Protecting your back is one of the best things you can do for your health, especially if you want to have a long and active life. According to the Health Policy Institute, back pain is the 6th most expensive medical condition in the US, and 8% of adults suffer chronic back pain that limits their activities. Ouch! 

You know we advocate standing instead of sitting all day, and lifting the surface of your folding table if you need or want to stand at it. However, there are daily habits that can also keep your back healthy and happy.

Destress

Believe it or not, relieving stress is a key component of a healthy back! With less stress, you have better posture. You’re not hunched in or over, gritting your teeth or clenching your jaws or hands. 

Many people find that their pain is also made worse by stress. Reduce the amount of cortisol flowing through your system and causing long-term inflammation with yoga, meditation, watching funny movies or shows and hanging out with friends and family.

As with most of the items on this list, destressing provides plenty of benefits and not just for your back!

Move it

Don’t like the gym? Don’t like the idea of “exercise”? Then don’t do it, but make sure you get a move on. Take a walk or a bike ride, swim, rollerblade, whatever, most days of the week.

In addition to that, and even if you’re a dedicated gymgoer, get more movement in the rest of your day too. Take the stairs, park farther away from the store when it’s daylight, get up and talk to your colleague down the hall.

Humans didn’t evolve to sit on seats all day. Our bodies are built for movement, and you’ll feel better when you move your body around.

Snooze it

No. not the alarm clock! Adults typically need 7-8 hours of sleep a night to function best. (Don’t want to get hurt at work? Get your sleep.) Figure out what time you need to be up in the morning to get to work without having to race to the office like a NASCAR driver.

Then count back 7 or 8 hours to find out when you need to be asleep. If it takes you a while to get to sleep, add that on too. If you have to be up at 6 am and you need 7 hours of sleep, you need to go to sleep at 11 pm. If it takes you ½ an hour to get to sleep once you’re in bed, that means bedtime at 10:30.

Eat it

You know what to eat – whether or not you’re currently eating it is a different matter! Being overweight does stress your back (and other joints), so keeping to a good weight is helpful.

Also, eating nutrients helps keep your organs in good shape. Vitamin D and calcium are key for bone health, so avoid being the Hunchback of Our Lady by getting enough sunlight and calcium. If you’re lactose intolerant you can get calcium from other foods like greens and beans – dark green leafy vegetables like collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, etc. 

Eating the right stuff also keeps inflammation down, which keeps everything inside in better shape.

Need to lift up your folding table so you can stand at it comfortably? Click here for our full line of folding table risers (now including super-long for our tall friends!)

Lift Your TableⓇ… SAVE YOUR BACK!