(3) Lifting
We get up from sitting many times every day - in the car, mealtimes, on the toilet, at the computer. Bad technique getting up from sitting will strain the back and gradually the repeated strain will become pain. To avoid strain getting up from a sitting position a squatting action is used. Both feet need to be placed flat on the floor with the knees over the toes. Put pressure through your feet and use the strength of your legs to enable you to stand up avoiding straining your back.
Your back is most vulnerable to injury with a combination of bending and twisting. Lifting with your back bent and twisting to one side will cause minor damage in the back which accumulates to cause back pain. Combined bending and twisting is to be avoided.
Exercising 30 minutes per day, at least 5 days each week will improve the health of your back and your heart and your general well-being. Exercise that particularly helps to strengthen your back includes pilates classes, swimming and cycling. Avoid exercise that will put a strain on your back, such as the rowing machine.
(5) Bend and Twist
(1) Work posture
One of the greatest contributors to back pain is posture at work. The common problem is repeatedly twisting to one side to view a computer or use a desk.
Lifting with your back bent is well known as a cause of back strain. The best alternative is to bend one or both knees to lunge or squat to the floor. Hold the item you are lifting directly in front of you and close to your body to reduce strain.
Toilets may have improved a bit since then (though not in France), but taking a pee is still fraught with more unseen dangers for us girls than exploring the uncharted rain forests of the Amazon.The first thing my mother taught me was to grab a handful of toilet paper and wipe the seat. Then
Armani Long Sleeve T-Shirts, she'd carefully lay strips of toilet paper to cover the seat. Lesson two was learning to assume 'The position'. This required carefully balancing over the toilet in a squatting position without actually letting any of your flesh make contact with the toilet seat. The flaw in this strategy was that by the time I was ready to pee, my thigh muscles had given up the struggle, I'd overbalance
G-Star Hoody, land heavily on the seat and the trickle of wetness down the inside of my leg meant we'd have to go home to change my knickers.
(7) Getting up from sitting
It is important not to spend long hours at your desk without moving. Aim to get up and move every 20-30 minutes.
A wallet in your back pocket creates a wedge under one buttock cheek. The effect is to tilt your pelvis which puts a strain through your spine and in the long-term may lead to back pain.
The computer must be directly in front of the user, with the top of the screen at eye level. Avoid repeatedly twisting to the same side to see paperwork or use other items. Try to be balanced so that the items you need are equally distributed to either side of your desk.
Carrying a handbag on one shoulder results in tense shoulder and back muscles on one side. Long-term results are a difference in shoulder height and one side of the back becomes stronger than the other. Your bag should be as light as possible and either carried on both shoulders or alternated between left and right shoulders.
These simple adjustments to your lifestyle will significantly reduce your risk of back pain. If you don't have back pain, now is the time to act to prevent any future problems.
(6) Relaxed sitting
Relaxing in the evening may involve being in the same position for a couple of hours. It is important to avoid always lying on the same side, or sitting with your legs always curled up to the same side
Gucci Low Cut Women, or always leaning on the same arm of the chair. Variety is important so balance your sitting positions by changing to the opposite side or sitting in a different chair. Sitting with your feet up in front of you can be a good position to relax in.
(2) Crossed legs
80% of people will experience back pain during their lifetime. 15% will have pain lasting longer than 2 weeks. Back pain has become a 21st century epidemic but there are some simple measures that can help reduce your risk of developing back pain. In my practice the majority of cases of back pain has been caused by one of the factors outlined below.
I don't know if you have ever tried to hold your bladder in for four hours in a car travelling at speeds in excess of 120 miles an hour, but it may explain why my mother had the thigh muscles of an Olympic athlete. Those of you who have never been to France may think my mother was a bit picky, but then you've probably never had to squat over a smelly hole in the ground whilst clinging for dear life to two rusty, iron chains in a damp cellar, illuminated by a single light bulb dangling from the ceiling that had last been changed during the German occupation forty years earlier, while a cadaverous male attendant reeking of garlic politely enquires if you would like another sheet of newspaper.
(8) Exercise
Repeatedly crossing the legs one-way stretches muscles and ligaments through your pelvis and back which leads to one side of your back being more flexible than the other. Try to cross your legs to both sides but ultimately try to avoid crossing your legs altogether. You will find it's a difficult habit to break!
(4) Wallet/Hand bag