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It’s no secret that being a nurse is downright tiring at times! Whether it’s rushing for emergencies, standing for hours on end, or even working at your station for extended amounts of time, our bodies can take a beating.
Here are 5 tips from chiropractors to help you take care of your body throughout the day:
Try To Sit Less
Sitting down for prolonged periods can actually lead to back pain and spinal issues. While it’s important to sit and rest every now and again, being sedentary for hours is linked to obesity and even heart disease. When you do find yourself sitting (a dream come true for some of us), be sure to get up and stretch regularly. This can even be as simple as a few squats or jumping jacks.
Build Up Strength
When you’re in pain, the last thing you want to do is exercise. In fact, that’s the best thing for you! By building up your strength, you will be less likely to suffer from back pain, and your body will recover from injuries more quickly. Our core muscles are especially important, so be sure to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles on a regular basis.
Try These Exercises
There are dozens of great exercises you can do to help strengthen your body and keep injuries at bay. Have back pain? Try a partial sit up with bent knees and aim to do more each day. Have a kink in your neck? Try neck flexion: stand facing a wall and hold a stability ball at forehead height. Use your neck muscles to push your forehead into the stability ball. This will build up your muscles and help you avoid injury.
Prevent Injuries Before It’s Too Late
It can be tempting to jump into an exercise routine with newfound energy, especially at the start of the year or as the weather gets better. Be sure to always wear proper safety equipment if you are participating in sports and to warm up before any physical activity. Joints are especially prone to injury, so never skip your warm-up and cool-down periods.
Use The Correct Treatment
When injuries to occur, it can be easy to convince yourself that it will heal in its own time or even that you can work through the pain. As our bodies age, this can be a dangerous mindset! As medical professionals, it’s funny how many of us resist seeking medical attention, but we need to get even the smallest of tweaks or injuries checked. If you aren’t excited about laying on a table and having someone crack your back, there are new methods, such as the ArthroStim, that do not require cracking. For example, the ArthroStim adjusts very specific subluxations and can even be used while standing!
John Rucker is a fitness and health professional and a certified personal trainer. He holds a Bachelor of Exercise of Wellness from ASU. He also worked in the product and development team at NASM. To learn more visit www.JohnRuckerFIT.com
