5 Ways To Keep Your Spine Healthy & Prevent Injury As You Age

Taking steps to maintain your spine health as you age can contribute to enjoyable, fun-filled retirement years instead of a life limited by pain and restriction. Our spine is our body's central support structure made up of small bones called vertebrae which are stacked up on top of each other forming a column.  Between each vertebra are fluid-filled intervertebral discs which act as shock absorbers for the spine. These discs are red in the picture above. The absence of the red disc between 2 vertebrae shows an injured disc. The outer bony structure also protects the spinal cord - the tube-like structure that connects the brain and spinal cord which forms the Central Nervous System.  As you can see this vital but complex structure is essential to hold us upright while supporting the weight of our head, trunk, and arms. Our spines need to be strong but flexible to move through all the directions it was designed to. So how do we keep our spines healthy and prevent injury?

Strengthen With Pilates

Pilates is famous for strengthening the core but it also strengthens the glutes, back muscles and feet which provides support and protection for our spines.  Moving our spines through all directions is important in Pilates as these vital spinal movements can be lost as we age if we don't actively maintain them. We've all seen elderly people whose spines look rigid but it doesn't have to be this way with the correct maintenance.. Pilates also works to strengthen the stabilisers of the spine - the small muscles that can provide additional support for your spine when they are strong and healthy. This makes Pilates ideal for maintaining good spinal health particularly as we age.

Avoid Lifting Objects That Are Too Heavy

One of my lovely clients made a poor decision that resulted in months of Pilates rehabilitation until she fully recovered. She was painting a room in her home and all the furniture had been removed except a heavy piano.  She was keen to get on with the job but with no one to help her, she decided to move the piano herself, quite some distance across the room. She was pleased she had the strength to do this and could finish painting that day. Unfortunately, during the next few days, she began experiencing back pain and pain radiation down one leg into her foot.  A CT scan revealed she had 3 lumbar disc bulges with one pressing on a spinal nerve.  I can't tell you how much she regretted moving that piano. Thanks to her previous Pilates training her recovery time was relatively short for such an injury. While we often lift heavy objects there is a safe way to do this and if something is too heavy for you - don't risk it, it's not worth it.

Maintain The Best Possible Posture For You

In my experience, many of my new clients are aware they need to improve their posture when they start Pilates. Our instincts often tell us that our bodies aren't in the best position and we should take steps to change this. While there is no such thing as perfect posture, we need to be in the best position for us personally. Poor alignment can put wear and tear on our joints which over time can cause back pain and conditions such as arthritis.  My unique online Pilates program can help you find the best posture for you.

Support Your Spinal Discs By Staying Hydrated

It's not commonly known that simply by staying hydrated you can support your spinal discs. As the intervertebral discs are fluid-filled, they rely on you drinking enough water to keep them hydrated as they fill up with water while you sleep each night. If you don't drink enough water the discs become dehydrated and dried out which means the discs can't act as shock absorbers putting you at risk of injury, So ensure you stay hydrated. Something relatively simple can produce great results!

Avoid A Sedentary Lifestyle - Keep Moving!

Sitting for long periods, particularly with poor posture, puts a lot of strain on spinal ligaments and spinal discs. One of my clients developed a debilitating disc bulge in her neck which she is sure is from sitting for long periods at a computer under high stress in a corporate job. With deadlines to meet and infighting among team members, each day is mentally and physically draining.  While she would like to take more breaks it's just not possible as she has to be "on" for 8 hours per day with only a 30-minute lunch break - if she is lucky,  She also works in her own time during the weekend if necessary. This environment has compromised her spinal health and the disc bulge took 4 months to recover from with a lot of careful Pilates and osteopathy. She is currently in the process of finding a less demanding job that will allow her to take breaks and move around throughout the day. which is vital for her health and well-being. So try to break up long periods of sitting where possible. If you are on a long car trip take breaks to move around. Take toilet breaks if you are in an office. Get creative but do what you need to to maintain your spine health. It's empowering that there is so much you can do to prevent injury!

My book MOVE FREE FROM PAIN by Joanne Sutton contains more information about maintaining your spine health as you age and is available on Amazon worldwide. I  offer 1 on 1 Pilates sessions virtually via Skype and the personalised nature of these sessions ensures you are following a Pilates program of exercises that are ideal for you.

If you are ready to start Pilates email me at [email protected] .  Alternatively, you can book an Initial Assessment with me here or  take the free 10 day trial of JS Mind Body Pilates, my online studio which is a library of on-demand videos, and start straight away.  It would be my pleasure to assist you on your Pilates journey to maintaining your spine health as you age!