As a mom, you know that when you are sick or don’t feel well, the world doesn’t stop for you. You still need to cook dinner, run errands and do laundry to keep your household running smoothly.

The same goes with back pain. When you are hurt, you still have to keep going, so the best thing to do is to stop back pain before it even starts. Prevent back pain with these tips from a Virtua fitness expert.

Lift With Your Legs

Whether you are picking up your tiny toddler or a heavy load of laundry, it is very important that you lift with your legs. To do this, squat down and lift the object keeping it very close to your body. Never bend over.

Combat Poor Posture

Slouching puts additional stress on the spine and can cause back problems.

If your job requires you to sit at a desk all day, put a pillow behind the small of your back to help you sit up straight. If you are able, get up every hour. Move around to get oxygen moving throughout your body. This can include standing and stretching for just 30 seconds.

Incorporate some neck stretches to extend your spine and improve your posture. To stretch your neck, simply put your ear to your shoulder, your chin to your chest, and your head all the way

back.

Practice Proper Breathing

Ever notice temporary relief from your back pain after attending yoga class?

“Doing a lot of deep breathing helps the nervous system and helps your body take in oxygen. It helps compensate for some of the discomfort you’re experiencing,” Weathers explains.

Remember to take in deep breaths and pull your shoulders back. This can strengthen your spine and improve your posture immensely.

Strengthen Your Muscles

The most important thing you can do to prevent back pain is to strengthen your core, and that includes your back muscles.

These exercises include:

Core exercises

• Regular and side planks
• Superman
• Crunches on an exercise ball

Back exercises

• Assisted pull-up machine (or regular pull-ups)
• Back extensions
• Lat pull-downs

Full-body exercises

• Swimming

Two other things to consider are sleep and diet. Make sure you’re getting plenty of rest and eating a balanced diet of lean protein, healthy fats and lots of fruits and vegetables.

By taking care of yourself with these easy-to-apply tips, you’ll be more likely to avoid back pain. If you’re experiencing low back pain for more than a week, call your doctor for advice.