yesterday's post on SLAM).
8. Don't smoke. It is thought that smoking reduces the blood supply to the discs between the vertebrae and this may lead to degeneration of these discs.
9. Lose any excess weight. Use our Healthy weight calculator to find out if you're a healthy weight for your height.
10. Choose a mattress and pillows suited to your height, weight, age and sleeping position.
