Focus on Prevention This Father’s Day

Father’s Day is June 16. It’s a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds and the influence of fathers in society.

If you’re a dad or you know someone who is a dad, you know that dads take on a lot of stress and responsibilities for their families. They worry about things like paying the bills, cutting the grass, taking out the garbage, and, of course, raising decent, healthy, happy kids.

One of the main reasons a dad sees a chiropractor is because his lower back hurts. And this is usually because he’s been picking up his kid or kids and putting them over his head, twirling them around like a human amusement park ride, and/or wrestling on the floor with all sorts of twists and contortions.

How can dads play with their kids in a way that doesn’t bother their joints, muscles, and backs? Well, think of the body like a cold rubber band. If it’s frozen, it snaps. But if it’s warm, it works well. The same is true for a dad bod… So before you pick up a crying baby or your heavy 8-year-old, do some squats or walk up and down the stairs. This will get your blood flowing, and help your body get ready and warmed up to handle dealing with little ones.

What about slouching? Most dads do this, and it’s not helpful. Poor posture often means a visit to the chiropractor. That said, dads should make an effort to slouch less in life. Office jobs mean sitting in one position for hours, right? Dads should get up from their desks and walk around every 20-30 minutes, moving their bodies. This can prevent pain! At a desk, take a deep breath and push your shoulders down and your chest out.

Dads deal with a lot of things. Therefore, they should prepare their body for a variable load. Doing different kinds of exercises with weights helps dads prepare for dealing with 2-year-olds and kids in general. Do planks, deadlifts, lunges and work your core to strengthen it.

Finally, know your limits. While most dads try to impress everyone around them, sometimes there are activities just not worth doing because they will result in pain. If you want to prevent pain, avoid doing things that cause it.