Fit_Well_October_2017

Sort it!

Photos

Getty

‘An osteopath

advised me to lie

on the floor with a

cushion behind my

back.’ Verity

Nicholls

‘I find doing the

Cat and Cow yoga

moves really help

me stretch my

back out.’ Susan

Highfield

‘Exercise and

doing plenty of

stretches. Sitting

still for a long

time never helps

me!’ Holly Ripley

‘I would

recommend a cold

compress placed

on your back for

15 minutes.’ Mikki

Buyet-Knowles

THE onE THInG... That eases my back pain

2

assume the ‘bbc’ position

Two out of five people believe sitting too lo

ng at a^

desk is the primary trigger for back-pain tro

ubles,^

says a Deep Heat survey. Sit ‘BBC’ style, with Botto

m to Back

of Chair. ‘Sit up straight with bottom against seat ba

ck and

shoulder blades touching back rest,’ says Rishi Loatey o

f the

British Chiropractic Association (BCA). ‘Tilt chair fo

rward,^

so knees are lower than hips and feet are flat o

n the floor. ’

Watch bad^

bacK habits

‘We put our backs at risk of^

injury many times a day –^

placing heavy dishes in the

oven, lifting shopping or even^

brushing our teeth,’ says

Stephen. ‘Try kneeling on one^

knee when putting dishes in^

the oven to keep the spine in a^

neutral position. Bend knees

slightly when brushing teeth,^

and soften your knees and^

bend from the pelvis (not the^

lower back) when lifting

shopping bags out of the boot.’

sit less and

move more

Alarmingly, according to the British

Chiropractic Association , we’re

spending almost half the day (10

hours) sitting, which is really bad

news for our backs.

‘Sitting causes up

to twice as much

pressure on discs

in the spine as

standing,’ explains

Rishi Loatey. ‘Don’t

sit for more than

20-30 minutes at a

time – stand up to stretch, change

position and walk around a little.’

3

drinK more Water

Healthy spinal discs – which

‘cushion’ the vertebrae and act

as shock absorbers – contain about 80%

water. During the day, as gravity affects

the spine, water is squeezed out of the

discs, which could lead to back pain. ‘Think

of the discs like tyres that deflate as the day

goes on,’ says Stephen. ‘Try to drink at least 2 litres

of water a day to keep well hydrated.’

sort your

sleeping position

‘The worst sleeping position is lying on

your front, as it exaggerates the arch at the

base of your spine and can cause strain on

the lower back,’ explains Sammy Margo,

physiotherapist and sleep expert

(sammymargophysiotherapy.com). ‘We

should try to maintain the spine’s natural

curves by side-sleeping, or sleeping on your

back with a pillow under your knees.’

ease into the

morning

‘Don’t jump out of bed – your back

muscles, ligaments and joints

stiffen up after a night resting in

one position, so you’re more

vulnerable to injury first thing in

the morning,’ says Sammy. ‘Lying

on your back, gently pull each leg to

your chest 10 times to loosen up.

Then ‘log roll’ out of bed – roll on to

your side (no twisting and turning),

bend your knees, push your hands

to raise yourself up and lower your

legs over the side of the bed.’

checK your

bra fits

‘When your cup size is too large for

your frame, it places stress on the

spine,’ says Dr Surinder Sandhu

(bedford-chiropractor.co.uk). ‘When

you raise your arms, the underwire

should stay next to your body. Also,

it should take 80% of the support, the

shoulder straps 20%. If the straps dig

in, your under strap may be loose.’

4

taKe the Weight off

your shoulders

The average weight of a woman’s handbag is

2.44kg – as heavy as a small dog! ‘Carrying a

heavy bag on your shoulder, plus the shift in

posture you make to carry the load, can affect

joints and nerves, leading to back pain,’ says

Dr Sandhu. ‘Switch the side you carry your bag

or wear it across the body.’ Try the Healthy

Back Bag (thehealthybackbag.co.uk), a stylish

teardrop-shaped bag, which distributes weight

across the back and moulds to your body.

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reallybad