You need to walk more.
Why this matters:
A recent patient of mine told me that once she started walking 5K steps or more a day, she felt a lot looser in her hips, knees, and back. This continues to confirm that walking is the best medicine. Walking actually has a lot less strain on the back (usually the cause of your sciatica) than sitting or lifting. You actually start to reduce the load on your back as your walking speed increases. The light and easy nature of walking lubricates the joints as well as provides a great cardiovascular exercise. Plus, your body releases anti-inflammatory hormones as a result of this activity. Did you know that your phone can track your steps? I currently use the Apple Health app to keep track of my steps. I myself try to average at least 10k steps per day.
Action steps:
Simply walk more. Take a look at your phone and track your steps. See what the past few days have been. Try to increase that by at least 15%. The ultimate goal is to get to 10k steps. If you can do 15% more than you did yesterday, let’s count that as a win.
