The spine is the foundation of our health and beauty. It gives us good health and vitality, protects our body from all diseases and aging. Through it, a constant interconnection of all organs and systems of a person is carried out, it transmits to them signals coming from the brain. The better the condition of the spine of a person, the less often he gets sick and looks younger. Unfortunately, not all people understand this and do not devote as much time and effort to caring for the health of the spine as they spend caring for face and body skin.
Spine aging or osteochondrosis – a natural process, units manage to avoid it. Most often, various problems with the spine occur in people over 50 years of age. This is due to the fact that, along with the aging of the whole organism, dystrophic changes in the intervertebral discs occur, the spine loses its flexibility and the tone of the muscles supporting it deteriorates. But in recent years, osteochondrosis has become more common. With complaints of pain in the back, neck and lower back, people 25-40 years old are increasingly turning to doctors. The reason for this is inactivity. Modern youth does not move much, spends a lot of time at the computer and TV, does not like to walk. Due to the lack of movement, blood stagnation occurs and nutrition of the surrounding tissue of the spinal column deteriorates. As a result of this, the intervertebral discs lose water and elasticity, and the spine bends worse and hurts with a sharp movement.
To protect the spine from premature aging is within the power of each of us. To do this, you need to engage in physical education, sit in the correct pose and give enough time to rest. Actively working muscles improve nutrition of the intervertebral discs and develop spinal flexibility. Doctors call osteochondrosis a retribution for upright posture. The load on the spine increases 4 times when our body takes a vertical position. We can’t return to our origins and start running on four legs like animals, which means we need to monitor our body position and, during sleep and wakefulness, take those poses that will minimize the load on the spine. And the following will help reduce this load:
1. Sleep at least 7-8 hours daily . A full night’s sleep relaxes and restores the work of the intervertebral discs, which are exposed to constant pressure during the day.
2. Sleep on a medium-hard mattress . For the health of the spine, it is not necessary to sleep on a hard surface or buy a hard orthopedic mattress. You just do not need to sleep on a soft feather bed, a cot or a hammock, they do not support the spine in a natural position and do not give it a rest.
3. Control your weight . In a person who is overweight, the load on the vertebral discs is greatly increased, and they wear out faster. Pain in the back and lower back for overweight people becomes the absolute norm, but few people know that you can get rid of them only by observing a diet and throwing off extra pounds.
4. Try to keep your posture straight . Do not slouch, keep your head straight and do not lower one shoulder below the other. All these postures of the body many times increase pressure on certain intervertebral discs and lead to their premature wear. If we take the average person engaged in sedentary work at the computer, then he spends most of his life in a pose extremely harmful to the spine: hunched over and his head down. And in order to maintain the health of the spine, you need to equip your workplace so that you can sit at your desk with a straight back, leaning on the back of a chair or chair. Lean back periodically to reduce the load on the intervertebral discs and improve their nutrition. Every hour, do a warm-up, go through the office or along the corridor. This will enhance blood circulation in the tissues and will allow you to stretch your muscles.
5. Do not sharply lift weights . The biggest load on the spine is weight lifting. It not only accelerates the aging of discs, but also leads to their injuries. Most often, osteochondrosis manifests itself for the first time during a sharp rise in a load or the movement of furniture. It is necessary to lift weights correctly. During lifting the load, you cannot turn the body to the side or bend down in the lower back. Approaching the burden, first sit down, bending your knees. Take the item and only then slowly stand up. This technique will allow you to transfer part of the load to the legs and reduce pressure on the spine.
6. Exercise regularly to strengthen your back muscles . To protect the spine from aging, you need to love yourself, actively relax, play sports, visit baths, saunas, swim in the pool and do massage. Choose a set of exercises for your back suitable for your age and do them at least 3 times a week.