Did you know that 8 out 10 people
suffer from acute or chronic back pain? I know that better now than I did a few
months ago as my husband has been afflicted with and incapacitated by it for
the past 4-6 weeks. For a runner who has
been waiting for spring to arrive it is very cruel to be watching everyone else
run and walk and not be able to join in.
The root cause for his pain we
are sure, is sitting at a desk, even with an ergonomic chair for too many
hours, at work and at home. Having a good chair is helpful but we would all be
better off if we stood up and moved around at least every 20-30 minutes.
When
you aren't confined to a chair, stand up and stay active. By exercising
you strengthen those muscles surrounding your spine. Maintaining a healthy
weight will also lighten the load that your lower back must bear. With a
healthier body overall, you'll feel better and sit a little taller.
One
other personal observation: we all need to do more stretching and cross
training. Walking is terrific, better on the knees than running, but we need to
work harder to stretch – after a short warm up when we start to walk, and more
importantly after exercising – regularly and completely. Take as long as 20
minutes after a long walk. Do it, you may even save on massage and physio
visits.
