The spine is the central support system of our body. It protects the spinal cord and nerve roots. It helps us to maintain an upright posture and enables us to have flexible motion.
The spine connects different parts of the skeleton to each other: Head, Chest, Pelvis, Shoulders, Arms, and Legs. It carries the weight of head, torso, and arms and allows our body to move in whatever direction we want.
The health of the spine is so important for the whole body and yet weÔÇÖve adopted a lifestyle that hardly cares about its health. Right from the sitting to walking, we do everything in a way that proves out to be harmful to spine health.
Our lifestyle has the highest impact on our health.
Looking at the scale of spine problems we face especially in Kashmir, we decided to provide you some of the tips for maintaining a healthy and perfect spine. Read on and please ensure that you work on 10 tips given below.
Tip Number 1: Have a proper posture while at work desk.
Make sure your work desk is set up at your height. Your head should directly face the laptop/desktop. Your desktop should not be at a height higher or lower than that of your head.
Choose a chair that provides the lower back support or you can use a pillow to support your lower back on the chair.
Your knees should be at 90 degrees at the same level as your hips. Make sure your feet rest comfortably on the floor.
Regularly get up and walk around the office or outside. Sitting for too long without taking a break is hazardous for your spine health. A short regular break is good for your productivity too. A study published in Cognition suggests having short regular breaks.
Tip Number 2: Maintain a good body posture while sleeping
First things first, do not sleep on your stomach! That puts too much pressure on your spine.
It is always better to sleep on your side. Have a mattress and pillow that properly aligns your neck.
Tip Number 3: Stay active
Do we even need to say this? Staying active is very important in order to be healthy in a modern lifestyle scenario. Always keep moving, play outdoor games or sweat out regularly.
Hit the gym and be mentally as well as physically active. We suggest having 30 min workout each day. This not only helps your spine but your metabolism too.
Tip Number 4: Maintain a healthy weight
Whatever the case, you canÔÇÖt justify being overweight!
Maintaining a healthy and proper weight is extremely good for your spine as well as overall health.
Being overweight puts a lot of stress of on your lower back and increases the risk of lower back pain. Get used to eating a healthy diet and avoid fat and junk food.
Tip Number 5: Drink enough water
Joints need fluidity and water helps achieve that. Loss of fluidity can lead to painful disk conditions. Loss of fluid also causes the disks to become brittle and consequently slip out of place.
Therefore, it is very important to stay hydrated for good spine health. Drink 8-10 glasses of water every day.
Tip Number 6: Eat well
Foods rich in protein and calcium help strengthen the bones and muscles. Keep what you eat under check and avoid food with high calorie and fat.
Needless to say but do avoid junk food also.
Tip Number 7: Lift objects properly
Use your legs and knees to pull up an object rather than your back and upper body.
Whenever lifting objects, stand as close to it as possible. Keep your head down and back straight. However, if the object is too heavy, donÔÇÖt try to lift it yourself.
Tip Number 8: Stretch your legs and spine
Keep stretching your legs and spine regularly when you are sitting for too long. Do stretching after 2 hours of sitting. Prolonged sitting makes your joints and muscles stiffer and hence important to stretch regularly.
Tip Number 9: DonÔÇÖt cradle the phone between your neck and shoulders
It is quite common that when we are working on our desk, we put the phone between the neck and shoulders. This practice is harmful and causes poor alignment.
It is better to use your headphone if your hands are busy doing some task.
Tip Number 10: DonÔÇÖt overload a backpack or purse
This is especially for school children. It is a common sight to see children with heavily loaded bags in Kashmir. This practice is harmful to the spine and should be avoided at all costs. It is preferable to have a bag pack of less than 10 percent of your body weight.
DonÔÇÖt overload purse as this puts too much strain on shoulders and hence cause problems with the spine.
Sometimes some small things can go a long way to make positive changes with your health. These small yet important tips for maintaining a healthy spine are only effective when acted on.
Your spine holds your weight and deserves your care. LetÔÇÖs start from this very day to start acting on these tips and lead a better life with a better lifestyle. Stay fit and healthy.
Do you know we are organizing a free medical camp for bones, spines and joint issues?! Register here and get a free consultation!