It’s time for parents and kids to start preparing for back-to-school season. The coming months will bring plenty of excitement and anticipation, as well as some inevitable stress and pressure. To help make this transition go as smoothly as possible, it’s important to remember that taking care of your body is just as essential as stocking up on supplies!
That’s why in today’s blog we’ve gathered tips for staying healthy during back-to-school season:
Maintain good posture while sitting at a desk or carrying a backpack.
Maintaining a good posture while at school is essential to maintaining a healthy and pain-free lifestyle. Poor posture can cause muscular and skeletal issues, such as headaches, poor digestion, and breathing difficulty, as well as back and neck pains. Unfortunately, many commonly used teaching methods encourage students to slouch when sitting at desks for long periods of time.
When sitting at a desk or in a classroom chair, it is important to keep your feet flat on the floor. Make sure your shoulders are kept relaxed against your body without hunching them up towards your ears. Maintain an erect spine with no slouching or rounding of the shoulders and create an imaginary line between the base of your earlobe and the midline of each shoulder – ensuring both remain level. Additionally, adjust the height of the chair so that you can keep both feet flat on the floor while sitting upright in order to avoid any discomfort or strain on your hips and lumbar spine when you are seated at it for long periods of time.
Taking regular breaks is also important – get up from sitting every half hour if possible – allowing yourself 15 minutes walking breaks during class changes or in between classes if possible – even better!
If carrying a backpack around is necessary between classes, make sure to wear it properly – Fit it snugly over both shoulders with straps adjusted so that it doesn’t slip down into an awkward position when standing or walking. Adjust your backpack often if needed to avoid overloading one side of your body more than the other! Improve spinal health by staying active!
Take frequent breaks when sitting for long periods of time.
From providing guidance on school supplies to making sure your student has proper vaccinations, back-to-school preparations can be an overwhelming task. And don’t forget the importance of planning for your child’s physical health and wellness! To help you and your student start off the school year on the right foot, here are some chiropractic tips that can keep their spine healthy and in check.
- Take frequent breaks when sitting for long periods of time. The human body was designed to move, so if students are going to remain healthy–especially when it comes to their spine–they must adopt a habit of periodically standing up and taking a break from sitting in one position for too long.
- When students are engrossed in classwork or studying for tests, it’s easy to get wrapped up and forget about taking small breaks away from their books. But by adjusting their chairs or desks often, short walks around the classroom or down the hall will do a world of good for their overall health!
Use a backpack with wide straps and a padded back to distribute weight evenly.
Ensuring your child’s backpack is the correct size, weight, and fit can lessen the potential for back pain and other injuries. Heavy loads and incorrect positioning can cause misalignments in their spine and neck.
To reduce strain on the body, encourage your child to use a backpack with wide adjustable straps that help to distribute weight evenly across the shoulders. Additionally, if possible, select a backpack with a wide, padded back panel that fits snugly against the lower back providing additional support.
Your child will also benefit from frequently adjusting their backpack depending on the number of items they have gone it at any given time. Most book bags are designed to hold anywhere from fifteen to twenty percent of a person’s body weight so even when lightly loaded it should not feel too heavy.
Encourage smaller items and textbooks such as calculators to be secured inside the backpack instead of carried separately in hand. This will help lighten the overall load placed onto the upper extremity musculature. Additionally, always reminds your child to bend at the knees when putting on or taking off their bag avoiding excess pressure placed onto their low back muscles as they hoist their bag over their shoulder or lift off position it for storage.
Together these measures can add up over time increasing spinal health long-term well into adulthood.
Exercise regularly to strengthen your core muscles and improve your balance.
Frequent exercise can help children and teens to increase their physical strength, improve posture and prevent injury while back in school. Core strengthening exercises such as Pilates, yoga, and weightlifting can help support the spine and improve stability; by keeping the core musculature strong, the body is better able to absorb the stress from poor posture, long periods of sitting, or highly repetitive motions that cause tension in the joints.
Additionally, balancing exercises such as standing on one foot or “tippy toes” can help youngsters stay agile and nimble for longer periods of time. At least 30 minutes of exercise 3-4 times per week is recommended for children; it is important for parents to ensure that their child gets enough physical activity to keep them healthy and active during the school year.
Get enough sleep each night to allow your body to rest and recover.
Getting enough sleep is essential to allowing your body to rest and restore naturally. Chiropractic care can help you achieve optimal mental, emotional, and physical performance.
To further ensure restful sleep throughout the school year, it is important to establish a consistent bedtime routine that includes adequate hours of sleep each night (7-10 hours for grade school students and 8-10 hours for high schoolers). Going to bed and waking up at the same times every day will condition the body’s internal circadian rhythm which helps promote restful sleep. Avoid looking at screens from computers, video games, or TV at least 30 minutes before bedtime – the light emitted from these devices can interfere with falling asleep.
Developing healthy sleeping habits will not only benefit your body’s recovery but also boost brain development and performance in the classroom.
Use proper technique when lifting heavy objects.
It’s important to lift with your legs, not your back. When lifting an object, stand close to it and squat down with your feet shoulder-width apart, keeping your knees behind your toes at all times. Take a deep breath, hold it in, then as you start to stand-up exhale through pursed lips. As you are standing up lift the object while keeping it close to the body where possible and supporting its weight on both hands. If the object is heavy or awkward make sure you seek assistance or use a dolly for support.
Maintaining proper posture when lifting will help reduce unnecessary strain on the back muscles.
Seeing a chiropractor for regular adjustments.
Seeing a reputable chiropractor for regular adjustments is one of the best steps that families can take to ensure healthy spinal health and maintain a balanced lifestyle. Chiropractic care is designed to alleviate pain, correct any misalignments, and promote wellness in the musculoskeletal system. Regular adjustments can help students who sit for extended periods of time during school, preventing stress on the spine. Furthermore, it is also beneficial for athletes and those who spend a lot of time participating in physical activity.
Chiropractors are skilled professionals with specialties in many aspects of patient care. They can use different treatment techniques like spinal manipulation to help improve posture, range of motion, flexibility, and strength. Additionally, they may provide nutritional advice and therapeutic exercises that can help you stay active throughout the school year while avoiding injury.
Seeing a chiropractor once a month is recommended during the back-to-school season due to the impact scholastic activities and sports can have on students’ bodies. Regular visits help maintain the alignment of the spine and address any issues before they become more complex health issues later on in life.
Conclusion
To keep your children’s backs healthy and free of aches and pains, start implementing other chiropractic tips for back to school. Make sure your kids eat a balanced diet, get regular exercise, and plenty of rest. Also, remind them to use proper posture when sitting and carrying backpacks. If necessary, consult a chiropractor for their individual needs.
Finally, keep an eye on the way they are interacting with electronics and equipment such as phones or tablets – limit the use of these devices if possible. With the right tips and care, going back to school can be enjoyable for everyone!
