This week is Back Care Awareness Week and we want to share with you some of the ways in which you can look after your back.
We find that people move into our Park Homes for many different reasons and these can include a desire to move into a single storey home to help with any mobility issues that may appear in the future. If you are interested in looking at one of our new developments just click here.
Spending too much time sitting down can have a detrimental effect on the health on your back and so can poor posture, but there are a some steps that you can take to help manage this.
Shoes – now you might not realise how important your shoe choice is, but it can have an impact on the stress on your back. For example high heels increase the stress on your back and they should only be worn for short periods of time and not when you will be walking long distances. Equally ballet pumps that are completely flat cause your pelvis to be set in an unnatural position which then causes lower back pain. The best shoes to wear and those that are comfortable and provide support and a degree of shock absorption through your feet and ideally those that have around a 1 inch heel.
Mattress – make sure that your mattress is is firm enough to support your back. There are some studies that suggest a firm mattress is best for those that suffer with persistent back pain but a medium mattress is often just as good. As soon as you start to notice to much give in your bed you should think about investing in a new mattress to help give your back the support that it needs overnight whilst you rest.
Bags – if you carry a bag around regularly it is important to ensure that you do not overfill this and where possible you should use bags that spread the weight across your bag, such as a backpack, rather than on one shoulder. Women who carry large, heavy handbags can find that over time they start to suffer with problems relating to their shoulders and back.
Posture – improving your posture whilst standing and sitting can improve the health of your back and alleviate some back pain. Poor posture can affect the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your back as well as putting extra pressure on your vertebrae. Where possible, when standing, you should stand upright, with the weight distributed evenly across both feet and with your hips in alignment. When sitting your should try to have your feet flat on the floor and sit with your lower and upper back supported by the chair.
Activity – keeping as active as possible is great for our bodies and this is certainly the case for our backs. Walking, swimming, yoga and Pilates are all great ways to strengthen and stretch your back to help keep it healthy and to keep you mobile for as long as possible.