For many parents, September brings a sigh of relief as the kids go back to school and sanity levels can finally return to normal. But with another term comes another few months of worrying if your child is staying healthy beyond those school gates. While you can’t escape a few scraped knees here and there, you can encourage good spine health in your child and prevent their risk of developing future back problems.
Here our Southend chiropractor reveals four easy tips to ensure your child’s back-to-school is a healthy one:
1: Invest in a Good Back Pack!
Your child’s backpack should be light, snug and comfortable to wear with two wide padded shoulder straps and a waist strap. But remember a back pack is only as good as the way it is packed. Make sure your child unloads any unnecessary items every evening after school and carries the heaviest items at the bottom of the bag.
2: Encourage Good Health at Homework Time
You encourage good spine health in your child by ensuring he/ she uses a book stand while studying or reading. This will help to keep your child’s books at eye level and reduce the amount of strain on the shoulders and neck. And of course, there’s also the added bonus of creating extra desk space!
3: Warm Up For the New Term
If the typical British weather has kept your child away from many sports over the summer holidays, he/ she may need extra time warming up before they jump back into their school physical activities.
Good warm up routines should last for a minimum of 10-15 minutes and should include movements that simulate the sport about to be played.
4: Teach Good Posture
You may be able to remind your child not to slouch at home, but do your words resonate in the classroom? Instead of simply telling your child to sit up straight, educate them on the importance of good posture. Tell your child that maintaining the correct posture will reduce the amount of strain on his/ her neck shoulders and lower back and make him/ her more attentive in class! The more your child understands the importance of good posture, the more likely they will be to practice it until it comes a natural way to sit. Encourage your child to sit with his/ her shoulders back and chin tucked in with a gentle “C curve” in the low back. You can check your child’s posture by seeing if his/ her ears, shoulders and hips follow a straight line.
Here’s to a term of A* back health!
In April we launched our B2B (Back to Business) campaign at London Southend Airport. Next on the list is HMRC Southend where there are 1,200 staff, the majority of whom are deskbound and have an average age of 50.
Summer is finally here but can your spine cope with all the fun and frolics that come with the hot weather?
As a family chiropractic clinic, we are immensely proud of our reputation for providing chiropractic treatment to children. With the knowledge that’s available now, our children have a real chance of living their entire lives without the burden of back pain; that’s why it’s so important for good habits to start early.
Ahh, summer is such a wonderful season; long lazy days, relaxing weekends… it’s all about sand, sea and… sports!
Arif Soomro, founder of Cliffs Chiropractic Clinic in Essex, and Chiropractor of the Year, has analysed the Queen’s posture and says that everyone would improve their health and wellbeing if they took a leaf from her book and walked.
With so many of us spending hours at a time hunched over our computers or mobile phones our backs are under attack.
Emma Sheehan, who works in the beauty industry loved her work and when she became a partner at Health & Harmony, a beauty salon in Leigh, she thought all her dreams had come true. However, after many years of working she was in jeopardy of having to give it all up until on the advice of her brother she visited Cliffs.
Having good posture means holding your body upright against gravity, we can look younger and slimmer, breathe more easily and have more energy but we need to train our bodies to do this.