10 Tips for a healthy back

1

Exercise your back regularly. Walking, swimming (especially backstroke) and using exercise bikes are all excellent ways to strengthen your back muscles.

2

When lifting, always bend your knees and your hips, not your back.

3

Never twist and bend at the same time.

4

Always lift and carry objects close to your body.

5

Try to carry loads in a rucksack and avoid sling bags, or wearing a rucksack like a sling bag.

6

Maintain a good posture. Avoid slumping in your chair, hunching over a desk or walking with your shoulders hunched.

7

Use a chair with a back rest. Sit with your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest. Change how you sit every few minutes.

8

Quit smoking. It is thought that smoking reduces the blood supply to the discs between the vertebrae and this may lead to degeneration of these discs.

9

Lose as much excess weight as possible.

10

Choose a mattress suited to your height, weight, age and sleeping position.