4 Things to Avoid if You Have Back Pain
Ready for a wild stat?
About 540 million adults are currently living with back pain.
Maybe you’re one of them.
Even mild, constant pain can affect your daily life more than you think:
- It can make you hesitant to exercise.
- Your range of motion (mobility!) may shrink over time.
- Moving less throughout the day can slow your metabolism.
But, a few simple changes could help you feel pain-free!
Why This Matters
Nagging back pain does NOT resolve on its own over time - it only gets worse. Living your healthiest, most active life (now and into the future) means that you must take the necessary steps to decrease pain and improve your mobility. Don't worry, they're simple.
FITNESS SIMPLIFIED
The most common source of chronic low back pain and tightness?
Tight hips.
Tight hips can pull your pelvis out of alignment and put extra strain on your lumbar spine and low back muscles, often leading to low back pain.
If your lower back always feels stiff, stretching your hip flexors and hamstrings can make a big difference.
Fitness Tip To Relieve Back Pain
Stretch your hip flexors and hamstrings
While tight hips are very common with back pain, you could also be making these other BIG mistakes:
Overdoing ab exercises – Too much flexing, twisting, and front-side only core exercises (think crunches, sit-ups, etc.) can aggravate a fragile lumbar spine and neglect other key areas of your core.
Twisting or arching your back to "stretch" it – Your low back should actually be stable to be healthy, not overly flexible or “stretched out”.
Ignoring posture – Slumping, arching, tilting, or standing unevenly can add unnecessary strain to your back.
Make small adjustments now, and your back will thank you later!
Two Must-Do Stretches to Relieve Tight & Achy Low Back
- Hip Flexor Stretch: Tuck your pelvis under, gently press hips forward
- Hamstring Stretch: Arch your pelvis out slightly, hinge straight forward
- Either keep the stretches dynamic by pressing into the stretch and releasing 5 times, or hold for 5-6 deep breaths each.
Extra tip: If you struggle to kneel down, you can also do these two hip stretches standing, placing your forward foot up on a chair.
Did You Know...
- Unlike your hips, shoulders, and upper spine, your lower back (lumbar spine) isn’t meant to be very flexible.
- Standing with a slight tucking of your tailbone while squeezing your glutes can relieve lower back pain in the moment, especially if you tend to arch your lower back.
- The best core exercises for back pain include bird dogs, planks, pelvic tilts, and dead bugs. For a full program with these exercises, try this one!
NUTRITION SIMPLIFIED
Is Sugar Really that Bad?
Sugar sneaks into your diet more than you might realize.
It could be that small scoop in your morning coffee, your afternoon candy fix, and that late-night bowl of ice cream.
The American Heart Association reports that Americans eat an average of 71 grams or 17 teaspoons of added sugar every day!
Compare this to the recommended amount for women - 25 grams or 6 teaspoons of added sugars per day - and you can see that we have a little work to do.
Nutrition Tip of The Week
Pay Attention to Your “Added” Sugars
Could too much sugar make your back pain worse?
It might.
Especially if you constantly overconsume sugar without realizing it.
Excess sugar can trigger inflammation in the body.
For women in midlife, this is an even bigger concern.
As estrogen levels drop in perimenopause and menopause, our bodies don’t fight inflammation or process glucose as well as they used to.
And we become more vulnerable to the effects of added sugar…anything over the recommend 25g/day can begin to negatively impact our bodies more than ever before.
Want a sweet treat without the added sugar?
Try this delicious recipe!👇
Almond, Coconut + Date Bites
More ideas for sweet treats without the added sugars:
- Yogurt with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and pecans (Use 0g added sugar yogurt)
- Extra dark chocolate
- Tropical Chia Pudding
MINDSET SIMPLIFIED
How is suffering with unresolved back pain (or any unresolved pain, for that matter) impacting your overall health?
How are certain food choices impacting the way you feel?
Everything fits together.
This is also wonderful because it means you don’t have to do any one piece perfectly.
Move a little more intentionally throughout the day, paying attention to what you stretch and how your body is aligned.
Be a little more mindful with your intake of added sugars - not cutting it out all together, but rather being more selective.
Along with other small habit changes, they can all work together to help you feel significantly better in your body.
Mindset Tip of The Week
Focus on the bigger picture of your health
THE TAKEAWAY
Feeling great in your body on a daily basis is possible! Especially with chronic back pain, a few small shifts can have a much greater impact than you may realize, making it well worth the effort.
- Stretch your hip flexors and hamstrings
- Pay Attention to Your “Added Sugars”
- Focus on the bigger picture of your health
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Self Care Simplified podcast
Ep 438: 4 Things to Avoid if You Have Back Pain
Ep 397: How to Manage Joint Pain & Inflammation in Midlife
Ep 376: Is Sugar Really That Bad?
SPECIAL RESOURCE
This quick morning routine can help relieve your back and hip pain now. In just 15 minutes, you can get instant relief from low back pain and hip pain. These gentle stretches will ease you into your day and help you feel your best.
Back and Hip Pain Relief Now // Morning Routine
Until next week... Be strong
