Back pain doesn’t take a backseat so you can get the daily physical activity you need for optimal overall health. And despite not being able to exercise, that doesn’t stop you from requiring a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity each week, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is obviously quite a problem.
So what can you do to get moving in spite of your back pain? As a musculoskeletal and pain management specialist, our Chelsea chiropractor at Precision Spinal Care, also known as A Spine at a Time, has some tips so back pain will no longer be an excuse.
Start Slow
Whether you see professional athletes on TV or have friends and family who are avid gym junkies, these started out slow, even if they didn’t have an extra obstacle in the way.
Think about it for a second. You have to build your muscles. Overdoing exercise puts you at risk of a number of injuries. When you push yourself past your limits during workouts, you’ll find it hinders future exercise sessions.
So don’t let all the health nuts fool you – they started out slow because slow and steady truly wins the race for better physical health.
Listen to Your Body
You may have heard “Listen to Your Heart,” but as a Chelsea chiropractor my motto is “listen to your body.” Pain is your body’s warning system, like those lights on the dashboard of your car.
While a little bit of pain helps to build muscle, more than a little puts you at risk for an injury. Therefore, if you notice you’re feeling more than a little back pain, take a break. You could change the exercise to something that isn’t placing pressure on your back.
Try Low-Impact and Back Friendly Exercises
An exercise program that fits one person doesn’t work for another. Physical activity is not truly a one-size-fits-all concept. You’ll notice that even physical trainers don’t have the same workout routine. And while theirs is in direct relation to the parts of the body and overall health goals they have, the average person should focus on the exercises that most fit in with their lifestyle, health conditions, etc.
Fortunately, there are numerous exercises that you can do to reach the recommended daily amount of exercise. For one, swimming is a low-impact exercise when it comes to your joints.
So get out and do some laps regularly!
If swimming isn’t always a choice or isn’t up your alley, try walking or jogging. Make sure you wear supportive shoes, though, as they provide a stable foundation, which helps your knees and back.
And we’d like to note that these are merely some suggestions.
See Our Chiropractor
Visiting our Chelsea chiropractor can help you in two ways. For one, through spinal adjustments and other natural treatments, our practitioner can ease your back pain. Exercise therapy, for instance, can help you recover from an injury and strengthen and increase flexion in the back.
Secondly, our chiropractor can provide you with exercise recommendations that won’t stress your back.
Correct Some Bad, Pain-Causing Habits
Even if bad habits, like poor posture and leading a sedentary lifestyle, didn’t cause your back pain, they still add to it. Therefore, correct your posture when you stand, sit, or walk. Fortunately, our chiropractor can help!
And if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, make it a point to get up more.
At Precision Spine, we don’t just want to see you have less back pain. We want you to live your best life, complete with getting all the physical activity you need.
So give us a call today at 734-433-9564 to use our online contact form.
