爲什麼像貓一樣拉伸有利於背部健康
Back pain affects one in 10 people in the UK, and causes over 10 million sick days every year. If finding relief seems impossible, experts say that taking inspiration from our feline friends could be the key to achieving a healthier back...
英國每10個人中就有1人背痛，而每年因背痛請假的次數超過1000萬次。如果找到緩解方法是無法實現之事，專家表示從我們的貓科動物朋友身上獲得靈感可能是背部更健康的關鍵。
1. Stretch
1. 拉伸
"Have you ever watched a cat stretch?" asks physiotherapist Nikki Robinson. "They make it look like one of the most self-indulgent and pleasurable activities in the world." Nikki believes that giving yourself 2 minutes in bed to stretch every morning can release tension and better prepare your body for the tasks of the day. "You don't need to know what to do," she advises, "just trust your body and follow its need to stretch."
"你見過貓拉伸身體嗎？"物理治療師尼基·羅賓森問道。"貓咪的拉伸動作使其看上去像是世界上最自我放縱、最愉快的活動之一。"尼基認爲每天早晨在牀上拉伸2分鐘或能釋放壓力、使身體做好準備、迎接一天的任務。"你無需知道該做什麼，"她建議道，"只要相信你的身體，按照身體的意願拉伸就行了。"
When you have back pain, your muscles are often tight, which puts pressure on your nerves. "Stretching opens up the layers of your muscles, allowing the blood to flow more freely, so the pain can be prevented or improved," says Nikki. If you suffer from recurrent back pain, it's best to speak to a physiotherapist about specific stretches for your body, but follow Nikki's tips for getting the most release from a stretch:
背痛的時候，你的肌肉會非常緊縮，從而對神經施壓。"拉伸有助於打開肌肉、使血液更順暢的流通，從而預防或緩解疼痛，"尼基說道。如果你的背痛總是反覆發作，那最好和理療師聊一聊，談談適合你身體的特定拉伸動作，但請遵循尼基的建議：如何從一次拉伸動作中獲得最大的釋放。
● Stretch the area of tightness to the point where you can feel resistance but there is no pain - NEVER stretch into pain because your body will tighten up more.
● 拉伸緊縮部位直至你能感到阻力，但卻不疼--永遠不要拉伸至疼痛的程度，因爲你的身體會更加緊繃。
● Hold this position and wait until you can feel the muscle release - this could vary from between 30 seconds to 5 minutes depending on the muscle or time of day.
● 保持這一姿勢直至肌肉得到舒展--取決於肌肉或一天中不同的時刻，這可能需要30秒至5分鐘。
2. Exercise
2. 鍛鍊
It's easy to assume that resting is the best option for back pain, but staying active and moving as normally as possible is one of the most important ways you can help yourself. "It usually takes a serious injury to stop a cat from moving," says Nikki. "Gentle exercise is more beneficial than resting too much," she adds. So continue with activities like swimming, walking, yoga and pilates - but always tell the instructor of any back issues before the class.
我們很容易認爲休息是緩解背痛的最佳方式，但保持活躍和儘可能的正常活動纔是緩解背痛的最重要方式之一。"通常情況下，貓只有受到嚴重的傷害纔會停止不動，"尼基說道。"輕度鍛鍊比過度休息更爲有益，"她補充說道。所以請繼續鍛鍊，比如游泳、散步、瑜伽和普拉提--但上課前一定要和教練說清楚你的背部情況。
