New Year, New Habits: Chiropractic Tips for Healthy Movement
New beginnings have a way of inspiring change. Many people make plans to start their new practice the next day, next week, next month, or sometimes the next year. It's the idea of a clean slate, a new opportunity to start fresh and put past shortcomings behind you that makes this behavior so common. With 2021 upon us, we hope you use this year to dedicate yourself to health and wellness. Part of that journey is investing time into keeping your body strong for as long as possible. Your body doesn't turn 30 years old one day and decide it's time for low back pain and neck stiffness every morning. It's more often than not a product of how you move, sit, and sleep.
How to Stand Properly
Take a moment to consider how many times a day you go from the seated position to the standing position. Is it 50 times? 100 times? More? It's safe to say you probably stand up after being seated more than you might think. Though it seems like a completely natural thing to do, I've found that the majority of people don't do it correctly because no one ever taught us to! To stand up more efficiently, follow these rules:
- Tripod Foot. Make sure the weight on both feet is evenly distributed between your heel, the ball of your foot, and your pinky toe.
- Knees Out. With your feet firmly planted, separate your knees until you can see your pinky toes between your knees.
- Hinge Hips. Fold forward at your hips until your shoulders are over your shoelaces.
- Squeeze Glutes and Core. As you're standing up, squeeze your glutes and abs, taking pressure off of your lower back.
How to Sit at a Desk All Day
Sitting at a desk is the new smoking as it often causes lower back pain. However, it doesn't have to be that way. Here are some good habits to develop if your job requires you to sit at a desk all day:
- Stand up every 30 minutes, activating your glutes for 3-5 minutes. This increases blood flow to your spine and can decrease achiness in the legs.
- Raise your computer monitor so the middle of the screen is at eye level when you are sitting in good posture.
- Bring the keyboard and mouse closer to your body so you don't have to reach and roll your shoulders.
- Try to get the waistband of your pants or your belt to be parallel to the floor as this puts your lumbar spine into a good curve.
- Plant your feet flat on the floor so you're not leaning to one side or the other.
- Relax your shoulders to the back of your chair. This gives you the best opportunity to stay relaxed and keep the strain off of your traps and shoulders.
The Effects of Preventive Chiropractic Care
A typical maintenance visit with someone who sits down all day is one of the best ways to keep pain from setting in. Some of my best patients don't have intense pain, but they come in once every few weeks to get their body reset. For a typical appointment, I spend time
- Working on their lower back and glutes, turning on inactive muscles through the active release technique.
- Stretching and adjusting the shoulders so they don't get achy after work.
- Giving personalized stretches and exercises for patients to complete at home or at work to prevent pain.
If you're looking for a chiropractor office in Woodstock, Georgia that will help you take your next step towards wellness, start the year off right and make an appointment with Strack Chiropractic and Wellness!
