5 ways to give your growing teens the best possible future!
Oh boy! Who wants to be a teenager again!? Many people would jump at the chance to relive some of their fondest memories of growing up. Just think – puppy love, endless summers, unfortunate zits, and awkward fashion choices. And growing pains… Shudder.
The teenage years mark many changes to the structure and function of the body. Many of our cognitive processes are strongly formed by this time, and a lot of our mental capacity is forged. We become young adults, we mature, and we form opinions on broader topics. Hormones get cranked up, bones harden, and habits are created.
Ensuring you have a healthy, happy spine is essential to living a healthy adulthood, which is why good habits formed during teenage years will establish a solid base from which to build. Posture is one of the things teens everywhere struggle with, as their lives increasingly involve mobile technology. This is true especially during the pandemic since classes have all shifted to an online medium, and the amount of screen time has skyrocketed around the world.
Here are some pieces of actionable advice:
It might be cool to let your backpack hang loosely towards your hips, but a heavy bag loaded with books can be injurious to your spine and posture. Try to tighten the straps and have the bag sitting closer to the middle of your back.
Marathon gaming hang outs, group chats, and all-night study sessions might be super fun (okay, not the studying so much), but the sensitive nerves in your neck and low back can be getting pinched, especially if you do this often. Try to get out of your chair every 30 mins.
Take time out of your day to focus on stretching and exercise. Creating a healthy routine now could save you thousands of dollars on healthcare costs later on! Consider it an investment in your health that will pay priceless dividends!
Get some rest! The bones in your body are in the tail end of their maturing process, and they require rest to become as long and strong as possible. Getting the daily 8-9 hours of sleep is as important now as they were when you were a child.
Chiropractic adjustments REALLY HELP! Taking the stress out of your spine on a semi-regular basis can help avoid unnecessary curvature loss and prevent early degeneration. The semi-fixed position of the bones in adolescence have less chance of developing sideways bends (scoliosis) when routine alignments are performed.
Why is posture care important?
The shape of our spine is critical to our function. It develops a certain way in order to facilitate our life’s processes. For example, when we’re developing in utero as a fetus, our entire spine stays in a C-shape, to allow for a snug fit in the womb. Once we’re born and we have to lift the weight of our head, the curve in our neck reverses, and allows the head to sit comfortably over the shoulders. Finally, once we get upright and start walking, the curve in our lumbar spine forms, to allow proper function of the pelvis and hip.
Maintaining these curves through adolescence is a priority. Changes to these curves are among the first demonstrable degenerative changes a spine might show. Aging is a fact of life that we cannot avoid, but we can definitely install measures to prevent accelerated damage to our spine. Incorporating good habits during our teenage years is the easiest way to counteract early pain causing conditions.
Now that you have some great tips, let’s look at ensuring your kids have a healthy and active future and regular chiropractic care can definitely help. Chiropractic care is a non-invasive, pain-free, and natural healing treatment that can benefit your overall lifestyle! Our chiropractors use hands-on manipulation and other alternative treatments to align the body, specifically the spine, to enable the body to grow and heal naturally!
Talk to our experts to know more!