Simple Stretches for Immediate Relief Leave Back Pain Behind
If you've picked something up, fallen, slept, stood, walked, or done anything wrong and hurt your lower back before, you're not alone. According to the World Health Organization, "Low back pain [is] the single leading cause of disability in 160 countries" and affects roughly 1.71 billion people. Low back pain can be extremely frustrating to live with. Not only is it painful, but it can also be impossible to predict or avoid. Luckily, a physical therapist can create a treatment plan that targets the lower back and works with your body to improve mobility and reduce pain over time. And while you should always follow the program your physical therapist provides, you can perform a few stretches at home to find some relief. Prone Press-Up With this stretch, getting in the correct position is vital. It requires you to lie flat on your stomach, so if that is difficult
for you, place a pillow under your belly and use that as your starting position. 1. Lie on your stomach with your feet hip-distance apart and your hands pressed flat to the floor next to your chest, similar to a pushup position. 2. Using only your upper body, push down on your hands and lift your head and chest while keeping your shoulders pulled back. 3. Continue until your arms are nearly straight, with only a slight bend at the elbow. 4. Lower yourself back down and release the pose. Cat/Cow Pose Stretch These two stretches work well together, so feel free to use them consecutively. Cat Pose: 1. Start on your hands and knees with your hands slightly in front of your shoulders.
2. Press down on your hands and round your spine toward the ceiling. Allow your head to drop, forming a sideways "C" shape. 3. Hold this position for a few seconds before releasing and returning to the hands and knees position. Cow Pose: 1. Start on your hands and knees with your hands slightly in front of your shoulders. 2. This time, push your back toward the ground, forming a "U" shape. Lift your chin and chest at the same time.
3. Hold this position for a few
seconds before returning to your neutral hands and knees position.
Quiet Your Mind, Improve Your Health WHY MEDITATION IS A MUST FOR OLDER ADULTS
Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years and offers many benefits. The best part is that it's accessible to anyone; you don’t need special equipment or a membership to practice, just your mind and body! While meditation is great for everyone, meditation can be particularly powerful for older adults due to its emotional and cognitive perks. Here are some key benefits you can expect. Less Anxiety For some, anxiety can be a response to a specific life event, such as a health scare or losing a loved one.
Anxiety often involves worrying about the future, and meditation helps alleviate it by pushing you to focus only on how your body feels at that precise moment. Focusing only on the now is an excellent way to help combat those intrusive "what if" and "when" thoughts. Reduced Chronic Pain It's not uncommon for people to experience pain as they age. And while meditation can't treat the cause of the pain, it can help reduce the amount of pain you feel. According to a study from The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 89% of participants reported that meditation helped them cope with their chronic pain, drastically reducing their overall pain levels. Better Memory
memory as they age, but it doesn't make the experience any less stressful or frightening. Meditation helps to boost memory as it increases blood flow to areas of the brain in charge of attention and executive function. By giving these areas of the brain more "power" through increased blood supply, they can work more efficiently to help you retain and recall information. If you don't know how to start, close your eyes and focus on counting your inhalations 10 times before restarting. You can set a timer or continue as long as you feel comfortable. You can also find several guided meditation apps if you need a bit more help. It only takes a few minutes to complete a meditation exercise and begin reaping its incredible health benefits!
For others, anxiety can appear later in life for no apparent reason. Regardless of why it starts, anxiety is both uncomfortable and harmful to your health.
It's normal for older adults to experience some lapse in
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