Self-Care Habits To Protect Your Back In 2025

As we start moving further along into 2025, many people have been revisiting their personal goals, particularly when it comes to fitness and self-care. This is also a great time to get started on—or perhaps get back to—habits surrounding good back care. After all, your spine is your lifeline. Read on as a local Burnsville, MN chiropractor suggests a few tips to follow in 2025.

Core Strengthening Exercises

Never underestimate the importance of abdominal strength. Your abs help keep your spine in proper position, and are important for your pelvic tilt and spine curvature … both of which are crucial for your back. When you contract your abs, you also move weight off your spine. Plus, you get a flatter tummy! 

Improve Posture

Good posture helps keep your back healthy by helping protect and maintain the spine’s natural curves. That curve is crucial in many ways. It helps distribute your weight, which in turn affects your center of gravity and helps ensure that your bones, muscles, joints, and ligaments are carrying your weight in the correct proportions. It also helps reduce strain on your back muscles.

Lose Weight

If you’re overweight, dropping some extra pounds will help your body in several ways. It can definitely help with back pain, as additional weight not only puts extra strain on your spine, it also makes it harder to move properly. Weight loss can be difficult, but those who drop pounds successfully often share a common view: that it’s a lifestyle change, rather than a punishing short-term regimen. 

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is  your body’s time and way to recharge and repair itself.  Your body repairs damaged tissues during your sleep cycles. That is also true for your back. If you aren’t sleeping well, you may be putting extra strain on your back.

There are of course many ingredients to a perfect night’s sleep. The right mattress is a crucial start. Your position also factors into how your sleep helps—or hurts—your spinal column. Sleeping on your back ensures that your weight is distributed evenly and keeps your spine in proper alignment, reducing pressure on your bones and joints.

Treat Yourself To A Massage

Massage is nothing new, but it’s usually considered simply relaxing. Massage actually can have pretty powerful effects on your health and well-being. It’s also great for your back!

Massages and chiropractic treatments are, in many ways, two sides of the same coin. Both ultimately seek to repair the body’s alignment and mobility. Stiff muscles can affect the body in similar ways as subluxations, or misalignments of the spinal column. Both are quite painful, which is reason enough in and of itself to treat yourself. They also affect your flexibility, range of motion, balance, stride, and circulation, to name a few. Of course, massage can also work wonders as far as relieving stress. Don’t think of these as a splurge so much as self care.

Stretching

You don’t always have to make sweeping changes to see great results. Simply getting into a great stretching routine may help. Stretching also helps improve circulation, gets rid of those painful kinks and knots, and improves your range of motion. You don’t have to go too crazy: just getting into the habit of stretching for five to ten minutes a day can go a long way. 

Heat

2025 is the year of the snake in Chinese mythology. That may not seem like it’s relevant to us, at least at first brush, but there is an interesting connection there. Snakes’ bodies are composed mostly of their spines: they’ve opted out of limbs, fingers, and other body parts you may find on most mammals. Another area where they are very different from mammals is how they stay warm. Reptiles are cold-blooded, and absorb heat from the environment.

What does that have to do with caring for your back? Heat can be a great way to relax and relieve pain! A warm bath, a nap in the sun, a visit to a tropical beach … These all count as self-care in our book! 

Look Into Chiropractic

Chiropractic treatments aren’t always grouped in with self care, and for good reason: while they can provide amazing benefits, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment. That said, it can be extremely beneficial for many.

Here are some of the key benefits:

• Combat Hypertension
• Better Immune Function
• Improve/Enhance Athletic Performance
• Improve Posture
• Better Digestion
• Stress Management
• Better Sleep
• Headache Relief
• Increased Energy
• Reduced Inflammation
• Back Pain
• Scoliosis
• Asthma
• Pain Management
• Ease Pregnancy 
• Stiff Neck
• Arthritis
• Soothes Nervous System
• Better Mobility
• Neck Pain
• Better Range Of Motion
• Sciatica
• Better Balance

Chiropractic can also be extremely helpful for anyone who is coping with neck pain, back pain, stiffness, misalignments, and many other issues. If you want to learn more, contact us today at your Burnsville, MN chiropractic care center.

Acupuncture

Studies indicate that acupuncture can be helpful in treating a variety of medical conditions, including upset stomach, addiction, headaches, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, and myofascial pain, to name just a few. The practice is very safe, and has been used for thousands of years in Asia.

Acupuncture focuses on the use of very thin needles, which are inserted into the body at specific points. Reach out to us here at Amesbarry Chiropractic, your Burnsville, MN chiropractic care center, for more information on acupuncture. 

Get Proper Nutrition

Nutrition is at the top of the list for a reason. What you eat affects pretty much every organ and system in your body, and makes a huge difference on your overall health. And while fads may come and go, the basics of good nutrition really don’t change. Lots of fruits and vegetables feature in nearly every healthy diet, as do common-sense tactics, like limiting junk food and drinking lots of water. That said, there is definitely room for adjusting based on your health and preferences. Whether you want to follow an 80/20 rule, try keto, or opt for a different system, the key is always going to be to choose something that you like enough to follow without feeling deprived.

Consider Taking Supplements

Supplements are a small thing to add to your routine, but can make a huge difference, especially if you are struggling with something. There is no universal suggestion for a supplemental regime that is going to be a precise fit for everyone, but there are plenty of options and high-quality products to try.

While for the most part, supplements pose little risk, there are cases where they may counteract with medication. It’s important to talk to your doctor about any supplements you are taking.

Stay Hydrated

Do you struggle with getting enough liquids? If so, this can be a great goal for you in the coming year. Staying hydrated is crucial to your health.

Here are a few key benefits of proper hydration:

• Boosts Physical Performance
• Body Temperature
• Fights Constipation
• Enhances Brain Function
• Reduces Headaches
• More Energy
• Weight Loss
• Flushes Out Toxins
• Improves Skin Health
• Body Lubrication
• Detoxification
• Improves Digestion
• Flushes Body Waste
• Curbs Cravings
• Normalizing Blood Pressure
• Support Kidney Health
• Boosts Immune System
• Cushioning Joints

If you are getting a massage, acupuncture, or chiropractic treatment, it’s also going to be important for you to hydrate after your session. This will help flush the toxins out of your body.

Book An Appointment At Our Burnsville, MN Chiropractic Care Center

Are you interested in booking an appointment for acupuncture, chiropractic care, or massage? Are you suffering from neck or back pain? Do not hesitate to reach out to us at any time. As your Burnsville, MN chiropractic care center, we are here to help!