Can you believe it is the start of a new decade? What New Year’s resolutions have you set regarding your health? Here are a few suggestions that can help you to improve your spine health in 2020.
#1 Improve Your Core Stability
The stability of a person’s core is very telling when it comes to overall health and wellbeing and especially for spine health. What are some of the most important exercises when it comes to strengthening the muscles that provide the most direct support for your spine?
Planking is a simple exercise that you can perform without weights in order to strengthen your abdominal muscles. You can use both front and side planks to give yourself more rounded stability and strength in your midsection. See if you can set new personal planking records this calendar year.
#2 Motion Is the Lotion
If you want to lubricate your joints, you need to stay active. When it comes to your back, one of the best ways to stay active on a daily basis is to walk more. You want to walk about a mile per day for good spine health. Now, that can be something that you do in the morning before you go to work, but it can also be a part of living a more active lifestyle.
A few ways to add steps to your day include taking the stairs, parking further away from your appointments, and doing all your own chores around the house instead of hiring someone to shovel, perform yard work, clean, etc.
#3 Eat Well in 2020
What can proper nutrition have to do with spine health? One of the key problems in the body that lead to pain is inflammation. Perhaps you have already spent 2019 trying to clean up your diet. Maybe you cut out some of the primary inflammation causes like fast and processed foods, high sugar foods, and anything with artificial sweeteners in it. Now it is time to add some anti-inflammatory foods to the mix. A few examples include:
- Avocados
- Fish
- Broccoli
- Berries
- Green Tea
- Turmeric
#4 Maintain Proper Spinal Alignment
This is another good goal to have for the new year. Of course, one of the best ways to ensure that your spine is properly aligned and stays that way is to visit a chiropractor. At Ward Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, you can get the support that you need to meet your New Year’s resolutions regarding spine health. To schedule an appointment now, call 703.672.1661, or you can request an appointment online.
