How To Go Camping Without Worrying About Back Pain

The chirping of birds in the morning, the rustling of leaves at noon and the cool breeze in the evening are calming experiences (often missed in city life) to ignite the spirit of adventure in us. However, camping comes with certain problems we have not bargained for. One problem is back pain. It is in fact one of the major deterrents of camping for a lot of people. If fun leads to pain, it’s not really fun, right?

But how can we prevent back pain while camping so that we can still enjoy our outdoor adventure? Quite easy…by following the steps below:

Choose light bags

Most people start developing back pain as soon as they set foot on the campground. One reason is because they choose to bring really heavy luggage bags. Luggage made with a material such as vinyl and canvas won’t add any significant weight to your bag. So, choosing luggage made with these materials should reduce your chances of back pain. Also, choose a bag that comes with good shoulder padding for extra support.  When carrying your bag, ensure both shoulder straps are placed over your shoulders to keep the weight of the bag evenly distributed across your spine and back. This should help reduce the chances of back pain.

Exercises

Before camping begins, you should engage in exercises to warm up the essential muscles in your back. If you need to drive for long hours before camping, ensure you take occasional breaks to stretch your legs. When you finally reach the campground, find a grassy area. Carry out light stretches on the ground by doing the child pose stretch and bringing your knees closer to your chest in an attempt to stretch the hamstrings and the back. Doing this throughout your camping experience should help prevent back pain. You might also want to read these exercise tips to help your workout.

Drink a lot of water

The whole idea of camping involves being outside during the day. With the sun beating down, most of us tend to perspire. Perspiring means your body is losing water. As your body gets dehydrated, the muscles – including back muscles – become tense. And guess what happens when your muscles tense up? There is a negative impact on your blood circulation. This tension will over time result in back pain. So, don’t be economical about it. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

Take air beds

What gain is it if you follow the above steps, but still end up having back pain during a night of constant tossing on your curvy bed? Do you know why doctors encourage us to lie down flat on the ground to avoid back pain? It is to keep the spine and the neck straight and in place in order to alleviate back pain. But, who wants t to sleep on the ground? That’s where air beds come into play. Air beds are designed to be inflatable to produce a flat, firm and comfortable bed. Using air beds means you don’t have to worry about being uncomfortable on the ground during your camping experience. You might want to consult an inflatable bed guide to help you decide which air bed is right for you.

Wrapping Up

To totally eliminate the chances of having back pain while camping, ensure you get into the habit of performing core strengthening and stretching exercises daily.

These tips should help prevent back pain while camping so that you can enjoy the outdoor experience painfree.