How to Prevent Back Pain in Four Easy Steps

Short Answer: You stand up wrong

Longer Answer:

There are many explanations for why so many people in our society have low back pain; the most popular is that all the time spent sitting is “killing” (some people say “ruining”) your low back. A related meme/theme is that you need to practice better posture when sitting and/or standing.

The remedy is said to be standing more, with some even proposing the “standing desk”.

Well, that just smacks of the same condescending, Puritanical BS as the “lazy gluttons” explanation for the Obesity Epidemic – it is the blamer indulging himself in feeling superior.

I say the problem isn't how much time you spend sitting, it's how you stand up from a sitting position.

How You Stand Up

1. You are sitting all the way back in the chair (or couch), your back supported by the back of the chair.
2. You lean forward from where you are – the weight of your body behind your feet – and , with your back extended, pull/push your way up into a standing position.

Every time you get up that way, you hurt your low back by making it do work in the extended position.

How You Should Stand Up

1. You are sitting all the way back in the chair (or couch), your back supported by the back of the chair.
2. You use your hands and feet to scoot your rear end to the edge of the chair.
3. Inhale as you pull your feet back to you (if necessary) and lean forward
4. Exhale as you stand straight up in one swift, fluid motion

The Operative Principle

The operative principle here is to get the weight of your torso directly over your heels before you stand up. Also, try to minimize the time spent between the sitting and standing positions.

In this way, you stop damaging your low back every time you get up from a sitting position, thereby giving your back a chance to heal.

Try it today, and you could start seeing results as early as immediately, all for the low low price of zero dollars!