Having back pain? Here are the top 10 most common causes that you need to be aware of.
1. Your bed. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association suggests sleeping in a position that allows you to maintain the natural curve in your back.
2. Your office/computer desk chair. Remember that your knees should be slightly lower than your hips and your feet should rest flat on the floor.
3. Pelvis mis-alignment. Pelvic mis-alignment will also cause mis-alignment throughout the entire skeletal system – upwards through the spinal column (causing strain on spinal vertebrae segments in the lower, middle and upper back, and also affecting neck, shoulders and arms), and downwards, through the legs (affecting alignment of knees, ankles and feet). Seeing a State Board Certified Chiropractor to help gently re-align can sometimes give instant back pain relief.
4. For women, your sports bra. If heavy breasted women don’t have enough support, their forward-leaning shoulders and heads will strain their necks and upper backs.
5. Stress. Tension reduces blood flow to the muscles, causing pain.
6. Smoking. Researchers theorize that smoking causes vascular damage in the disks and joints.
7. Bad posture. Feet should be shoulder width apart, thigh muscles elongated without locking the knees back with your weight in your heels. Lift the breastbone. As you do this, the shoulder blades will move down in back. Make your chin level. Relax your jaw and neck muscles. When you stand with good posture, it can make you appear about 10lbs less!
8. Lack of vitamin D. Research has shown low levels of vitamin D are associated with lower back pain. Vitamin D is vital for calcium absorption and also healthy bones and therefore, inadequate intake of the same may lead to softening of the bone surfaces resulting in back pain.
9. Weak abdominal muscles. Your abdominal muscles help support the pelvis. If they weaken then your curve in the lower back increases (a sway back), which then irritates the lower back joints. Time to hit the gym and work on strengthening your core.
10. Driving Your Car. Research has found three factors for low back pain while driving. The first one is the vibration from the engine (something that you can not change), the sitting position is the second factor and the third one is the length of time that we drive.Make sure that your bottom sits all the way in the back of the seat – where the base and the back of the seat meet. This will help to make you sit more upright and maintain the natural curvature of the spine, minimizing the stress on the spinal ligaments. If your seat has a lumbar roll built in have this all the way out. If you are driving long distances, make it a point to stop every hour to stretch.
She is the mother of 4 children ages 18, 13, 10 and 6 and has a passion for helping others get in shape from the inside out. Krista is a walking testimony having lost over 100lbs and has successfully kept it off .
During her weight loss, she had a vision of creating Fit By Faith.
She believed she was to change the atmosphere of the gym and create a different environment for people to work out in. Krista is a former High School Theater Arts teacher and is currently attending college to obtain her B.A in Sports Medicine.
She holds certifications as Personal Trainer with the International Sports Science Association Tae Bo® fitness instructor (Certified by the creator Billy Blanks) Group Fitness Instructor for Adults, Children and Seniors SilverSneakers® Muscle Strength & Range of Motion for Seniors Black Belt 1st Dan in the art of Tae Bo Kwon.
She maintains her certifications annually through continuing education classes and training camps and requires all her instructors at Fit By Faith to do the same. She also competes in races and other competitions regularly.
Krista has appeared in 3 Tae Bo® infomercials on national TV Shape, Collage Video, Looking Good Now and Christian Living Magazines Several times in the Brownwood Bulletin Newspaper.
She has also been featured on several websites such as The Fitness Zone, The Biggest Loser, ivillage as well as the Billy Blanks Website. Krista has been a motivational speaker at many churches and radio stations.
Krista and her husband John, who is co-owner of Fit By Faith, both have hearts to help others to feel good, to be healthy and strive everyday to serve more people in this manner.
