Health Hints for the Holidays

Here are some helpful holiday hints from the Australian Chiropractic Association:

1. If driving or flying take regular stretch breaks at least every one to two hours.

2. When sitting, use back support, such as a small, rolled towel. Alternate behind the lower back and between the shoulders.

3. Put your seat upright and ensure your tailbone is as far back into the seat as it can be, with shoulders and head supported as much as possible by the seat.

4. When flying, avoid the window seat; sit on the aisle where possible. It will be easier to regularly stretch and walk during the flight.

5. Be careful lifting and carrying luggage. Bend with your knees, not your back. Retrieving baggage off the carousel can be particularly risky, often involving rapid twisting.

6. When sleeping in a strange bed, sleep on your back or side as much as possible; avoid sleeping on your stomach.

7. Compensate for dips in the mattress by placing a small, soft towel under your side.

8. If the bed is ‘saggy’, consider putting the mattress on the floor.

9. Use a ceiling fan instead of air-conditioning, where possible, to avoid cold blasts of air on your neck or back.

10. Do the Straighten Up Australia exercise program once a day, while brushing your teeth.