How to Stay Healthy for the Holidays

With the holidays right around the corner, you have probably have started to think about traveling, decorating, food, and shopping. The holidays are exciting, but they can also be a drain on your health. There are many holiday activities that can lead to back pain and other health problems, like carrying items or, for us Floridians, moving around in the cold on those holiday trips up north.

For many people, back pain is at its worst during the holidays. This is the busy time for chiropractic offices for pain relief. Here are some tips to avoid back pain and stay healthy for the holidays.

1. Be Smart When Shopping

Smaller and lighter bags are better for your back. Do not load all the items in one bag so you can lug the bag around. While this makes it easier to carry, it will put too much weight on one side of the body. Instead, distribute the weight into smaller bags. You should also make trips to the car more often, and ask for help if the item is too heavy.

2. Stay Focused on Health

During the holidays, maintaining exercise and diet on the non-party days is critical. This will help minimize stress about holiday weight gain, while still allowing you to enjoy the holidays. When you are not at a party, be mindful of your diet and we recommend working out for at least 30 minutes a day, even if you are just walking around.

3. Traveling Safely

While packing everything into one bag will save you money, if it is too heavy, you are going hurt your back. Pick light weight bags, so you are only carrying the weight of what is in the bag. When you are retrieving your bags from the carousel, make sure that you are bending your knees to lift your bags.

4. Do Not Ignore Your Back Pain

The holidays are a very busy time, so it can be tempting to ignore the back pain in hopes that it will get better. However, often this just leads to more back pain and other problems down the line. Studies show that a year after experiencing an episode of back pain, 75 percent of people had back pain that is ongoing or a disability during the year. When back pain is not treated, there is an 80% chance of the pain coming back.

While it is impossible to avoid all the causes of back pain, knowing how to treat the pain and avoiding many of the triggers can help you have a great holiday season. If you need pain relief for back pain, or you want to pro-active this holiday season, call to make an appointment. An chiropractic appointment can speed up the recovery time that your back needs, allowing you to enjoy the holidays pain-free.

We wish all of you a happy and HEALTHY Thanksgiving.

- The Team at Essential Mind and Body