Well.ca / blog

As a chiropractor part of my job is to stay on top of the current research and help my patients navigate fact from fiction. Here are three common misconceptions about healthy back practices and what you can do to avoid them.

Myth #1: Always exhale when lifting
“Exhale when lifting the weight up, inhale when letting the weight down.” This is how most of us are taught to exercise with weights. The problem with this approach is that your core muscles become accustomed to relaxing when lowering the weight which leaves the spine susceptible to injury. A more functional approach is to breathe independently of the exercise. Purposefully changing the timing of your breath through the movement trains your core to be stable no matter what phase of the lift it’s in. It can be challenging at first, but worth the effort.

Myth #2: A good chair prevents back pain
Ergonomically designed chairs are not as good for your back as you might hope. The fact of the matter is that there is no ‘best’ chair or single ‘best’ posture. Sitting for longer than thirty minutes causes your back to compress and deform leading to a build-up of micro-trauma. Over time these micro-traumas can leave you susceptible to a more major and symptomatic injury. So while it is a good idea to have a chair that helps support a non-slouching posture it is even more important to stand up and move around every 20-30 minutes.

Myth #3: Crunches are better than sit-ups
“I know that sit-ups are bad for me so I do crunches instead to keep my core in shape.” It’s true that crunches will help your muscles to get stronger but unfortunately your spine will get weaker. Core exercises including crunches, sit-ups, reverse crunches, back extensions, and twists put tremendous pressure on your low back. The pressure from the bending/twisting can cause the discs in you back to rupture. So instead, try exercises that challenge the muscles while keeping your spine in a neutral position – the plank, side plank, and glute-bridge are a great place to start.

Simple changes in how you move and exercise can make a big difference in how your back functions and feels. For more healthy tips you can follow me on twitter @ClearPathChiro, facebook facebook.com/ClearPathChiropractic, or at www.ClearPathChiropractic.com