7 Ideas To Improve Lower Back Pain

 

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Those who experience lower back problems know all too well how painful and frustrating it can be. The good news is there are plenty of exercises and natural solutions that can support you to feel better. For a few starting points, have a try of these.

Exercise apps improve back pain

1 . Back Pain Exercises Pro

When you experience back pain, strength exercises and stretches are the key. The Back Pain Exercises Pro app offers plenty of workout options, to support the spine and reduce back pain flare ups. Here you will find a range of different workout sessions, including morning exercise, lower back workouts, thoracic spine workouts, stretching workouts, and recovery workouts. The app offers over 100 exercises to help you strengthen the muscles in your abdomen, back, buttocks, neck and legs. With simple video instructions, and thorough descriptions, it’s easy to learn these exercises.

2. Daily Yoga App 

Yoga is a great exercise to ease back pain and build strength. There are plenty of other health benefits, including improved posture, flexibility and relaxation. The app provides hundreds of yoga sessions, as well as Pilates and meditation. You can choose based on your level, preferenced duration and preferred style. For beginners there are plenty of basic Hatha and Vinyasa classes. For advanced practitioners, check out one of the up-tempo Ashtanga classes. Set yourself goals, sleep better, and support your back pain. A lack of exercise can sometimes make back pain worse, and so a gentle bit of yoga is probably just what you need.

3. Tai Chi

Tai chi is a martial arts practice with origins in China, during a Tai chi class you perform slow flowing poses, while practicing breathing techniques. Throughout Tai chi you’ll strengthen your muscles, improve your posture and learn how to relax. The Tai Chi Chuan app can help you to learn the ropes of Tai chi, and improve your back pain in the process. Low-impact exercise options are perfect for back pain, which is why Tai chi is ideal. It’s also a great form of exercise to improve balance, breathing, and help you to sleep better. To safeguard your health, it’s important to find the right exercises, to support your back pain.

Natural remedies to improve back pain

4. Capsaicin cream

Capsaicin refers to the active ingredient that’s found in chili peppers, it’s often used in lotions and creams, to target joint or muscle pain. It causes a heat sensation, which activates pain signals and nerve cells. Capsaicin cream is often used to treat nerve pain, strains, sprains, arthritis, and muscle pain. There are several creams available which contain capsaicin, or you can purchase ‘capsaicin cream’ by itself. If you are having difficulty finding the cream, you can always ask to be prescribed this by your doctor.

5. CBD cream 

CBD cream is made with the active ingredient cannabidiol, it’s one of the compounds which is found in marijuana plants. CBD cream is a great natural remedy for joint and muscle pain. It’s shown promise for conditions such as arthritis, nerve pain, back and shoulder pain, and more. There are certain CBD creams which are designed for pain relief, and others that are designed for skin care. The skin care range creams are useful to clear up conditions such as oily skin, or acne.

6. Natural anti-inflammatories 

Looking for a few natural anti-inflammatories, there are plenty of options that you can try: 

• Turmeric: Turmeric is a spice that’s traditionally used in Indian cuisine. It’s been used medically for centuries, favoured as a treatment for colds, infections and certain diseases. Many studies have indicated that turmeric is effective to ease inflammation.

• Ginger: You can buy ginger in the form of fresh root, supplement or powder. It’s often been used in ancient medicine, to treat headaches or infections. Scientific research indicates that ginger is a fantastic natural anti-inflammatory.

7. Heat cushions

You can purchase heat cushions online, these resemble miniature bean bags, and are put into the microwave to heat up. Heat therapy is a great remedy for muscle pain, it improves circulation, which helps oxygen and nutrients to travel to the muscles and joints. Increased circulation can help to ease inflammation, improve stiffness and repair damage.

Before you start any new exercise or health supplement routine, it’s best to consult your doctor. This is particularly important if you have a health condition, or have recently experienced an injury. Those who have back pain due to scoliosis can get more info from the Southwest Scoliosis Institute.

A Guide To Launching A Small, Handmade Product Business

 Perhaps you have always had a passion for crafting or making handmade items? Or maybe you have only recently discovered your love of making handmade products? Either way, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to launching a business of your own - making homemade products takes a lot of time, effort and hard work, as does selling them. 

The good news is that if you can get your approach right, you can easily make launching a handmade product-based business a little easier. The truth is that it’s just a case of knowing how you need to approach the situation, that’s all. It can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. There are lots of simple steps you can take to make launching a small, handmade business easier and less stressful. 

House Maintenance And Loving Your Home: A Simple Definition

 

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Maintaining your home and giving it some love is a form of valuing yourself. By respecting your home, you create a place of solace and a haven of change.

You make a start on beautifying your home by following some of these simple but effective ideas - from doing a winter garden tidy to annual house maintenance, that can make all of the difference.

House Maintenance Checklist

Maintaining your home means doing all the little things that make your house a place that you can live the life of your dreams. Keeping on top of your house maintenance will not only save you time and money.

Your home is your castle and the most significant investment you will ever make, so taking care of your assets is essential.

Breaking your jobs into seasonal projects can help you not feel too overwhelmed and focus on getting all your tasks completed quickly and efficiently.

So, let’s take a look at how this could look at your seasonal maintenance plan:

Autumn/Fall

This is the time of year to get your home winter ready, before the bad weather sets in and keeps you cosy in front of the fire.

Bleed your radiators and make sure your heating is working effectively.

Once the leaves have finished falling from the trees, clear your gutters again, to prevent any damp issues.

Review your home insurance and make any changes.

Insulate any external pipes and taps inside and out, to prevent them from bursting during the winter.

Make sure external security lights are working well.

Winter

Keep up to date with your home maintenance during the winter.

Check fences are stable and secure to prevent any damage during storms. 

Trim trees and shrubs and cover any delicate plants to protect them from harsh frosts.

Tie-down, any garden furniture and outdoor items, to prevent any damage in storms and snow.

Spring

Check your roof for any seasonal wear and tear, and remove any moss and plant life. Check chimney stacks are stable and repoint any loose mortar.

Take some time for gutter cleaning to keep these clear and free of leaves and moss, which can help make sure water does not seep into your walls and cause any damage.

Summer

As the weather improves in the summer months, you could give your garden furniture clean and polish.

Jet wash decking and patios, make sure that surfaces are not left slippery.

Wash summer bedding, like duvets and pillows you can airdry in the sun.

Check your boiler is serviced well maintained, as you’ll have your heating off.

Check seals around your bathroom and do some deep cleaning of your bathroom.

Do a deep clean of all your rooms and open windows and doors, getting a good air circulation around your home.

Here is a shortlist of monthly jobs to help your work through the year lighter:

• Check your boiler pressure and heating.

• Remove fluff from tumble driers.

• Test smoke alarms and replace batteries.

Finally, repair as you go along.

Affordable Planner Option: Office Depot Stellar Notebook Planner with Slash Pockets

 

I've tried a lot of different systems for life and work planning, including Passion Planner, bullet journaling, Panda Planner, the Ashley Shelly planner, DayTimer pages, DayRunner pages with a briefcase-sized carrier system they came in, and more. No, I have not tried Erin Condren. 

I've tried a lot of different systems for homeschool planning, too, including A Simple Plan, The Well-Planned Day, and a cheap homeschooling lesson plan book.

Ultimately, I've ended up with the simplest and cheapest of systems since my ADHD causes me to rebel against any system I try to set up anyway. Turns out the simpler the better when it comes to planners for me. I use a spiral notebook for keeping track of homeschooling and a fancy spiral notebook for keeping track of my life (errands, chores, appointments like dentist, doctor, appliance repair, etc.). Here are some photos:

What I love about this simple Office Depot Stellar Notebook Planner are these things:

(1) It's affordable.

(2) It has slash pockets! These are pockets that are cut at the diagonal in a divider page so things are held in better. This is where backup goes, such as bills that need immediate attention, invitations for things that are coming up, etc.

(3) It's light and portable.

(4) It's customizable! Usually I'll write times of the day down the left page of the spiral and to do items on the right side, as well as any notes (like what vitamins I took). I could probably also use this as a homeschool tracker if we had a light day.

Here are photos of a very bare day. The first photo is of a rough schedule on the left of the spiral. The second photo is of to-do items and an attempt at keeping track of both homeschooling and business daily items.

I'd love to hear about your favorite planner and how you keep yourself consistent in using it!

What Are You Saving Money For?

 

Photo by Jonathan Borba from Pexels

It's hard to believe we have been in our new house just over three years. 

When we moved in, the windows and doors were in pretty good shape (missing a few screens here and there on the top floor), but now it's time to start saving in earnest for new windows on the top floor only. The bottom level of our ranch-style house was already finished and done up to the nines. The top is stuck in 1992, which is fine if you don't mind hot air leaking out in the winter and cool air leaking out in the summer. I'm all about a lower electric bill (also dreaming of solar panels someday!).

I've heard that since the 2020 pandemic began, places like Home Depot and Lowe's have been bombarded with business. People are staying home, seeing all that's wrong with their home, and ready to roll on their home improvement projects!

So I'm saving money for new windows and travel, as well as dental work (always) and braces for two more of my kids. What are you saving money for?

Check out this post if you are wondering how I'm going to make or save money. Also, you can check out my blog, The Published Parent, to find out how I make money from home!

Here are some more money posts!

Want to Make More Money?

How to Save Money on Groceries

How Big Families Can Save Big Money

How to Teach Teens About Smart Money Moves

How to Get the Most From Your Household Budget

Simple Ways to Save Money on Baby Gear