Author Archive

Bones and Menopause: What Every Woman Needs to Know

The Menopause–Bone Connection You Need to Know

Let’s talk honestly: menopause can be a storm of changes, from hot flashes to weight gain,  mood swings to sleep disruption. Often very obvious. But what many women don’t realise is that one of the biggest changes is silent—and happening inside their bones.

In the first 5–10 years after menopause, women can lose up to 20% of their bone density. That’s significant.

The culprit? Estrogen. At the onset of  menopause this hormone level drops. Throughout our life bones

Building Bones: Why Childhood & Teenage Years Matter
Why Childhood and Teenage Years Matter Most for Bone Health

When we think of strong bones, most people focus on older adults and preventing osteoporosis—but the real foundation is built decades earlier.

Bones grow rapidly during childhood and adolescence, and most of your bone density is set by your mid-20s. In fact, by the time you’re 18, you’ve built about 90% of your adult bone mass.

This means what kids eat, how they move, and even how much sunshine they get during these years can shape

Bone Health 101: How Strong Are Your Bones, Really?

You probably don’t think much about your bone health—until something goes wrong. But did you know that your bones are living tissue, constantly renewing themselves? Or that your bone mass peaks by your early 30s and slowly declines after that?

If you’ve ever had a fracture, been told you’re “at risk of osteoporosis,” or just want to age well, then bone health is a topic worth getting serious about.

In this 10-part series, we’ll unpack what you need to know about your skeleton: from

Core Strength for Back Support

How a Strong Mid-Section Shields Your Spine From Pain

If you want a reliable spine, focus on core strength for back support.
When your core muscles fire correctly, they act like a natural weight-lifting belt, reducing disc pressure, preventing sudden strains, and keeping your posture tall.

🧩 Why Core Strength for Back Support Matters

Weak cores force your spine to take loads it was never meant to handle. Think of the spine as a flag-pole and the core as its guy-ropes:

Less Compression: Active deep abs unload lumbar discs.
Better Posture:

Protecting Kids’ Backs: Easy Tips to Prevent Back Pain from School and Screens
Easy Tips to Prevent Back Pain from School and Screens

Back pain isn’t just an adult problem. We’re seeing it more and more in school-age children—and it’s happening earlier than ever.

Between heavy backpacks, poor posture, and hours spent on devices, young spines are under pressure. And while kids may bounce back faster than adults, repeated strain now can set them up for chronic issues later.

The good news? Protecting kids’ backs doesn’t have to be hard. A few smart changes

                    Back Health While Travelling
Simple Ways to Protect Your Spine on the Move

Whether it’s a family road trip, a weekend away, or a long-haul flight, back health while travelling is something too many people forget—until they feel that familiar ache setting in.

Long hours in the car or plane can compress your spine, tighten your hips, and decondition your postural muscles. Even lugging a suitcase or sleeping in a hotel bed can trigger a flare-up. But travel doesn’t have to mean pain.

Here are the most common travel-related back stressors—and how to handle

Is Your Weight Hurting Your Back? Here’s What to Know

When we think about back health and the causes of back pain, we often picture bad posture, sitting too much, or lifting the wrong way.
But there’s another major factor that’s often overlooked: your body weight.

Carrying extra kilos doesn’t just affect your heart or knees—it puts serious mechanical strain on your spine.
The result? Stiffness, fatigue, disc compression, and more frequent flare-ups.

Let’s explore why managing your weight is crucial for back health—and how to start making changes, one step at a

Daily Light Exercise for a Stronger Back

We often think we need to do more exercise—more stretching, more strength work, more intense routines.
But when it comes to protecting your back, the secret isn’t intensity—it’s consistency.

Your spine is supported by muscles that are made to work all day long, not just during a gym session.
These are your postural muscles—and if they’re not conditioned with regular, light use, they weaken, tighten, and let your spine down.

Why Daily Light Exercise Is Essential

Here’s what happens when you don’t move enough:

🪑 Postural muscles lose

Back pain from Reaching Too Far

We’ve all done it. You’re in a rush and you reach into the back seat to grab a bag, lean across the kitchen bench to get a towel, or stretch awkwardly over your tradie ute to grab a tool. No big deal, right? The object is really light, what could go wrong? Back  Pain!

Plenty—these little moments are one of the most common ways people injure their backs.
It’s not the heavy lifts that get you—it’s the quick, awkward reaches trying to save a precious 5

Sitting – The Hidden Risk to Your Back

We all sit—at work, while driving, on the couch. It’s such a normal part of daily life that we barely think about it. But here’s the truth: sitting is one of the most overlooked contributors to chronic back pain.

If you’ve ever stood up from your chair and felt your lower back stiffen or your hips lock up, you’re not alone. And if your job or lifestyle keeps you seated for long hours, your spine could be paying the price.

The good news? A few

Stop Back Pain with Everyday Habits – New Series!

Simple Daily Changes to Keep Your Back Healthy;

Back pain is frustrating, limiting, and can feel like it’s taking over your life. But here’s the good news—small, everyday habits can make a big difference in keeping your spine strong, flexible, and pain-free. Over the next seven weeks, I’ll be sharing practical, easy-to-follow tips that you can use immediately to protect your back and improve your overall well-being.

Here’s what’s coming:

Week 1: Sitting – The Hidden Risk to Your Back
Why prolonged sitting strains your spine

Effect of Ageing on Back Health – Flexibility Loss

Noticing that simple movements—like bending to tie your shoes or reaching overhead—feel tighter than they used to? That’s the sneaky effect of lost flexibility!

Understanding Flexibility Loss:

Flexibility is your body’s ability to move freely and without restriction. Flexibility is the sum total of movement permitted by joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and fascia. Changes can occur at some or all of these tissue types.As we age, our muscles, tendons, and ligaments naturally stiffen due to decreased collagen production, reduced water content in tissues, and

Effect of Ageing on Back Health – Bone Density

Did you know that from your 30s onwards, you slowly start losing bone density? And after 50, the risk of fractures skyrockets!

Understanding Bone Density Loss:

Bones aren’t just solid structures; they’re living tissue constantly being broken down and rebuilt to withstand the loads put on them. As we age, this bone turnover process slows down, and we start losing more bone mass than we replace. For some, this leads to osteopenia (lower than normal bone density), which can progressively worsen to osteoporosis, a

Effect of Ageing on Back Health – Muscle Loss & Sarcopenia

Feeling weaker as you age? You’re not imagining it – muscle loss (sarcopenia) is a real issue that affects your back health and overall mobility.

Understanding Muscle Loss:
As we age, our muscles naturally lose strength and mass – a condition called sarcopenia. From around age 30, we start to lose 3-5% of muscle mass per decade, and this rate accelerates after 60. This muscle loss affects not just your strength but also your balance, coordination, and back stability.

Why does this happen?

Effect of Ageing on Back Health – Osteoarthritis

Noticing more stiffness in your back lately? It could be osteoarthritis  (OA) – a common part of ageing that affects spinal joints and can make movement uncomfortable.

Understanding Osteoarthritis:
OA is a degenerative joint disease that often accompanies ageing. It occurs when the protective cartilage between spinal joints wears down over time, leading to pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. As the protective cartilage thins, hard bone surfaces can rub against each other, causing inflammation, bone spurs, and discomfort.

Osteoarthritis

But why does this happen? With