Backache is one of the most common chronic ailments and you might be practicing some bad habits that are exacerbating your already sore back. Here are three common mistakes you should correct immediately.

1. Sedentary routine

The average person spends an average of 9 hours in front of screens and the bulk of it sitting down. Sitting actually puts 40% more pressure on your spine than standing up. Yet, with a busy day at work, stretching and standing up is the last thing we think of. As a result, muscles weaken and our back suffers. The solution – set a phone reminder to stand up and stretch every one to two hours.

2. Poor posture

Accompanied by an inactive lifestyle, a bad sitting posture definitely aggravates the situation further.

Long hours of slouching to stare at your screen cause your shoulders to curl in and alter your spine anatomical structure. This can lead to spine subluxation (vertebrae misalignment), blood vessels and nerve constrictions. All these reason will cause you more pain and increased risks of blood clots.

However, standing and walking posture is another factor people tend to neglect as well.

Examples of Correct Postures

While standing, your shoulders and back should be aligned and use stomach muscles to keep your torso straight. Knees should not be locked, but slightly bent to ease the pressure on your hips.

For walking, your chin should be parallel to the ground and heel to the ground first. Tummy and butt should also be aligned with your body.

3. Old mattress

We spend 1/3 of our time sleeping on our mattresses and yet, often we tend to neglect replacing them. Unlike wine, mattresses don’t age well with time. A worn out mattress provides little to no support, and feels like you are being swallowed by it. Not to mention the sleepless nights that comes with it.

Backache or not, a mattress needs to be replaced every 8 years and should be flipped every two months. In addition, regularly care for your mattress by airing it whenever possible as it collects a lot of moisture and avoid sitting on the bed or on its edge.