Millions of people each look forward to the chance of a holiday break during the warmer months. As the weather warms up, many individuals head for their local swimming pool or sailing lake, whilst others opt for the golf course or a spot of gardening in their own homes. However you choose to spend your spare time, you’ll want to take good care of your back.

Golf

Not many seasons pass without chiropractors seeing a good number of patients suffering from low back pain as a result of a weekend spent on the golf course.

Why do golfers suffer with this problem after playing? A major factor is the rotation (twisting) of the lower back when swinging the club. The backswing involves approximately a 90 degree turn of the shoulders and a 45 degree turn of the hips whilst trying to keep your head straight and your eyes over the ball. This has an effect on the spinal discs. These are flexible pads between the vertebrae, which act like shock absorbers. Although these resist compressive-type forces very well they are ill

Equipped to deal with rotational stresses. This type of strain often results in the weakening of the outer part of the disc, allowing its more fluid inner part to bulge and press on a spinal nerve. Because of the increased strain, repeating this movement over and over again can lead to the disc wearing more quickly.

Due to the alignment of joints between the vertebrae, golf swing impacts on one joint during the swing and opens the other causing a repetitive strain on these joints. This can also cause a sudden strain on these joints, especially if the club is grounded or a shot is played out of the thick rough, affecting the surrounding ligaments and muscles. When, as a result, the lower back seizes up it means no golf for some weeks.

The pelvis can also be injured twisting one way or the other repetitively or suddenly during a round, a season or a lifetime of golf. Some chiropractors are able to tell whether golfing patients have been slicing or hooking from the way their pelvis is “misaligned” on a particular visit.

Boating

Lifting heavy sail bags, grinding the winch, drawing an anchor – all these sailing related activities can provide the risk of back strain if not carried out properly. Back pain is a common complaint noted after sailing weekends and holidays, particularly if the individual is not used to the type of strenuous work involved.

There are two ways to help prevent problems. Firstly, aim for a good level of all round fitness before you go away on holiday. Secondly, think about the sort of tasks you have to do and work out how to minimise the strain.

Take winching as an example. It is a common cause of back, neck and shoulder injuries, but if done properly, it need not be damaging. Keep your back straight and pull with your legs, not with your back. If you are winding the winch, sit astride the cockpit and wind the winch from directly over the top, not from inside the cockpit leaning out.Millions of people each look forward to the chance of a holiday break during the warmer months. As the weather warms up, many individuals head for their local swimming pool or sailing lake, whilst others opt for the golf course or a spot of gardening in their own homes. However you choose to spend your spare time, you’ll want to take good care of your back.

Swimming

Swimming is a sport that people of all ages and levels of fitness can take part in. It is non-weight bearing activity due to the support of the water, so the joints and muscles of the body can be exercised without high impact.

If carried out properly, swimming can develop strength, stamina and suppleness. If carried out incorrectly – by trying to keep the whole of the head out of the water whilst swimming – then considerable stress is put on the neck and shoulders, which can lead to problems in the lower back.

Healthy swimming requires a relaxed neck and head and regular, steady breathing.

Gardening

Many people decide to spend their holidays at home and take advantage of the summer weather by getting out in the garden. Gardening may seem a relatively restful activity, but can sometimes result in backache because the actions required are quite different from those carried out in the rest of the year.

The main cause of back pain when gardening is prolonged stretching and overuse of the ligaments and joints in the spine. Digging prolonged stooping and bending over whilst planting place considerable stress on the ligaments and joints in the lower lumbar spine and causes them to become inflamed and tender. This in turn triggers a protective muscle spasm which gives rise to the deeper, duller type of pain that occurs over the following few days.

There are many ways to help prevent injuries. The way you bend and move determines how much strain is put on the spine and by using certain muscles to protect your back you can reduce the likelihood of developing pain.

It is important to warm up before any strenuous activity is started. One of the simplest forms of warming up is waking, and this is best followed by stretching out all the muscles that are likely to use: You can also help yourself by following these tips.

• Kneel on one leg rather than bending down repeatedly from the hips.
• Try and keep your back hollow when digging, with the legs well spaced apart. Use your legs rather than your back.
• Try and vary the tasks of the day onto short bursts of different activities rather than slogging away all day at one thing.
• When mowing lawns with a hover mower try to resist the temptation to swing the mower from side to side in an arc. Instead mow forwards and backwards as you would with a conventional cylinder mower.

It is best to exercise and keep fit so that you can enjoy your gardening and other leisure activities, rather than using gardening as an exercise to keep fit. Good Luck!