Are you suffering from back pain? If you are, you certainly are not alone. Many people complain about having pain in their backs at some point. For some unfortunate individuals, the pain is chronic. Sometimes, some simple lifestyle changes can help to reduce back pain. Let’s look at some of the things that you can do to make some changes in your life.
Exercise More Often
How much exercise are you getting? If you are like most people, you aren’t getting enough. In fact, you may not be getting any exercise. You need to put a priority on this. An unfit body often leads to pain in the back. Make sure that you are getting exercise each day if possible, and five days a week at a minimum. You should mix up the type of exercise that you get as well. You need both cardiovascular training as well as strength training. Strong muscles help to lead to a strong foundation for the body. Working out also helps you to lose weight. We’ll cover this more in the next section.
Improve Your Nutrition
When you eat the wrong types of food, you are adding needless and useless calories, and you may be adding inflammatory foods to your diet. This means that it could be exacerbating your back pain. Carrying around extra weight on the body changes the center of gravity, which can cause back pain too. You should start eating better – fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and lean meat should be on the menu. This will help you lose weight, and it will ensure you aren’t filling the body with foods that are working against it, such as processed food.
Curb the Bad Habits
What other bad habits do you have? Drinking alcohol can cause inflammation in the body, and smoking can make it more difficult to get nutrients to the muscles and disks in the back. Stopping these bad habits could actually be very good for your back, as well as the rest of your health.
Good Sleep and Less Stress
When you live a healthy life, you will find that it can help you sleep better at night. You won’t suffer from pain and heartburn, and stopping caffeine will ensure that you don’t stay up late at night. Couple this with exercise and you will find that it helps to reduce your overall stress levels. This makes sleeping at night much easier as well.
Proper Lifting
Finally, make sure that you are lifting correctly. The old adage of lift with your legs and not your back is very true. Pay attention to how you are lifting and twisting and turning when you are working out, as well as doing your normal daily tasks. It will help to keep your back much safer.
In addition to the above tips and lifestyle changes you make, it might also be advantageous to start working with a chiropractor. The specialists can provide adjustments, help you control and manage your back pain, and provide more insight into how to get healthier and stay that way.