Three Mistakes to Avoid To Ensure A Healthy Back

Personal health is something too many people take for granted. If  we’re not suffering from any ailments presently, we often do not give thought to how we’ll feel in the future. The health of our backs is no exception. Unfortunately, this negligence is when problems can start developing and with no precautionary measures, these problems can become serious and unavoidable. Fortunately this does not have to be the case. Here are three mistakes you should avoid in order to ensure the health of your back and spine.

1. Mistaking Exercise for Creating a Healthy Back – While exercising will generally benefit your overall health, it will not improve all areas equally. Running and riding a bike are great options for cardiovascular health and to maintain a healthy weight, but they alone will not build a strong, healthy back. In order to do this, begin incorporating abdominal and back specific exercises into your routine.

2. Not Working on Your Flexibility – Flexibility can go a long way in preventing injuries in any part of the body, the back included. To help prevent tightness and injury, try adding a short stretching to your post-workout routine. If you want to take it a step further, give yoga a shot. Research has shown that yoga may be the fastest way to ease any lower back pain.

3. Forgetting Your Knees – How often do people compensate with their back when bending over or picking something up? It seems to be a throw away rule people learn at an early, but bending at the knees and using your legs when lifting something must not be overlooked. The extra stress placed on your back by not engaging your legs can be the gateway to injury and chronic back pain. Also, remembering to keep your knees slightly bent throughout the day will help alleviate pressure that can build up in your back from long period of standing.

Each of the above mistakes can be easily avoided with some simple planning and practice. Don’t wait until you have back pain to begin dealing with it. Begin taking preventative measures now. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.