So many of us suffer from back pain at some stage of our life. The back muscles take a lot of the weight of the human body, and we are constantly using those muscles.
It has been proven though that losing weight can really help with bad backs, as the less excess weight your body carries then the less work and strain it will be putting on your back.
So, let’s have a look at some quick simple ideas to help with weight loss to help with your back pain.
Lower Back Pain
A lot of people who suffer from lower back pain may find it is down to a mix of bad posture and carrying extra weight. Being overweight and higher than your BMI can affect the way you stand and walk which can lead to the pains in the lower back.
Working on your posture is a good start to help with your back problem but in combination to also trying to lose any excess weight you carry, particularly around the stomach area can really help improve the issues you may feel in your lower back.
If you are overweight this can curve your backbone and put extra stress on the surrounding muscles. A good healthy diet and regular exercise can help with this.
Exercise Daily
Exercise is important in all aspects of living a healthy lifestyle. It will help with keeping you or getting to your desired weight, but also will help strengthen all those important back muscles that we rely on for so many activities.
Some people will suffer serious back injuries and they should seek medical advice from people like Spine CTSI. Others will suffer from more simple injuries, like pulled muscles or sore joints, but all back injuries can really affect your day to day life, but with some daily exercise things can soon improve.
As previously mentioned, our back muscles take a lot of strain every single day with all the different types of movements our bodies make, so exercising regularly will help the muscles grow big and strong, help with flexibility and also help so that we suffer less stiffness.
A Good Healthy Diet
Making sure we eat healthy foods and avoid the fatty ‘treat’ foods, is also great for weight loss. Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is great for all the vitamins and fiber they can give us.
Also making sure we drink plenty of water can help with keeping your weight at the desired level.
Many times, we as humans mistake hunger for actually being thirsty and dehydrated. Making sure we take on lots of fluid throughout the day can combat this, and you will soon start to realize that you may start eating less.
Yoga
Taking up Yoga could be a really good idea to help offset back pain. This will really help with the flexibility of your back muscles and can help you recover from previous injuries.
If you are new to yoga though make sure you take a beginner’s class as some of the stretches can be quite complex and difficult, so best to always start from a basic level and build yourself up.
If you are still currently suffering from a back injury, make sure you speak to your yoga teacher beforehand as they may think it’s not suitable for you depending on what type of back injury you suffer from.
Swimming
Swimming is another great form of exercise to help lose weight and build up those core back muscles. As swimming is quite low impact and the water will take a lot of the weight of your body it’s a great exercise to try when recovering from a back injury.
Swimming, although a gentle exercise, over time can help you with losing weight.
If you suffer from spine problems then using the backstroke whilst swimming is the best stroke to choose as there will be less pressure on the spine and surrounding muscle groups.
Sleeping Positions
A lot of people struggle to find a comfortable position when trying to sleep when struggling with back pain. Most people recommend trying to lay down on their back instead of on their side, as this puts less pressure on the back muscles and spine.
Using a hot water bottle under the sore parts of your back whilst trying to sleep is another good idea. As this can really help with the pain as well help you to gently drift off to sleep.
We can all agree suffering from back pain is one of the worst things anyone can go through, so it’s a good idea to try and use some of the above tips to help you get back to a pain free life.
