Tall Teens: 3 Tips to Avoid Back Pain

There are many pros and cons to being tall, but tall people have to worry about their health in a way that their smaller counterparts don’t have to. Fortunately, these issues are well known and documented. Doctors, physicians, and medical specialists from a variety of fields have studied the physical problems faced by extremely tall people and have a number of techniques to combat both the causes and effects of these. Before I get into the advice, it’s worth noting that, as with most things medical, it’s far better to prevent a problem than to cure it. With this in mind, tall teens need to be watched and counseled as they grow so they don’t develop bad habits that could turn into chronic health problems later in life. All of the following tips address what is probably the single biggest factor in poor health for tall teens: poor posture. This leads to upper and lower back pain, stooping, spinal disc problems, and countless other conditions.

First of all, with posture, it is essential that the person walks tall and feels tall. This has to be learned in adolescence and maintained throughout life. You never think about how you walk, but it’s critical that the taller person keep their head up, shoulders back, and chest in walking style. A stooped walking style will inevitably lead to spinal or back pain.

Second, in combating poor posture, the tall teen must develop a strong core. Core muscles are those around the stomach, abdomen, and lower back. The key to this set of muscles is that they support your upper body, which can be considerably more weight to bear than someone 18 inches shorter than you. Every time you twist or turn your upper body, your core muscles provide the foundation for that movement. In fact, almost every movement in your body involves your core muscles. There are many well-documented and safe exercises to strengthen your core muscles.

Finally, stretching is a great discipline for taller teens to learn. Use upper and lower back stretching techniques to relax your back and strengthen it. Even upper leg, neck, and shoulder stretches help maintain good posture, balance, and strength conditioning. The general benefits of a regular exercise and stretching regimen are well documented in many journals to prevent and reduce back pain.