A strong back is a key factor for quality of life and affects your ability to perform daily tasks, work, play and your overall mood and well-being. Keep your back strong with these basic precautions to lower chances of muscle strains:
- Sitting. Take frequent breaks to move. Sit for 60 and stretch for 3. Try to keep knees level with hips.
- Standing. Maintain good posture. Alternate one foot then the other on a low footstool.
- Lift carefully. Keep back straight, bend at knees and lift with legs. Hold weight close to your body, don’t twist.
- Prevent falls. Avoid slippery surfaces, hold handrails on stairways and remove clutter from floors that can be trip hazards.
- Aim for a healthy weight. When your body carries extra weight it adds strain to back muscles and ligaments.
- Wear proper fitting shoes. Feet absorb the shock of body weight with each step. If your shoes aren’t the right fit, it transfers these forces up the knees, hips and lower back.
- Exercise regularly. Proper technique is crucial to keep muscles strong and prevent strains. Always stretch and warm up.
*National Osteoporosis Foundation
“If you can lessen the chance of a bad injury by being strong, you have to do it.” Joel Parkinson