Keep your core strong
Your core muscles wrap around your torso like a natural girdle, supporting your spine and holding you upright. But poor conditioning or injury can mean they aren’t as effective as they should be. One way to fix this is doing exercises such as pilates, which concentrates on building core strength. A good way to engage your core muscles without leaving your desk is to breathe in deeply and as you breathe out, engage your pelvic floor and draw them up inside, feeling your abdomen hollow. “Hold this internal zip for a few seconds breathing wide” says Lynne Robinson, founder of Body Control Pilates. Now you know where they are, you can engage them during exercise too.
Reduce nasties
Bad new – sugar, caffeine and refined carbs can actually worsen pain and inflammation. So if you have a tendency to get aches and pains you might want to steer clear of coffee, white bread, fizzy drinks, alcohol and too much red meat. Instead, increase your intake of whole foods, fresh veg and fruit, nuts and seeds.
Drink more water
Your joints and spinal discs are partly made up of water, so chronic dehydration can cause pain and stiffness. Try to drink 2 litres of water or herbal tea during the day and avoid caffeine that can dehydrate you.
Pilates is a great way to increase core strength
Get your magnesium
Magnesium helps support numerous functions within the body – including healthy muscle function. Weak, tight and tense muscles can contribute to back pain, so make sure you’re getting enough Magnesium to help them. You can get the mineral in green veg, nuts and seeds, fish and whole grains. You can also take a Magnesium supplement if you don’t think you’re getting enough from your diet.
Watch your heels
There’s nothing like setting off that perfect outfit with a killer pair of heels. But as most of us are aware they’re not particularly good for your feet. Not only this, but wearing them can also contribute to lower back pain. Because they shift the angle of your body, meaning your weight isn’t evenly allocated over the spine, you can get serious problems if you wear them all the time.
Get omega 3 into your diet
Omega 3 found in oily fish, flax and chia seeds is great for reducing pain and inflammation. Make sure you get plenty of servings of salmon, mackerel, trout or sardines, or if you’re vegan – seeds.
