Spine Health: a practical guide
The spine is our bodies central support structure. It is a complex structure of small bones, cushioning disks, nerves, joints, ligaments and muscles. The three main functions of the spine are to protect the spinal cord, provide structural support and balance and enable flexible motion.
A stable spine has greater flexibility, meaning it allows you to move naturally and freely without pain. But an injured spine can make it challenging to lift, reach, stretch, or complete other everyday movements. The good news is there are many ways we can keep our spines healthy, minimise back problems, and look forward to a flexible and pain-free future.
Stretch and strengthen the back
Stretching relaxes and lengthens the muscles of your spine. Regularly stretching your back, abs and hamstrings also helps more nutrients to reach your spinal discs and tissues, which can reduce inflammation, keep your muscles and joints healthy, and accelerate healing.
Try to keep sitting time to a minimum
The discs in your lower spine take on more pressure when you’re sitting than when you’re standing, and sitting down for long periods of time can actively cause back pain. Try and walk at every opportunity to keep the spine activated, and even consider sitting on a workout ball instead of a chair, so your core remains engaged and your back stays erect.
Eat the right foods
Try to cut down on foods that can cause inflammation, like refined sugar, processed foods, and red meat and eat as many anti-inflammatory foods as possible, like whole grains, fruits, veggies, and olive oil. It’s also wise to eat foods that are high in calcium and other important minerals and vitamins – things like dark green vegetables, beans and lentils, sardines, almonds, tofu, and figs. These foods can help prevent spinal disorders like osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.
Final thoughts…
From slipped discs to trapped nerves, most of us will have experienced back pain before – and unfortunately, back problems become more common with age.
Pilates exercises teach awareness of neutral alignment of the spine and strengthens the deep postural muscles that support this alignment, which are both important to help alleviate and prevent back pain.