If you’re planning a triumphant return to exercise to kick off 2023, remember proper technique can help prevent injury to your muscles and spine.
When you take care of your spine, you’re taking care of your whole body. We advise keeping your spine in mind when exercising. Remember that exercise isn’t a quick fix, so a multi-prong wellness approach will get you the best results.
Understanding the basics of the spine is a good first step in protecting it while working out. For starters, the spine is a long stud of 33 vertebrae extending from the skull’s base to the top of the hip. The neck and back are part of a continuous chain, so the goal of spinal health is to keep that spine in alignment; there are natural curves to the spine and we want to support those natural curves.
Keeping the spine aligned helps you stay in balance, strong, and mobile. That’s why it’s important to think about strengthening your core…but there is actually more than one core in your body.
- For example, there are core muscles that support the:
- Cervical spine, which is the neck or top part of the spine
- Thoracic spine, which is the area on the back where the ribs attach to the spine
- Lumbar spine, which is the lower back area
Properly warming up your muscles before doing any workout goes without saying. It’s important to wake up, engage the numerous cores mentioned above, and incorporate that into your fitness and wellness. Keeping the abdominal muscles engaged will support your spine. To prevent injury, focus on exercises that strengthen the muscles that support the spine, such as stretching, yoga, pilates, swimming and appropriate weightlifting.
Hold your form and posture steady without sudden, jerky movements. It goes without saying that a spinal health check at Lagos Chiropractic can help prevent injuries and fix them if they occur!
Lagos Chiropractic
+351 282 768 044
