A spine is considered to be an important part of the nervous system. The nervous system is involved in the several functions of the body and so is the spine since several nerves are linked with the spine. So if anything happens to the spine than it can affect the entire body. It is just like the body cannot function without the nervous system and in turn, the nervous system cannot work without a healthy spine.
Further, even a slight weight of just 5 cents on any part of the spine can reduce its working capability and functioning by 50% to 60%. The spine in combination with the nervous system is a complete delicate system which works at its best while being free from any sorts of dysfunction and interference.
Unfortunately, the modern lifestyle is making every individual under a lot of stress. So incorrect body postures like slouching, twisting, staying sedentary during sitting, and long duration working over the phones and laptops is enabling strain over the bodies.
Why You Should Be Careful About Your Spine During Summer?
Every year summer brings adventurous activity indulgence for all. When the weather gears up some heat during the spring and gradually in full summer season, it becomes a natural craving to go outside being active and enjoy nature in its full bloom. Under the benefits of the sunshine, warm weather lure some tweaking opportunities of spine injuries as well. Being a little more cautious during adventurous summer actives is a brilliant idea to keep going with outdoor adventures.
Sometimes fun-filled activities with family and friends make a person carried away with things and hence less caution or attention is given to keep spine injuries at bay. This carefree attitude while doing activities actually cause more spine injuries. So there is a mandatory need to look out every aspect before indulging in any summer activity.
9 Useful Tips to Protect Your Spine in Summer
It might really not be possible to remain over cautious before getting into every activity. However, being aware of not doing anything to get the spine hurt is informative as well as helpful. So following are a few precautions which every individual must be aware of:
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Waterskiing is one of the interesting adventurous water sport, but a lot of spine injuries do happen during waterskiing due to either lack of knowledge or carefree attitude. Due to the high-speed water, any fall might cause the spine injury. So avoiding axial or direct and rolling falls can minimize the chances of getting spine injuries, especially amongst the beginners. Being little aware of the rules and adhering to it will certainly avoid any injury.
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Golfing is another interesting summer sport for the people. Many professional golfers experience lower back injuries and at times have to even undergo a surgical procedure like microdiscectomy etc. Since the sport appears to be safe but is a little tricky for keeping the back safe. So, follow a few tips to remain safe on the greens in summers:
- Proper stretching is a must before any physical activity like golfing or playing any games. Stretching enables the muscles to work in a better and relaxed mode.
- Core strengthening exercises are also recommended especially for golfers. As it helps to strengthen the core and avoid over-swing.
- Following a proper swing technique and avoiding any sort of over-swing which can bother the back etc.
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Sitting for long hours must be avoided since lack of activity or even wrong posture for longer durations also affects the spine adversely. So getting up from the sitting posture or office systems every 30 to 40 minutes for a minute or two must be religiously followed.
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Also providing a creative cubicle is not a bad idea for the companies. Since investing some time and money in ergonomic furniture for good health is must these days where these companies have a set of expectations from their employees. So in return, the employee health must be a certain thing for these companies as well on precautionary measures.
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Slouching and sticking to phones for longer text chats or gaming etc also hampers the structure of the neck and spine if done repetitively on regular basis. So in order to prevent spine damage due to phone regular breaks must be taken during gaming or texting and the device must be kept near the eye level keeping the chin little back which prevents the stress buildup over the cervical section of the spine.
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When carrying heavy baggage little caution must be taken to avoid the entire weight on one side of the shoulder or even spine. Moreover, extremely heavy baggage must not be carried over the back and instead scroller bags must be used.
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Taking a sufficient amount of sleep also ensures the body gets the required amount of rest which is a mandatory need. This sleep relaxes the body and prepares for another set of chores or activities for the next day.
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Smoking affects negatively over the body by causing dehydration, free-radical damage, depleting minerals, vitamins, and oxygen to the tissues. This also impacts the spine as well since the body balance is kicked off. So minimizing can certainly help in preventing spine damage and making it less injury prone with time.
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Being gentle in whatever a person does is another mandatory requirement for a healthy spine. Avoiding overdoing gaming and other exercises is key for keeping the spine healthy.
Conclusion
There can be an endless list of do’s and don’ts in order to keep the spine safe. But the requirement of every individual is different as per the occupation demands and need of the daily chores. Also, everything is best when done is moderation let it be sports, gyming or other outdoor activities. Since overdoing only exhausts the body especially the spine, which is the main backbone of our postures. So every individual has to identify the requirements by their own or with the help of a doctor to minimize or avoid any spine troubles especially being vigilant during vacation time in summers.
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