Men should start protecting their "fatal parts" from the age of 20

Doctors say that the main component of the intervertebral disc is water, which starts to decrease at the age of 20, and the lower limit of the time when the "proteoglycan" responsible for maintaining the elasticity of the intervertebral disc begins to decrease is 30 years old. This means that after the age of 30, the intervertebral disc has embarked on the path of gradual degeneration. Survey statistics show that 59.1% of people aged 30 to 40 in China suffer from cervical and lumbar spondylosis.

What is a herniated disc?

The intervertebral disc is a device responsible for shock absorption between the bones of the spine, so its biggest feature is its elasticity. The intervertebral disc includes three structures: upper and lower cartilage, fibrous annulus as a surrounding wall, and gelatinous nucleus pulposus. Among these three components, cartilage is the strongest, the nucleus pulposus has the strongest elastic effect, and the fibrous annulus is the most susceptible to wear. When the fibrous annulus is worn, the gelatinous nucleus pulposus will overflow and occupy the living space of the nerves. Depending on how much of the disc is occupied by the nerves, it is divided into bulging, protrusion, and spinal canal stenosis.

Protect your lumbar spine

Exercise your waist in the morning: Don't set the wash basin too low. After a night of deep sleep, your muscles and joints will become less flexible due to lack of exercise, and your lumbar disc will also become swollen and stiff due to the absorption of water after a night of relaxation. At this time, if you bend your waist too low, it will put greater pressure on the lumbar disc and squeeze the nerves. It is best to exercise your waist in the morning, stretching forward and backward, rotating left and right, and "stretching your waist" to prevent your waist from changing from a static state to an action that increases the load on your waist.

Go backwards and walk in a different way

Walking backwards is the most appreciated way for the lumbar spine. When walking backwards, the two legs take steps backwards alternately, which strengthens the strength of the posterior thigh muscles and the waist and back muscles, which makes the lumbar ligament more elastic, just like having a lumbar protection belt. The restoration of the functions of bones, muscles, and ligaments can not only enhance the stability of the lumbar spine, but also reduce or even eliminate lumbar pain. When walking backwards, it is best to walk 60 to 100 steps per minute, 10 minutes each time.

Exercise the lower body muscles

Strong legs can effectively share the burden on the waist and back, preventing and relieving the formation of back pain. Swimming, especially breaststroke, can mainly exercise these muscle groups. In addition, swimming can also ensure the nutritional supply of the intervertebral tissue, maintain its elasticity, and improve the ability of the spine to resist external impact.

Control your weight and protect your lumbar spine

Statistics show that a normal person's lumbar spine flexes forward 3,000 to 5,000 times a day. If you have a prominent beer belly, these fat are like sandbags hanging on your waist, which will make the body's center of gravity move further forward, increasing the burden on the lumbar spine and burying it deep in fat, preventing it from getting exercise.