A lack of physical activity and obesity results in a higher chance of developing back pain among other issues. There are many ways to incorporate healthy eating habits and physical activity into your week to get started on your back to health journey. 

1. Cardiovascular activity. Try to incorporate 30 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise at least 5 times per week. This could include a brisk walk, biking, swimming or running.
2. Weight bearing exercise. This is essential to maintain a healthy spine and bone density, and to build strong muscles. Always seek help from a professional if you are unsure of correct techniques. Examples of this type of activity can include resistance exercises, walking, running and using weights.

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Gardening is a wonderful way to spend time outside this summer, however, keep in mind that it should be treated like any other physical activity and that you need to prepare your body for it in order to minimize your chance of injury.

Here are some tips to keep in mind before heading out into your yard:

1. Warm up
2. Use proper form and alignment. - This will decrease your chance of developing sprain/strain injuries.
3. .Take frequent breaks - Take breaks every 15-20 minutes to allow your muscles and joints to rest.
   

When dealing with pain, one of the consequences can be sleep disruption. There are ways to cope with this disruption and try to minimize the effect pain can have on sleep. Some suggestions include:

• Using heat / cold therapy to try to decrease inflammation and relax the muscles 
• Try to stretch gently before bed which can help improve flexibility and decrease pain.
• Watch your sleep position. If you're a side sleeper, try placing a pillow between your knees to minimize back pain. 

Talk to your health care provider if your pain is persistent. 

With the arrival of spring, we often start thinking of all the tidying up we need to do around the house or in the yard. Many of these tasks require repetitive actions such as bending, reaching, lifting, and twisting, which if done improperly could lead to injuries.

Keep these following tips in mind to minimize your chance of injury:

1. ​WARM UP. Prepare your body for the tasks ahead and treat your spring cleaning like any other physical activity with a brief warm up. Start with a simple walk around the house followed up by some light stretches.
2. MAINTAIN PROPER ALIGNMENT. When performing the tasks ahead, keep your alignment in mind to reduce strain and repetitive stress.
3. BREAK UP YOUR TASKS. For larger tasks, or heavy jobs, try to break the activity up into small sections to minimize strain on your body.

Source: Canadian Chiropractic Association

Continuing on the previous blog post about reducing winter slip and falls on ice covered streets and sidewalks, here's a video from Alberta Health Services summarizing the penguin walk!

During the winter, ice covered walkways, driveways or parking lots create an increased risk factor for slips and falls, which can sometimes result in serious injury.

To minimize this risk, you need to change the way that you walk on these slippery surfaces. The best way to minimize falls is to use short strides, and keep your centre of gravity over your legs as you walk (Walk like a penguin).

Here's an infographic on how to walk like a penguin.

During the winter months, we tend to become more sedentary and our time spent performing physical activities decreases. It is however still important to participate in approximately 150 minutes of cardiovascular activity per week to maintain good health.

Participating in outdoor activities may not be ideal during the winter months due to snow or ice covered surfaces, but that shouldn't limit your physical activities.

During this time, alternatives to exercising outdoors may include visiting your local recreation centre for:

• a swim
  
•  tennis or badminton
  
• brisk walk around an indoor walking track
  
• aerobics or yoga classes.
  

​You could also go for an indoor walk at your local mall!

Whatever you choose, try to set aside as little as 20 minutes /day to make time for your cardiovascular health, your body will thank you!

During the winter season, shoveling is often a significant cause of injuries involving the neck, back and shoulder. This can be minimized by implementing some simple shoveling techniques.

• As with any physical activity, you should warm up prior to starting. Warm up for 5-10 minutes to increase circulation and improve joint mobility before you start.
• Make sure you have proper footwear to minimize chance of falls.
• Avoid twisting to throw the snow. Instead of throwing, push the snow to the side.
• Use your legs for strength when pushing and lifting and keep a neutral back.
• Shovel frequently instead of letting snow pile up.

For more information on this topic, see the following post by the Ontario Chiropractic Association

Foam rolling is used to reduce muscle soreness/tension and decrease trigger points. This is achieved by applying pressure to certain points of the muscle with the use of a foam roller. Combined with static stretching, this can help improve flexibility and decrease pain.

Prior to starting, you should consult with your health care practitioner to determine if this form of self myofascial release is right for you. 

Find out more information about foam rolling here