Back Pain And Running

It seems that back pain and running are often associated with each other. It makes sense that if you run a lot you’re going to affect your lower back. If you happen to do most of your running on uneven surfaces, it would seem only a matter of time before a misstep will jar you sacroiliac joint and begin the process of low back pain.

Back pain and running go together because the movement of the leg moving up requires the use of the sacroiliac joint (also called the SI joint). Ideally, when your right leg moves up, the right SI joint moves back.

However, for a lot of people, this joint becomes stuck or locked up and the movement is no longer as smooth and pain-free as it should be or could be. Any time a joint is unable to work as it’s designed it will inevitably lead to pain.

Improving Posture – Can You Do It Without Exercise?

There seems to be no end to the questions about how someone might change their bad posture without exercise. Posture supports, posture aids, and posture vests are just a few of the things out there trying to convince you that you don’t need exercise to help correct something that you exercised your way into.

I exercised my way into bad posture? Sure you did. You used your muscles (exercised) by simply doing your normal daily activities the same way over and over again. While you were performing some activities repeatedly, other activities were being ignored altogether. Your normal movements usually consist of things done in front of you, while the workout of your back muscles is holding you up. That would be fine if you were in an ideal posture position all day, but usually you’re not. You slump, you slouch, and sleep in the wrong way.

Posture Supports – Do You Need Them?

First we need to clarify what you are hoping this posture support will do for you. Somewhere in our minds, “posture support” or “posture aid” has become “posture corrector.” There’s nothing wrong with searching the internet looking for things to improve your posture. I, for one, applaud your efforts! However, if you are looking for a “quick-fix” to years of postural damage, you are not going to find it with a support.

The good news is you don’t need to spend an equal amount of time undoing the damage that took hours, days and years to accomplish. You’ll need to work on improving your posture with exercise, but posture supports can be very helpful.

When driving, many care seats do not come with adequate lumbar support. It is a huge task to ask automakers to come up with a lumbar support to accommodate every shape and size of person. Some of your high-end vehicles have lumbar support that is adjustable and may suit your needs. However, there are plenty of products available (and some you can make on your own) to take care of helping you remember to sit up straight and support the normal curve of your low back while driving.