Your spine supports everything you do – from work to play and everything in between. It is also the part of your body that probably withstands the most amount of stress each day, and poor spine health can lead to chronic pain that can affect your mental wellbeing and quality of life for many years. That is why ensuring that your spine is healthy is crucial.
Check out these tips for a healthy spine:
- Start walking
Get active by moving and stretching every hour when you’re working. Take a brisk walk around the block to get the blood flowing, loosen the body, and refresh the mind.
- Stretch your hamstrings
Loosen up the tendons that run up the back of the thigh to improve poor posture.
- Stretch your neck
Rotate your neck by slowly nodding your head down until you feel a gentle stretch at the base of the neck, then up to look at the ceiling. Next, turn your head side to side in a slow-motion “no” gesture. Finish with a few gentle, circular rotations, as if you’re drawing a circle with your chin. Repeat this cycle a few times each hour.
- Stretch your shoulders
Squeeze your shoulders by pressing your shoulder blades toward the middle of your back. Hold the motion for a few seconds. Do this a couple of times each hour to relieve tension and loosen the muscles.
- Strengthen your core
Core strength supports good breathing and good posture. There are many at-home moves to improve core strength available on various apps and YouTube.
- Extend your spine
Stand up and lean back, forming an arch with your back for 15 or 20 seconds.
- Try Yoga
Yoga is a great option to improve mobility. Try prone press-ups like the cobra pose to relieve lower back pain.
Whether in the office, working from a dedicated home office or making do with what you have at home, it’s important to spare a thought for your spine and switch up your position and posture often.
