Every parent has been there! The little weekday stresses we feel on a physical and mental level can contribute to ongoing problems. Being a parent is stressful, but here, we’re going to focus on some of the physical ailments of being a parent and what you can do about them. Here are three areas that you have to address as a priority.
Lower Back Pain
If you’ve got toddlers or babies, picking them up all the time is going to wreak havoc with your lower back. There are many chiropractic care providers that can help you to fix your lower back pain by using certain exercises, but the best thing anybody can do is to learn how to fix their posture and lift properly. When we lift our children by bending over, we’re putting more strain on our lower back. Instead, get into the habit of squatting down to pick them up. Additionally, tensing your core will strengthen the muscles around the spine.
Headaches
Every parent has their fair share of headaches. But rather than popping a pill to get rid of the symptoms, it’s important to address the underlying causes. We usually have a headache because we haven’t slept properly due to the kids. But we have to take a holistic approach to fix headaches. Headaches can arise from tension and stress, but they can also arise from a lack of self-care. One of the best things you can do to look after yourself is to hydrate. If you are living on a diet of coffee, this is a diuretic and will dehydrate you. Make sure that you have sufficient water, and preferably with half a teaspoon of sea salt, because this will help transport vital nutrients like magnesium, potassium, and sodium from around the body. Adequately hydrating yourself will make a big difference, especially if you are prone to a glass of wine or two in the evening. We’re not saying you don’t deserve wine at the end of a hard day, but make sure that you are not dehydrating yourself in the process!
Sleep Problems
Probably the biggest issue parents have! Sleep problems come from a variety of sources. Usually, it’s because our children don’t sleep, and when we’ve been up half the night with our children because they have a sickness bug, or they are going through a developmental leap, a nap in the day is not going to help because we cannot sleep during the day! This is why we need to focus on ways to energize ourselves. Amazingly, breathing in certain ways can help to energize your body. Practitioners like Wim Hof talk about the, also known as Tummo, which can help to flood your body with oxygen and energize yourself in the short term. Also, as sleep can prove problematic, it’s still best for you to try and go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day because this sends clear signals to your body about your wake and sleep times so you will not feel any worse. You may feel that you want to go to bed really early and sometimes you can, but it’s important not to go too early to try and “catch up” on your sleep.
These three areas are common, but they are easily solved, as long as you use the right practices.