Back Pain and Your Mobility
Chronic back pain can have a huge impact on your life. It may change how your body moves, your mobility, and how active you are. For example, lower back pain can make it hard for you to bend over and stand for extended periods of time. Upper back pain can prevent you from lifting objects and maintaining proper posture. Neck pain can make it hard to move your head around or cause headaches. With all of these side effects you may find yourself less mobile or in too much pain to stay active. However, with healthy eating and regular exercise you may be able to lose weight and reduce your back pain.
The Cycle: Back Pain and Being Overweight
Unfortunately, chronic back pain and gaining weight go hand in hand. The two conditions often influence and exacerbate one another. The chronic pain, decreased mobility, and exhaustion associated with back pain keeps many people sedentary, causing them to gain weight. However, being overweight makes back pain worse because your spine is supporting more pressure than it was designed for. The extra weight on your spine can also push your vertebrae out of alignment causing more pain and other serious consequences.
Losing Weight and Back Pain Relief
Losing weight can help reduce strain on your spinal cord and back muscles. According to health experts, staying within 10 pounds of your ideal weight is enough to eliminate back pain. If you are overweight, you can effectively ease the stress on your body and decrease your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and cancer by dropping a few pounds. In fact, according to a study conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association, losing 5- 10 pounds is enough to drastically improve your health and well-being.
Finding a Healthy Diet
A good way to begin your weight loss journey is by establishing healthier eating habits. Start by being more aware of how many calories you consume and aim for a caloric deficit. Having a caloric deficit means that you are burning more calories than you consume. If counting calories isn’t a good strategy for you, you may find that simply eliminating unnecessary high calorie foods can help you achieve your weight loss goals. Cutting out soda, late night sweets, and overly processed foods is one way to establish a healthy diet. Remember that there is no universal guideline for healthy eating and no one size fits all solution. You may have to try several different diets and strategies before you find one that works for you. The key is to remain consistent and patient in order to establish a healthier lifestyle.
Get Moving
Along with healthy eating, sticking to a regular exercise routine may help eliminate chronic back pain. Working out will strengthen your body, improve your blood flow, and improve your mobility. Start with stretching and core exercises like Yoga, Pilates, etc. Stretching exercises will loosen your back muscles and reduce your risk of injury while core workouts will strengthen the back muscles that support your spine. Doing these workouts regularly can effectively help you lose weight, strengthen your abdominal and hip muscles, and improve your flexibility.
Other exercises like swimming, cycling, elliptical, and rowing machines can keep you active while protecting your back. These exercises are effective at burning fat and are good for your cardiovascular health. Also when you exercise, remember to be aware of your limitations. Doing too much too quickly may further strain your back and make the pain worse. So pace yourself, find the right level of intensity, and stay consistent to see lasting results.
Commit to Healthy Habits
Being overweight and having back pain go hand in hand, but there are still ways to lose weight while suffering from chronic back pain. The best thing to do for your body is to stay active. Incorporate low impact, stretching, and core exercises into your fitness regimen. You should also adjust your diet, aim for a caloric deficit, and eliminate unnecessary calories where you can. Doing so will help you lose weight, reduce your back pain, and improve your overall health and well-being. With time, patience, and consistency you will be able to maintain a healthy weight, stay fit and find back pain relief.
– Why Weight Matters When it Comes to Joint Pain
https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/why-weight-matters-when-it-comes-to-joint-pain
– The Arthritis Diet: How Excess Weight Damages Your Joints
https://www.webmd.com/arthritis/features/weight-joint-pain#1
– Losing Weight for Back Pain Relief
https://www.verywellhealth.com/will-losing-weight-reduce-my-back-pain-297014
– What a 5% Weight Loss Can Do for Your Health
https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-five-percent-weight-loss
– Weight Loss for Back Pain Relief
https://www.spine-health.com/wellness/nutrition-diet-weight-loss/weight-loss-back-pain-relief
– Good and Bad Exercises for Low Back Pain
Back Pain and Your Mobility
Chronic back pain can have a huge impact on your life. It may change how your body moves, your mobility, and how active you are. For example, lower back pain can make it hard for you to bend over and stand for extended periods of time. Upper back pain can prevent you from lifting objects and maintaining proper posture. Neck pain can make it hard to move your head around or cause headaches. With all of these side effects you may find yourself less mobile or in too much pain to stay active. However, with healthy eating and regular exercise you may be able to lose weight and reduce your back
