1. Regular exercise. Exercise helps to keep your muscles and joints moving to avoid feeling stiff. It strengthens your muscles to support your bones and reduce the strain on your back with everyday activities. Make sure you have someone check your technique before lifting weights or doing new forms of exercise.
2. Stretching after exercise. Even a 5 minute stretch of your hamstrings, buttocks, calves muscles and hip flexors will avoid feeling as stiff when you cool down.
3. Get up regularly from your desk. Our bodies are made to move, not sit still at a desk for 8-12 hours a day. Make excuses to get up and moving!
4. Good ergonomic desk setup. Small changes can make a big difference, have a professional assess your desk (we can come to you!). Often the changes are things you won’t notice yourself!
5. Avoid slouching at your desk, on the train and on the couch. Slouching puts undue strain on you back joints and muscles.
6. Don’t carry a heavy bag over one shoulder. This causes your back on the opposite side to strain to hold you upright. If your bag is more than 10% of your body weight it is probably too heavy.
7. Avoid high heels where possible. High heels shift your weight forward and make your back work harder to keep you balanced which can lead to muscle tightness.
8. Keeping heavy loads close to your body when lifting (this includes children).
9. Bend from the knees not from your back, even for trivial task such as unloading the dishwasher!
10. Reduce stress and anxiety as this will create tension in your back. Try 5 minutes of deep breathing into your belly if your back is starting to stiffen or when you are feeling stressed.
For more information, or if you have read these tips too late and your back pain has already set in, book in to see one of the Sydney CBD Physios at Bend + Mend and we’ll get you back on track!
