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Stand Up Straight: Simple Daily Habits to Protect Your Spine
By: Our Medical Team | June 24, 2025
Stand Up Straight: Simple Daily Habits to Protect Your Spine
When it comes to back pain, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. As the body’s scaffolding, the spine allows bone, muscle, tissue, nerves and internal organs to settle and function properly. The primary purpose of the spine is to provide structural support, allow for movement and flexibility, and protect the spinal cord. When it’s damaged, or out of alignment, a host of problems can arise so protecting the spine is not only essential for avoiding injury, but also for maintaining posture, mobility, and functional wellness – ensuring your body is healthy to perform to the best of its ability.
Raise your awareness
Few people think about their spine until pain commands their attention. To keep discomfort at bay, set aside moments throughout the day to check in on your stance and correct your posture. Look straight ahead. Lengthen your backbone. Pin your shoulder blades together, then release them into a natural position with your arms resting at your sides. Tuck in your glutes. Center yourself over your arches. Breathe deeply. Once you know what proper posture feels like, it becomes easier to recognize when you’re putting an unnatural strain on your body simply by sitting or standing awkwardly.
Strengthen your core
Poor muscle tone makes it harder to hold yourself upright. Core exercises that focus on spinal stability improve posture and lower the risk of back injury. There is a wealth of information online that can help you establish a daily routine, and classes at exercise studios abound. But don’t limit exercise to the tummy and waist area. Your spine runs from the base of your skull to your pelvis, and your strength work should, too. If you’re pressed for time, choose exercises such as planks, glute bridges and bird-dogs that impact more than one muscle group. Be wary, however, of the desire to speed through the sequence. Focus on form and control to avoid straining your back.
Advanced wellness technologies such as EMSCULPT neo® that is offered at Southwest Spine & Sports, can complement an exercise routine and help build muscle, improve posture and enhance core strength. EMSCULPT neo® is the first and only non-invasive procedure that uses radiofrequency heating for fat reduction and high intensity focused electromagnetic energy (HIFEM®) for muscle strengthening and toning. The 30-minute electromagnetic stimulation can affect the bones in the spine by promoting osteogenesis (bone formation) and enhancing bone healing. It does this by stimulating osteoblast activity, increasing the expression of bone growth factors such as Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs), and improving calcium ion movement, which are all critical for bone repair and remodeling.
Attend to flexibility
The easiest way to think about flexibility is to be mindful of what you’re asking your body to do. Pick up children. Tend to yardwork. Swing a club or a racquet. Go on a run. Sit for extended periods on your computer. Whatever the case may be, visualize the twists, bends, stresses and arcs involved. How should you stretch to maintain suppleness and avoid injury? “No surprises” is a good rule of thumb—the last thing you want to do is put your body through paces it’s not prepared for. Pilates, yoga, static stretches and other disciplines can keep you lithe longer. Targeted work with a physical therapist or exercise physiologist can deepen your knowledge about how to protect your spine, joints, muscles and connective tissue. At Southwest Spine & Sports our providers can give direction on your limitations or exercises that should be avoided.
Sleep well
Just because you’re asleep there is no reason to ignore spine health overnight. It’s true that your body will do its own bidding as you catch your Z’s, but you can set the stage for the best eight hours possible. Choose a mattress that supports you from head to toe, with proper cushioning for your preferred sleeping position. Don’t be shy about giving potential candidates the “three bears” test. Too hard or too soft can throw your spine out of alignment. Aim for just right. Pay attention to pillows, too. Side sleepers will want a firm pillow to keep head and neck aligned, and a pillow between the knees to reduce stress on the lower back. If you sleep on your back, put a pillow under your knees to maintain the lumbar curve and keep head pillow height to a minimum. Sleeping on your stomach is best avoided. It requires you to cock your head at an extreme angle and puts your spine in an unnatural position.
Choose ergonomic furniture
Slouching can wreak havoc on spinal discs. Furniture shaped to your body encourages good posture, reduces physical strain and helps prevent long-term musculoskeletal issues. Proper lumbar support can be a godsend for those who spend long hours at a desk. In addition, look for chairs with adjustable seat depth and cushioning that reduces pressure on the hips, and adjustable armrests that keep your shoulders from scrunching or drooping uncomfortably. Sit/stand desks and kneeling seats are also options. If you spend hours driving, properly shaped memory foam and mesh cushions can help prevent lower back issues.
And about that phone…
Consider what we do as we walk about with our phone in hand, staring at a screen at waist level. Our head is down, our neck is off-kilter, our shoulders are hunched and our back is curved into an arc. I can hear moms everywhere quiet-yelling, “stand up straight!” under their breath. We do it when we’re seated, too, because we’re holding the device below eye level. How will this affect us as we age? Will we be a generation stooped at the shoulder, aching, neck strained at an odd angle just to see what’s ahead? Keeping the screen at eye level would be ideal, but it’s bound to get uncomfortable (though you’ll have one nicely sculpted arm to show for it). Instead, rest your elbow on your side and raise your forearm, which allows you to see the screen by casting your eyes downward, perhaps with an ever-so-slight tilt of the neck.
Improve physical function and promote longevity
Adding simple habits to your daily routine can help you protect your spine from injury. Maintain good posture, choose the right support, and add core strength and flexibility to your exercise schedule so you can enjoy your life without having to navigate gingerly around aches and pains.
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