Shopping Trolley Exercises Beat Back Pain

Shoppers and staff at a Cumbrian supermarket will be taking part in a series of 'shopping trolley' exercises, designed to help manage back pain.

The exercises are being organised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to highlight the launch of their 'Better Backs' campaign aimed at showing the benefits of exercise to help beat back pain.

According to back health experts, staying active is generally the best way to manage back pain in 80 per cent of cases, rather than rest which had previously been advocated.

The HSE in partnership with Local Authorities, is launching a national campaign to tackle back pain in the workplace. The campaign will focus on the holistic approach needed to manage back pain.

Running from 9 October, Better Backs will include workplace inspections, mass media advertising and events. The campaign will aim to reduce the incidence of back pain caused or made worse by work, its impact and the number of working days lost due to back pain.

Most of us have back pain at some time. Usually the pain is not due to anything serious. If treated correctly it can disappear within a matter of days or weeks. Those who experience severe pain, those worried about their back pain or those for whom the pain persists or suddenly gets worse, should see a doctor. When the back is painful, activity may be limited for a short time but that does not necessarily mean that continuing to stay active, or at work, will do any harm.

In the past, the accepted response to back pain was bed rest. Evidence now shows that rest does not help recovery. Trying to reduce the pain by avoiding activity can lead to a much longer recovery time and possibly long-term back pain.

It is much better to keep to normal levels of day-to-day activity.

It is estimated that 4.5 million working days were lost in the past 12 months because of back pain, costing the economy over £5 billion a year.

Carlisle residents will be the first in Britain to benefit from a new back-focused exercise routine that has been designed by health guru Liz Prosser of the charity BackCare.

An exercise professional from British Military Fitness will hold a series of back-friendly exercise classes in the Warwick Road store between 9.30am and 12.30pm on Monday ... and there is a free invitation to everyone in the area to turn up and try their hand at the routine.

Steven Smith, HSE's area manager for Cumbria will attend the event. He says: "Surprisingly back pain will affect 80 per cent of us at some point in our lives.

"The campaign being promoted at Tesco's Warwick Road store aims to show people how staying active throughout a normal day can help them better manage back pain."

According to back health experts, staying active is generally the best way to manage back pain in all but a few cases, and the HSE will highlight to Cumbrian employers how they can work together with their staff to help them return to work as part of a successful recovery programme.

Steven Smith continues: "It's not every day Tesco can offer health and fitness classes from a qualified exercise professional in their store. We are hoping for a really big turnout from their regular customers, especially those who have themselves suffered from back pain."

Visit the HSE Backpain website (No you are NOT seeing things!)

Source: GNN

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