3 Reasons Walking Is Good For Your Spine Health

The unfortunate truth is that as many as 50 million people in the United States are living sedentary lives [1]. Whether it’s working at a desk or spending too much time watching television, it can take a toll on the spine. This is likely one of the reasons as many as 65 million Americans have reported recent episodes of back pain and as many as 16 million adults experience chronic back pain [2].

The good news is that walking is not only good for your overall health but equally as good for your spine health. Why is walking so good for your spine? Here are some of the reasons why walking could be your solution to reducing back problems as recommended by spine surgeons near Las Vegas, NV.

Reasons Walking Is Good For Your Spine Health

1. Reduce Inflammation

As mentioned, many people suffer from back pain. Whether the back pain is incremental or persistent, it can be detrimental to your quality of life. Walking happens to be one of the best ways to reduce inflammation throughout your body [3]. Inflammation is at the root of back pain.

When you walk, your blood vessels open up which helps to increase the supply of various nutrients and even oxygen to the muscles that support your spine. This can help to reduce inflammation in these muscles and enhance their effectiveness of them. Having healthier stabilizer muscles is a good way to experience enhanced posture and better back health overall.

2. Enhances Flexibility

One of the problems with sitting too often is putting your spine in an unnatural position for extended periods. This is never healthy for your spine. It can force too much pressure on your lower back and alter the normal curvature of the spine. When you walk, you will release this excess pressure on the spine. It does so by stretching out the muscles and ligaments throughout the lower back region.

You need to work to maintain the optimal range of motion in your body. This is especially true in your back muscles which can get overly tight if they aren’t activated and stretched often. Walking is a simple yet effective way to boost the flexibility of your back area.

3. Improves Your Posture

Your posture is one of the more important things to focus on when it comes to your spinal health. Unfortunately, spending hours sitting at a desk and even more hours having your head tilted down at your phone can completely wreck it. It can be difficult to reverse the damage that excessive sitting and head tilting can do to your spine.

Your spine needs muscles throughout the back region for proper support. When you spend time sitting, your back isn’t activating these muscles. When you walk, you do so fully erect. This can help you activate the muscles in your entire back which can help you correct your posture. While it’s always a good idea to add some more exercises to your routine, the simple act of walking can have tremendous benefits to your spine health.

As you can tell, there are plenty of different benefits that walking can provide for your spine health. If you are suffering from back pain, walking for 30 minutes per day can help. Walking is a great way to reduce inflammation throughout the body and to activate your back muscles to strengthen them for improved spine support. Your local spine surgeon in Las Vegas, NV will already have a recommended recovery plan as well and rehabilitation.

References:

[1] https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2009/08/physical-inactivity

[2] https://hpi.georgetown.edu/backpain/#

[3] https://www.livescience.com/57498-exercise-reduces-inflammation.html