In the darkest time of the year, we celebrate the light. It is the promise of light that unites us and keeps us going, whatever our faith or beliefs. I hope there will be light for you this Christmas, in some shape or form. The way I can help, as a yoga therapist specialised in back care, is to bring some lightness in body and mind. It’s easy to forget about self-care when there is a lot going on. This blog recommends ways to keep your back safe. It can help you prevent a relapse during the holiday season, or simply help you look after your back well. The good back-care habits described below demonstrate safer ways of moving while doing daily tasks. My guess is that you know them already. However, the difficulty is to actually change the familiar ways of doing things and embrace the special care your back deserves.

When your back muscles are painful or tight, there are many movements that can put added strain on your back. Forward bending and twisting movements can be tricky for some. A combination of the two is a definite no when you have back pain. I explain this to my new students, but immediately after a session I often see unconscious habits creeping in as they bend down to pick up their bag and put shoes on. Putting the advice into action, slowing down and becoming aware of how you move, is the first step. After a few weeks of greater vigilance, the new ways of picking things off the floor and filling the dishwasher have developed into better habits. While we can’t avoid certain movements in daily life, it’s very good to know how to perform them in a safer way.

Good back-care habits for the festive season:

How to lower the body to the floor

Until you have back pain, you’re probably not aware how many times you lower your body to the floor. We pick things up, stroke a dog, tie our shoes, clean the floor, fill the dishwasher or washing machine, take something out of a low cabinet, feed the dog, and the list goes on and on. It’s very important to do this in a way that is safe for your lower back, using the legs instead of bending forward with a rounded back. Especially coming up from this position can be strenuous for the lower back. Squatting with a straight back is a useful alternative and has the added bonus of strengthening the legs.

Another way to lower your body to the floor is to take a step forward and place the back knee down, while keeping the upper body upright. This may also be helpful if one knee is painful.

Finally, if your knees prevent you from squatting or going down on one knee, bend both knees a lot while bending forward. This would not be a good position to lift from, but it would be fine to pick something off the floor. Make sure you stay centred, bending both knees equally and without twisting the trunk.

Lifting

As bending forward is one of the hazardous movements for the lower back, we have to lift by relying on our leg strength. This means lowering your body to the floor by squatting or by bringing one knee down. The aim is to keep your back upright. Bring the item close to the body and keep the back upright as you come up, using the strength of your core muscles and legs.

Cooking

Cooking often involves bending forward over the oven, and lifting a heavy pot. This slight forward bend is taxing for the lower back. If you place one foot on a low stool or a pile of (sturdy) books, your weight will be partially on the higher foot as you lean forward. This may spare you from overworking your lower back.

Reaching

With acute back pain, reaching up with one arm to a high cupboard may cause a sudden increase in pain. If you need to reach something, try doing this with both arms at the same time, so the spine lengthens evenly on both sides.

Sitting and driving

One of the worst things you can do for your back is slouching. As I’ve discussed in previous blogs, avoid rounding your spine for long periods of time. The muscles become weak and the intervertebral discs are squeezed along the front of the spine. This weakens your back and endangers the vertebrae and intervertebral discs. Instead, keep you back in a neutral position, siting on the centre of the sitting bones. Support the lumbar area and stack the shoulders over the centre of the hips.

For a more comprehensive Keep-Your-Back-Safe at Home Guide, subscribe to my blogs to receive it for free. And of course, if you would like to know how yoga therapy can help your back or general health, do book your free consultation call here.

Last but not least of the good back care habits: Rest

When your back is fragile or painful, occasional breaks can speed up the recovery or at least reduce the pain. Lying down on the back with your legs bent — or straight if that feels better — is very important to heal your back. In a different relation to gravity, the muscles can relax and tightness gets a chance to release. Leave a yoga mat in a corner with some props, such as a cushion, a bolster and blanket. Especially if your day is busy or stressful, lie down to rest your back and observe your breathing. This will not only soothe your back but help you feel calmer too.

I wish you all a lovely festive time and end of the year. May your back feel light and free, and all your movements easy in 2026!

Namaste