Blog Week 7 - Back pain // Movement is FREE!
If you are one of my followers living in Toronto I am sure you are sick and tired of this snow. Yes, it is winter but COME ON. We don’t get this much snow in Toronto.
1. Why does your back feel like sh**?!
Back pain is an epidemic. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. Experts estimate that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some time in their lives. Our spine is the home to MANY muscles, ligaments, nerves, spinal discs and move, so there is a lot that wears away and a lot that can cause pain. Just imagine the amount of force that the discs and nerves at the bottom of your spine are balancing. It is no wonder the lower back is usually the one to “go.”
Big, small, fat, thin- everyone of every size can get it, although of course some people are more likely than others…but a lot of it doesn’t “make sense.” Many people think, ”why does my back hurt? I am doing all the right things!.”
It may be true that you are doing the things but unfortunately you are also alive, in gravity and you likely didn’t do all the right things for the first 20 or 25 years of your life (or longer!). But…that’s okay! You CAN feel better and move better. You just need the right tools and right frequency. Exercises like ELDOA are great. Check out the video below and give it a try! Most importantly, keep moving. Motion IS lotion.
2. How good can your body feel- much better than you think!!!
You can feel better! You can move better! Unfortunately, we often accept our current state as THE state. This is “just the way it is.” The ache or pain or limitation becomes part of you. I am here to tell you that is just NOT TRUE!
The fact of the matter is that we just don’t do enough. Actually, I don’t mean that, we do TOO MUCH of the stuff that leads to pain. How long is your work week? 40 hours, plus emails, calls, texts and chores and cleaning and running around like a chicken with your head cut off. How much is actually YOU time? Our lives are very imbalanced. Think about it; do you have many hours dedicated to yourself? This is a real hard hitting question, I know because I thought about it too!
Compared to our ancestors we are the laziest people who have ever lived. We are literally sitting our lives into oblivion. Did you know chairs are a relatively recent invention? Our ancestors didn’t sit nearly as much, they sat in a squat! They were so much more advanced than us and our expensive fancy chairs. Chairs were rare and reserved for royalty and for show.
Now, I am not saying that to make you feel bad, but to empower you. Move, walk, run, jump, and move some more! I am not even trying to sell you anything. MOVEMENT IS FREE!
If you are really committed then throw out your chairs and sit in a squat while you are at it ;) I’m considering this. Live by example right? That reminds me, time to do my homework.