10 Everyday Activities That Damage Your Spine You Probably Didn’t Know Of

Last Updated on 2021-11-27 , 10:49 am

Spinal problems are probably one of the worst kind of medical issues that a person can get. They cause tremendous pain and can scar for life.

In serious cases, these problems can even put a person in a wheelchair for the rest of his or her life.

To prevent such incidents, let’s look at 10 everyday activities that we do which can damage the spine.

1. Standing in a fixed position

The pressure on the spine is higher when we stand as compared to that of a long walk.

If you need to stand in the same position for long hours every day, try to mitigate the effects on your spine by leaning against the wall when possible or using your hand to support the upright position.

These simple actions will help you to reduce the pressure on the spine.

2. Changing a car tire

If you belong to the group of car owners who can change your own car tire, take note to sit on the ground before attempting to change it.

The key is to keep your eyes on the same level as the car’s fender so that you can easily remove the wheel. If you bend over to remove the wheel, the

If you bend over to remove the wheel, the position, as well as the weight of the wheel, will cause serious harm to your spine.

Or you can just call for the tow truck.

3. Driving for the whole day

If you work as a chauffeur, a Grab/Uber/Taxi driver, or has a job as a deliveryman, you are going to be sitting behind the wheel for many hours every day.

Hunching over the steering wheel tightens chest muscle and force your shoulders to round. The opposite style of slumping also cause back and neck problems.

On top of that, it gives passengers a negative impression of you. If you are driving for the whole day, make sure that you sit at a 90-degree angle close to the wheel so that you do not stretch either your hands or your legs.

4. Sitting for too long

Similar to standing for a long time, sitting down all the time applies pressure to the spine.

In fact, sitting down puts 40% more pressure on your spine than standing. Therefore, it is important for you to remember that stretching your back now and then is crucial for a healthy back.

At the same time, maintain a relaxed posture while working. That means you sit in a neutral position, not ram-rod straight or slouching.

5. Carrying heavy bags

Ladies tend to carry heavy bags because they need everything to be perfect. Hence, we often overload our bags with cosmetic, an umbrella, a water bottle perhaps.

On top of that, we carry our purses, our keys and tissue papers. To make things worse, ladies handbags often weigh a ton to start with.

Carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder elevates the particular shoulder, making your spine to bend. Your shoulders also become imbalanced.

To prevent this, carry the lightest bag you possibly can, and if needed, separate your things into 2 bags and carry one on each shoulder to ease off the imbalance.

6. Carrying heavy grocery bags

Similar to carrying heavy bags, having an imbalance while carrying heavy grocery bags is also frowned upon.

While having only one bag for everything is convenient, it causes you more harm than if you split the contents into two bags instead.

Having a balance from both hands will ensure that your spine gets the best possible position while you are going home from the supermarket.

To make things even better, bring along your trolley and put everything in it!

7. Lifting heavy objects

Most people have the bad habit of bending down to pick up heavy objects without bending the knees.

This bad posture exerts pressure on the spinal cord and can harm you in many ways – from back pain to severe slip discs.

To prevent this, bend both knees before lifting heavy objects off the floor. The right posture will help you to protect your spine and be pain-free.

8. Wearing High Heels or Flip Flops

High heels force you to arch your back, creating higher pressure on your spinal muscles. Flip flops, on the other hand, cause your feet to move from side to side, which makes weight distribution uneven and that cause pain.

Therefore, if you have needs to wear high heels at work, try leaving them in the office and commute in comfortable flats instead. Flip flops lovers can leave them at home once in a while and commute in comfortable sneakers instead.

9. Watching Television (TV)

If you like to be a couch potato, remember to sit in the correct posture or you will suffer tremendously.

Parking yourself in front of the TV for hours strains the back and give you lower back pain. To prevent this, limit TV time to shows which you really want to watch and stretch your back whenever the advertisements come on.

It also helps if you sit in a relaxed but not slouching posture.

10. Carrying your bag pack

Bag packs are popular among young professionals nowadays because it makes carrying a laptop to and from office so much easier.

However, you can easily injure your spine if you carry your bag pack the wrong way. The bag pack has two straps for a reason.

Use both of them to evenly distribute the weight on both shoulders even if it is troublesome.

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