It’s sunny, it’s rainy, it’s summer. Kids are free from school, grass is growing and the days just got longer! Even though our normal spring rituals have been disrupted, it’s time to set some healthy habits. Throw out the old footwear and start to stretch into summer with these thoughtful tips from the Back Pain Clinic Belleville.
Move Right When Mowing You’re doubling your risk for back pain when you set out to mow your lawn. First, starting the lawn mower can lead to injury. Second, leaning forward as you push the lawn mower can strain and pain the back. For every degree your head comes forward, you add 10 pounds of weight to your lower back. What can you do to prevent back pain from mowing? Stretch before you start by bending forward, backward, left, and right. Then do your best to maintain good posture and take breaks rather than trying to do the whole job all at once.
Give Flip-Flops the Boot The stability of your foot and the support of your arch affect everything, including your back. Over the years, Dr. Rob Fast has seen the benefits that changing to supportive footwear can offer. Since a flimsy pair of flat flip-flops can lead to back pain symptoms, choose a sandal that supports your arch and keeps your foot stable with support around your heel and the front of your foot. This is especially true when you want to avoid back pain while doing yard work. To avoid pain, wear good, supportive shoes rather than flip-flops or old tennis shoes.
Bag the Heavy Golf Bag Carrying any heavy bag stresses your posture and is a common cause of back pain, and a golf bag loaded with clubs can weigh as much as 35 pounds. The goal is to limit the weight of any bag you tote to no more than 10 percent of your body weight. Protect against back pain by using a pull-cart bag on the golf course and by buying the lightest golf bag that you can. Doing stretching exercises before and after your golf game will also help prevent pain. Dr. Fast shows his patients the proper way to stretch during appointments at The Back Pain Clinic Belleville.