Sit down straight! Do not slouch! As you go, tighten your stomach! How many times in our childhood we heard these annoying remarks. It turns out that this is not the carping of adults. The fact that a healthy spine is the basis of health, you realize only with age.
Orthopedic doctors say that the way we move, in which poses we conduct various everyday activities, depends on the health of the spine. We will try to explain - why. If your work requires a lot of time to spend in one position, sitting or standing, or you already have problems with posture, read this article carefully. Let's start with some information that will allow us to better understand why a healthy spine is so important for us.
How the spine is arranged. The spine consists of several vertebrae arranged one above the other, connected in a single chain. This allows us to perform various movements - sit, bend in different directions, roll heads. Between the vertebral discs are located flexible cartilage, which serve as a shock absorber. A similar role is played by natural bending of the spine. Because it is not quite straight, but has the shape of the letter "S". Curvature acts as an absorbing spring, smoothing the impacts that occur when walking and running. Mobility to the spine is provided not only by the joints, but also located symmetrically on both sides of the back muscles and abdominal muscles. They serve for the spine as a kind of corset. This helps to keep the body in a vertical position. All described mechanism is arranged so that a healthy spine can cope with rather high loads. And although after many years its strength decreases, we often accelerate this process ourselves. We do not lead a healthy lifestyle, useful for the spine. So what can we do to keep the spine healthy, because it is the basis of health!
Love the movement. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, less nutrients are required to the vertebrae and intervertebral discs for continuous recovery. This, in turn, leads to premature wear. Our advice: Be more active every day.
- Practice in any sport. If this is not possible, replace it by fast walking. However, provided that you will walk at least half an hour a day. Even in bad weather.
- On the way to work or returning home by public transport, get off several stops earlier and walk around.
- Instead of using the elevator, slowly climb the stairs. A couple of such seemingly quiet rises replace half of a big workout for all muscle groups.
Strengthening the muscles. Only the elastic and strong muscles support the spine in the correct position. The poorest layers of the population (especially the back and abdominal muscles), Often the cause of various deformations of the spine, mainly lateral curvatures (such as scoliosis), are the weak muscles of the back and abdominal press. Our advice: the best way to strengthen muscles is by exercising in the gym.
- Exercise should be done daily, at least for a few minutes. Only in this case will the desired result.
- Training in the gym begin with a small load. Avoid movements that cause the lowering of the spine (lifting weights above the head), or increase the pressure on the discs (excessive tilt forward or backward).
- If you have problems with the spine, before going to the gym, consult a doctor.
Walk right. Vertical pose while walking provides a uniform distribution of pressure on the spine, joints and discs. If you are slouching, the pectoral muscles contract and the lower back. As a result, the pectoral muscles strain the entire vertebral column, which leads to an excessive inclination forward. Our advice: go with a straight back.
- Remember, do not tilt your head down when walking.
- Do not forget to tighten your buttocks and stomach.
- Try to keep your hands on one level, slightly bending them inward.
- Do not tilt the body to the right or left when walking. Hips should be at the same height.
Do not bother at the table. The way we sit is even more important than walking. Because when we sit, the load on the spine is the biggest. The pressure on the vertebrae reaches 150 kg. And if the back is bent, the force acting on it is about 175 kg! Constant hunches also have a negative effect on muscles. And this after a while leads to the curvature of the back. Our advice: to sit in the wrong position is often due to non-ergonomic furniture. Get the "right" furniture.
- Do not sit in an uncomfortable chair for a long time, because this is the main reason for excessive bending of the lumbar spine. For a long time, ergonomic chairs designed to hold the spine in the right position have been developed.
- Avoid low chairs. They create an additional burden on the spine.
- Try to sit down so that your weight is concentrated on the buttocks and thighs. Hips should be parallel to the floor.
- Do not throw your foot on the leg. This causes the spine to twist.
- When driving, adjust the driver's seat correctly. The seat height and its tilt should be such that the steering wheel, shift knob and pedals are easily accessible. The knees should be slightly bent while the hips are positioned horizontally. If the seat back is not convex at the height of the lumbar spine, fit a special cushion and cover.
Avoid overloading. Introducing a woman without a fashion bag, a bag of groceries or a travel bag for traveling is impossible! All of them affect the position of the spine. Even the lightest handbag is not safe - a woman instinctively slightly lifts her shoulder, on which her handbag hangs. And this is a change in posture, the body weight is not evenly distributed. Our advice is simple: observe the following rules.
- When leaving the store with packages, distribute their weight in two hands.
- If you carry a bag on your shoulder, throw it from time to time from one shoulder to the other.
- Lift the heavy object from the floor by sitting, keeping the vertical position of the spine, then slowly get up. If you lift an object standing on its feet, the pressure on the spine increases twofold. This can lead to the displacement (fall) of the disc. And this is very dangerous!
- Adjust the height of the furniture according to your height. For example, the countertop in the kitchen should be located about 8 cm below the elbow.
- Pick up a tube to the vacuum cleaner so long that you do not have to bend into three deaths during harvesting.
- Make sure you have a good mattress. It should not be too soft. The ideal option (but not the most pleasant one) is a flat solid surface. But if everything is in order with the spine, it is enough to purchase an ergonomic mattress worthy of the manufacturer.
- Try to sleep in the right position for the spine. Most often it is recommended to sleep on the side with legs slightly bent at the knees. If you are used to sleeping on your back, then at least lay a small pillow under your knees - this will relieve the lumbar spine from unnecessary strain.
Control your weight. Even a little overweight creates an additional burden on the spine. This often leads to premature deterioration of the spine, joints and discs.
Warning signals . Most people go to see a doctor only when they have an attack of severe back pain. And yet the spine sends the first signals much earlier. This can be, for example, neck pain that occurs after a long seat with the head down. Also, the signals can be headache, dizziness, tingling in the legs and hands. Sometimes back pain is mistakenly treated as an inflammation of the nerve endings. However, most often the main reason - disks disks. Thus, any pain in the back (even a small one), which repeats and lasts longer, requires professional consultation with an orthopedist. Not only to alleviate the symptoms, but primarily to prevent further deformation of the spine.
Rules for the office. If you sit around the table all day, try to make your work least burdensome for the spine.
- The chair should match your height.
- The table should be of such a height that the upper part of the spine does not flex during operation.
- If you are working on a computer, install the monitor in front of your face. If he must necessarily stand aloof, for example, in order not to interfere with the contact with customers, once every three months, move the printhead to the other side of the table.
- The keyboard should be installed at a height to allow the forearms to be held horizontally. This eliminates the need to bend your wrists up when entering characters.
Comfortable clothes and shoes are also important. The most important subject of the wardrobe is comfortable shoes. But other garments also affect the condition of the spine. Too tight pants and skirts prevent the abdominal muscles and lower back from stretching freely. Our tip: Shoes should be soft and flexible - this is useful for protecting your back from the blows that occur when walking.
- Heels should be at a height of 2-3 cm (maximum - 4 cm) from the ground.
- A high heel leads to a cardinal change in posture and deformation of the vertebrae. And also to stretching and loosening of the abdominal muscles.
Remember that in a healthy spine - the foundation of the health of the whole body!