The Euros are well under way, which will mean for some there will be a considerable amount of time spent lounging on the sofa as they watch the competition in France. Make sure you are not the injury worry this summer and take care of your posture.
The British Chiropractic Association carried out its own consumer research and found 41% of people said that sitting for prolonged periods contributed to their back or neck pain and, with at least 75 hours of football on offer, some will be more at risk than ever of becoming couch potatoes! Our lifestyles are sedentary enough but, during televised sporting events like the Euros, people spend even more time sitting down. Lack of exercise is our worst enemy and we should avoid sitting for prolonged periods of time, as sitting incorrectly puts almost twice as much pressure on the back than when standing. And that’s not the only health hazard during this tournament. Football fans will argue that jumping up to celebrate a goal or berate the referee is an involuntary action, but doing it too quickly may be more harmful than sitting down for prolonged periods. So, going from a fixed posture when sitting down to quickly jumping up on your feet in excitement could be potentially damaging.
To ensure a pain-free Euro 16, here are some top tips from Shrewsbury Chiropractic Clinic:
- Try to avoid prolonged posture, so change position every twenty minutes; stand up and move around.
- Stay active during half time; why not take some light exercise during the 15 minute break.
- Don’t slump, sit right back into the seat, so your back is fully against the back of the chair/sofa.
- Drink Up! – As much as possible, try drinking water instead of beer, tea and coffee; it will keep you hydrated and help you concentrate on the game.
- At the end of the match, you might feel inspired to have a kick around which is the perfect way to keep active over the long summer evenings.