Why is our spine important?

- Because it is the spine that allows us to bend and turn. It provides stability and space for your torso to move. Injuries to the spine limit movement. If we are recovering from an injury, if we have poor posture or if we have "worn out" the spine over time, it all makes it difficult to sit up straight, to bend, to walk, to move the neck, to lift, etc.

- The nervous system and the spine are closely linked. Nerves exit the body on both sides of the spine, through which impulses travel from the brain to your little toe and back... A damaged spine can block the connection between the brain and the limbs. This can cause numbness or tingling in the hands and feet. In more severe cases, spinal cord injury can also occur, always leading to paralysis.

- When swallowed, food and drink pass through the oesophagus into the stomach. The oesophagus is normally parallel to the spine. However, if the spine becomes misaligned due to an injury or disease, it can press against the oesophagus or even tear it.

- Improper posture, poor movements and intense exercise put excessive pressure on the spine. Constant overuse stresses the spine, increasing the risk of injury over time. These injuries almost always require surgery and can cause permanent damage to the bones and joints of the spine.

- If our spine is not 'working' properly, our quality of life is significantly reduced. We can miss out on many activities. Not only will our mobility be limited, but we can also expect pain.
That's why we should take care of our spine! Let's see how we can protect the health of our spine!

Let's move to a healthy lifestyle!

The best thing you can do for your own health is to leave unhealthy habits behind and adopt a new, healthy lifestyle. Have you ever thought that this is not some kind of punishment, but loving and respecting yourself, learning to treat yourself well and giving yourself what you need? This includes eating healthy, exercising regularly, watching your weight, avoiding smoking, etc. By exercising regularly, you can strengthen your abdominal muscles, which play an important role in supporting your pelvis and lower back. Pilates is an excellent way to keep your spine healthy and strengthen your muscles. It is low-intensity, so it is suitable for all ages, and its modifiability (customisability) makes it suitable for amateurs, professional athletes and injury recoverers. By eating properly, we provide the body with nutrients that help to heal minor injuries to the spine and the muscles surrounding the spine.
To perform at its best, our bodies need rest. By not neglecting sleep, we make a significant contribution to spinal health. But whether we doze off sitting in a chair or in our bed with a quality mattress and pillow, it's vital to prepare the right environment. It doesn't matter what position you sleep in either. It is best to lie on your side or on your back.
We may not even think about the impact our everyday, routine activities have on the health of our spine. Little things like lifting can lead to serious injuries if done incorrectly. Don't try to be tough - if something is too hard, ask for help!
Small, everyday changes are key.
We don't usually think about how our small, ordinary daily activities affect our health. Take some time to think about what we do in a day, how it affects our spine and how we can improve it. Next time, choose shoes that offer the right support! Take more breaks at work so that you are not in the same position for too long. If you work in an office and spend most of your day sitting in a chair, make your environment as ergonomic as possible. Sit with your lower back supported at all times and place the computer screen at eye level to avoid slouching forward.
Let's start with the small steps, as it's not easy to switch to a completely new lifestyle overnight. When you realise the positive impact that simple changes like a new pillow can have on your life, you'll soon feel like taking more serious steps to improve the health of your spine!

If you don't know where to start or want to build your new lifestyle more consciously and quickly, feel free to contact me, I'll help you! It's a process as you learn a way of living where you support your health in the long term. It's OK if at first you don't get something perfect, if there are occasional difficulties, if you can't do something on your own. But what I think is essential: enjoy it! In the long run, the results will be priceless.