It has long been assumed that bad posture or slouching was the route of back pain. However, Back in Action is here to dispel this and instead tell us that posture is less important and that we should be talking about balance.
Concentrating solely on posture and keeping your back straight can cause people to stiffen up, whereas Back in Action encourages movement and balance as the focus for back health. Lucinda Newbound, Senior Ergonomic Expert for Back in Action, explains, ‘Nearly all back problems can be solved with movement. Stop trying to focus on sitting up straight, as this is causing your body to not move. Engage your core and balance instead.’
Kneeling chairs, balance balls or seating cushions will engage your core and force you to balance when sitting while also ensuring your body continues to move which is vital. Movement can help ease back pain by stretching tight muscles as well as strengthening them. By looking after your core and back muscles, it can help to support your back and as a result will benefit your posture without having to focus on it. If you minimise activity, it’s likely to lead to problems in the long term. Ensuring your back and core muscles are strong, will, in the long term, work towards keeping your back healthy.
Nell Mead, Physiotherapist, further explains the reason movement is so vital, ‘As adults, we are made of around 65% water. Water carries nutrients to our cells, flushes away the waste products of metabolism, feeds our joint cartilage and provides lubrication that allows our muscles and connective tissue to glide and slide smoothly. But water can only do all this when it is flowing freely. And what encourages flow? Movement and pressure change. Getting up, sitting down, moving, and stretching creates a pump. Motion spreads a sort of biological lotion to keep you healthy, with less damage and less pain, whereas excessive focus on static postures (however beautifully aligned) tends to lead to tension and stagnation.’
