MySkool Times

World Spine day was recently observed world wide on October 16 and rightly so.
Spine is the most affected part of the
body. According to a survey, at any given point in time, an estimated 540 million people in the world suffer from pain the their lower backs.
It is needless to say that issues of the spine are manifested over a period of time and not overnight unless it’s an accident or some injury. The backbone is the Central Support System of our body and hence needs to be taken care of. The key to keep our backs fit and healthy is to practice the right postures from an young age.
With the advent of smartphones, the injury to the spine has become frequent and major! Our upper spine is stressed while working on gadgets. And these days, even children use gadgets regularly.
So, as parents, it is your  responsibility to emphasize on the importance of right posture. You have to make sure that your children sit erect and do not slouch.
The posture that the kids sit in while studying is very crucial. Make sure they use a study table and their neck is not bent much while reading or writing.
A comfortable back rest and an apple shaped chair locks the spine in a right posture. Even while
Walking or standing, the chest has to be stretched to keep the shoulder in line with the upper trapezium
muscles.This will help avoid drooping shoulder and hunch back in future.

Children of this generation of kids learn from what they see. So, we as adults, have to walk the talk as merely giving advice won’t help.
Planning family yoga sessions often helps a lot to stretch the spine and keep it healthy. Cardio exercises
and weight training develops strong muscle mass around the backbone. These muscles which are developed
during the formative years helps children have a strong body and good postures.
Healthy eating habits are also very important. Including more protein in your child’s diet helps in building muscle mass.
These habits will help them in future as they can be safe from repetitive strain injuries that happen to the spine caused by unavoidable use of gadgets.