The Number One Cause For Our Aches and Pains is Sleeping Funny?

It seems almost everyone has those little aches and pains that we attribute to not being a teenager any more. But what are the real causes for them? A new study by OnePoll on behalf of Club Pilates has some interesting results.

As reported in a story on the New York Post, most of us can trace the pains back to their root causes.

Our back pain issues come from a varied list of activities, everything from mowing the yard (31%), to carrying groceries (36%), to doing laundry (37%), and heavy lifting (43%).

The list of causes for general aches and pains is even more varied with using the stairs (23%), workouts and sports (25%), sitting for too long (32%), groceries and yard work (36%), heavy lifting (39%), laundry (40%) and the number one reason for general aches and pains was ... Sleeping in a funny or weird position (41%).

Looking at the list it seems that just about any type of physical activity has been the cause of aches and pains but the research indicates that one of the root problems is our overall lack of core strength. When it comes to managing these symptoms most of us reach for an over-the-counter or topical cream. About half of those surveyed said they also practice light exercise and stretching to keep their aches in check.

Club Pilates (Remember them? This was their survey in the first place) certified strength and conditioning specialist and trainer, Adefemi Betiku, said, "Having a strong core improves mobility and strength to move efficiently and minimizes the risk of low back and hip dysfunctions during physical activity."

It turns out that having a strong core increases our stability and overall body balance, and that helps us avoid those daily aches and pains.

If increasing your core strength wasn't already on your New Year's Resolutions list, maybe it should have been.

Then again, maybe we should just pay more attention to how we sleep.