I have a question for you all:

How many of you, at any time, have googled “preventing back pain”?

I thought so.

You’ve all heard and read different things about what can cause back pain; lifting things incorrectly, bad posture, sports injury etc…

But did you know that something in your daily routine might be an encouraging factor towards back pain?

What I’m going to tell you might be surprising, but hear me out and I can explain why it can make your back pain worse, as well as give you some tips on how to change it.

Ready? Here it is:

Bad diet. Now, I don’t mean Weight Watchers, this is a way to manage your weight. However, I’m more concerned about the reason you may go there.

If you’re overweight it can have a great impact on your health AND your back pain because you’re putting extra pressure on your back.

How we store sugar is a great example. When we eat sugar, any energy it gives us that we don’t use, is stored on our back.

It can also be stored at your lower back, along with caffeine!

Now, when you think of all that excess weight that you’re carrying on your back from sugar and caffeine, is it any wonder that a bad diet can lead to back pain?

BUT, there’s a way to overcome this issue, like trying to cut down on sugar, caffeine and processed foods and choosing more natural foods such as chicken breasts, potatoes and vegetables.

Lack of exercise – by this I mean flexibility exercises, I know a lot of you will be active by going for long walks, playing sports and going to the gym.

Flexibility exercises are often overlooked, but they shouldn’t be…

Even something as simple as stretching before and after exercise can help with your flexibility.

If you do notice stiffness more frequently after exercise and stretches, then you will really benefit from yoga.

Yoga is such a great exercise to add to your daily routine. It may include stretches that you might already be familiar with, however, yoga is much more than a few stretches.

It helps you to ease tension because the movements relax the muscles and it increases your flexibility.

Now, just because Yoga isn’t as intense as a game of volleyball or tennis doesn’t mean that it’s not an intense workout for your muscles!

I often recommend to many of my patients, and now to you, that they try yoga on a daily basis because of the amazing benefits.

This may be an odd question but – how old is your mattress? When you think back to when you got your mattress, you’ll be surprised at how old it actually is.

How does an old mattress cause back pain? It’s simple. It may seem supportive in the beginning, but overtime the springs can wear and ultimately not end up giving you the support you need.

Try thinking of it like this:

You’ve got a brand new shirt that you really like. You wear it all the time to prove how much you really like it. After those first few washes it looks as good as new. However, after a while you notice that the more you wear it, the more the colours fade and the more the stitching comes apart, until, eventually, you need a new shirt.

It’s the same thing with your mattress. If you can’t go and buy a new mattress today, because let’s be honest, not many of us could, then another way to get better support is by using your pillows.

If you prefer to sleep on your side, put a pillow between your legs for extra support, this helps your hip joints as well as your lower back.

If you’re someone who sleeps on their back, get one or two pillows and put them under your feet, this changes the way your spine is positioned when you sleep and provides more support for your back.

There you have it! A healthy diet is more important than just getting the right nutrients for your body, it also helps ease pressure on your joints and muscles.

As comfy as your bed might feel, it might be causing you harm! Double check when you got your mattress and include some flexibility exercises, like yoga, into your daily routine to start making a great difference to your back pain.

Not many people notice these problems in their lifestyle and likely ignore them because they don’t see how these things can have a big impact on back pain.

So please, don’t make the same mistake as others and implement these tips into your daily routine, right now!