为什么像猫一样拉伸有利于背部健康

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...

英国每10个人中就有1人背痛，而每年因背痛请假的次数超过1000万次。如果找到缓解方法是无法实现之事，专家表示从我们的猫科动物朋友身上获得灵感可能是背部更健康的关键。

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."

"你见过猫拉伸身体吗？"物理治疗师尼基·罗宾森问道。"猫咪的拉伸动作使其看上去像是世界上最自我放纵、最愉快的活动之一。"尼基认为每天早晨在床上拉伸2分钟或能释放压力、使身体做好准备、迎接一天的任务。"你无需知道该做什么，"她建议道，"只要相信你的身体，按照身体的意愿拉伸就行了。"

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:

背痛的时候，你的肌肉会非常紧缩，从而对神经施压。"拉伸有助于打开肌肉、使血液更顺畅的流通，从而预防或缓解疼痛，"尼基说道。如果你的背痛总是反复发作，那最好和理疗师聊一聊，谈谈适合你身体的特定拉伸动作，但请遵循尼基的建议：如何从一次拉伸动作中获得最大的释放。

● 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.

● 拉伸紧缩部位直至你能感到阻力，但却不疼--永远不要拉伸至疼痛的程度，因为你的身体会更加紧绷。

● 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.

● 保持这一姿势直至肌肉得到舒展--取决于肌肉或一天中不同的时刻，这可能需要30秒至5分钟。

2. Exercise

2. 锻炼

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.

我们很容易认为休息是缓解背痛的最佳方式，但保持活跃和尽可能的正常活动才是缓解背痛的最重要方式之一。"通常情况下，猫只有受到严重的伤害才会停止不动，"尼基说道。"轻度锻炼比过度休息更为有益，"她补充说道。所以请继续锻炼，比如游泳、散步、瑜伽和普拉提--但上课前一定要和教练说清楚你的背部情况。