World Spine Day is October 16 — a day to recognize the importance of our spine and champion spine health across the globe! How important is your spine? Well, we use the word “backbone” metaphorically to mean ‘the most central, integral, and important part’ of an entity or structure — so that tells you something!

The health of your spine is crucial to the entire body. The spine includes bones, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels, and nerves. It protects the spinal cord: the network of nerves that communicate with the brain to control movement, function, sensation and more. The spine is also the major postural structure that enables us to stand, sit, lay down, bend, twist, and all the other movements we perform throughout the day.

Benefits of Maintaining a Healthy Spine:

1. Ease of movement and less daily pain. Your spine controls everyday movement such as bending and twisting. When not taking proper care of your spine (either through poor movement or poor posture), everyday tasks such as sitting, turning, bending and twisting can be very painful.

2. Bone and joint health. Maintaining the strength and flexibility to keep proper posture helps keep your bones and joints healthy for as long as possible. Poor spinal posture, especially for prolonged periods of time, can change the loading on your spine and other parts of body, which can lead to degenerative changes in your spine and other joints.

3. Improved breathing. Poor posture can lead to a poor breathing technique, which is a crucial function for good health, productivity and quality of life. Good breathing technique can help improve cardiovascular health, decrease feelings of stress and overwhelm, and improve sleep, among other benefits.

Ok, so how can you ensure spinal health?

1. Our bodies were not designed stay in one position for hours on end. We were designed to move! Keeping an exercise regimen has tons of benefits, but more current research has shown that it’s just as beneficial, and in some cases even more beneficial, to take shorter, simpler movement breaks throughout the day. Set yourself a reminder to change position every hour or so. Stand up, walk around, do a small stretch — it doesn’t have to be complicated or take a lot of time, but your body will see big benefits!

2. Support your spine while sleeping with a firm or medium-firm mattress. This will let your spine truly rest and relax during sleep. Maintain good posture while you sleep with a pillow under the knees for back sleepers, or between the legs for side sleepers.

3. Ask your chiropractor, massage therapist or physical therapist for some exercises to help strengthen and lengthen the specific postural muscles you need to work on. This will vary from person to person, so having a specialist give you personalized recommendations is essential. Building the proper strength and flexibility will make it easier and more habitual to maintain good posture. Building strength in other areas of the body, like arms and legs, will also help avoid back pain because your extremities will be better equipped to help you lift and move things when necessary.

4. Good standing posture includes keeping the weight evenly distributed on both feet, and centered at the middle of the foot. Ears should be in line with shoulders. Sitting posture includes keeping two feet on the ground as much as possible. If you like to cross your legs, be sure to alternate which leg is on top.

5. Wear supportive, well-fitting shoes! Good shoes provide a supportive base that helps the spine and body remain in alignment. Shoes should fit comfortably around the toes, giving the toes enough room to spread. The heel should be fit snugly but not overly tight. Even if you’re siting for most of the day, having a good pair of shoes will prevent holding your feet and toes in unhelpful positions. Exercise shoes should be replaced every 6 months to one year.