6 Ways to Keep Your Spine Healthy
The spine is one of the most important parts of the human body, providing foundational support for the neck down to the pelvis and protection for the spinal cord and internal organs. The spine is engaged in every movement, meaning poor spine health or natural age-related degradation can cause chronic pain and severely restrict your mobility. Spinal pain is usually felt in either the neck or lower back, both of which have to compensate for muscle strain, weakness, or overexertion.
The good news is that spinal issues are fairly common and, in many cases, easily manageable. About 25 percent of people experience some degree of disc degeneration by age 25, while two-thirds of people exhibit disc deterioration by age 40. This increases to 90 percent by age 60. Pain and other symptoms are often natural side effects of aging and can be managed with a combination of strategies, including regular exercise and stretching, limiting time spent in a stationary position, and hydrating regularly.
1. Limit Time Spent Sitting
It doesn't take much to promote good spine health. You can literally stand around and do nothing. At least, that is preferred to sitting, which contributes to spinal stress and goes against the natural alignment of the spine. Whether you’re sitting or standing, it's important to maintain good posture. This means staying upright with your shoulders back, placing your chin in a neutral position, and keeping your head aligned over your pelvis. When slouching, your weight is supported unevenly across the vertebrae, creating unnecessary pressure on the discs and contributing to muscle imbalance.
If you have to sit down for extended periods of time for work, make sure to take frequent walking breaks or use a medicine ball rather than an office chair to better engage your core and support your back. Alternatively, you could get an adjustable sit-stand desk that allows you to do some work while standing.
2. Exercise Regularly
Exercising on a regular basis can have a variety of benefits for spinal health. When you work out and burn calories, blood flow increases to soft tissues around the vertebrae, reducing inflammation and promoting quicker healing of the spine and back/neck muscles. Depending on the type of movements, regular exercise can also strengthen your core, which is paramount for a strong back, and can help you to maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight can place added stress on the spine and increase the risk for diseases that might worsen existing injuries.
When exercising, it's important not to push yourself too hard. Lifting too much weight or lifting with improper form can cause injuries ranging in severity from minor inconveniences to lifelong, chronic pain. Low-impact exercises like swimming or cycling can improve your spinal health by increasing flexibility, strengthening supportive core muscles, and improving circulation. If you’re lifting heavy weights, bend your knees while keeping your back straight, and use your legs to support the load.
For a stronger core, prioritize exercises that target any of the back muscles supporting the spine. These include abdominal crunches, the plank, and pelvic tilts. Regardless of your exercise routine, make sure to do a brief warm-up and cool-down stretches or movements to reduce the risk of injury.
3. The Big 3 Exercises
Some exercises are known to be better than others at strengthening the spine. Dr. Stuart McGill, a spine expert at the University of Waterloo in Canada, developed the "big three" of exercises for spinal stability. These include curl-ups, side planks, and bird-dogs. They must be done in a pyramid sequence, with five reps of each followed by three and then one.
"These exercises engage all the important muscles needed to improve spine stability," says Eric L'Italien, a proponent of the "big three" and a physical therapist with Spaulding Rehabilitation Center in Massachusetts.
4. Yoga and Stretching
Stretching is necessary to mitigate the risk of injury and promote recovery. It enhances circulation to injured areas, reducing muscle stiffness, and helps to maintain mobility. For a healthy spine, prioritize stretches that target the hamstrings, hip flexors, and lower back. These include hip hinges, hamstring stretches, lunges, and hip thrusts. Yoga typically incorporates many of these movements and poses that help to strengthen the core and improve flexibility.
5. Eat Foods High in Vitamin D and Calcium
What you eat affects your weight, which again can be a critical factor for good spinal health. Some foods, like red meat, baked goods, and deep-fried chicken can exacerbate inflammation of the tissues around the spine, causing pain during movement. Anti-inflammatory foods like salmon, leafy greens, olive oil, ginger, and berries, meanwhile, support joint health and can mitigate pain symptoms.
6. Hydrate Regularly
Drinking sufficient water is also important to keep your spinal discs more pliable, allowing them to better adapt to rigorous daily movement and exercise. The tough outer layer of these discs absorbs some of the water you drink. Without enough water, the discs can become stiff and more prone to degradation. The average person should drink about eight cups of water each day, but those with higher or more intense activity levels may need more.