You might go to a yoga or Pilates class to stretch things out, but when you sling a heavy handbag on your shoulder to go home, while loading a fitspo post to Instagram, you’re undoing all that good work.
Here’s what could be causing the damage, and some advice on what to do…
Your handbag
According to designer bag retailer Aspinal, we carry an average of 17 items in our handbags, and the average weight of a bag is the equivalent of three bags of sugar!
Women in Brighton carry the heaviest handbags, followed by Birmingham, Southampton, Belfast and then London.
Aspinal offered tips for making sure your bag doesn’t give you pain, including carrying a rucksack or cross body bag and emptying out your bag completely every evening. Sounds good for your back, but make sure you still remember your keys the next day!
Your bra
Ahh, that feeling at the end of the day when you release yourself from the constraints of a bra. Nothing quite like it, is there? And that’s an indication that you could be wearing the wrong one and doing your back no favours. Apart from the strain on your shoulders of a poorly fitting bra, the digging in and chafing of wire can leave welts on the skin on your back.
If you think you’re wearing the wrong bra, it’s time for a fitting. Larger-chested ladies should try and get an appointment with specialist Bravissimo, while branches of Debenhams have fitters. If you’re more remote, then try online size chart Boob or Bust.
Your smartphone and laptop
Not heard of tech neck? Where have you been? The amount we spend leaning over a phone, tablet or laptop is giving our spines a whole heap of issues. Also known as ‘smartphone slouching’, this terrible posture habit can result in serious pain in the neck and back as well as knees and might even give you problems with digestion and circulation, too!
According to OFCOM, we now check our phones every 12 minutes. It’s no wonder we’ve got back pain because of it!
To get out of the habit, download a phone useage tracker app like Moment or Quality time that will tell you how long you’re on the phone. Leave your phone behind when you go for your lunchbreak, and in another room when you’re watching TV at night.
Resolve to abandon your phone when walking, and invest in some Bluetooth headphones, which will mean you can make calls but not be staring down at the texts so often.
Your high heels
Meghan Markle stepped out in some comfy-looking flat boots in Vancouver recently, and even Kate Middleton has been seen in a chunky heeled boot rather than high heels. But the pair are more often than not in heels, and while they’re a known cause of foot and back pain, they’re still on our list.
According to a survey from retailer Deichmann, we’re ditching heels for dates, with 36 per cent of women saying they’d wear a trainer on a romantic date. But for those who do love their heels, the impact on your back is unavoidable fact. Wearing them alters your alignment, pushing your pelvis forward, not to mention balancing on that tiny stiletto!
