For years, I’ve had the occasional back issue, the kind where I’d pull a muscle every few years, grit my teeth through the pain, and wait a few days for things to return to normal. But lately, something has been different.

In the past several months, my lower back has been giving me trouble far more often. More mornings than I’d like to admit, I wake up and my lower back muscles seize up the moment I stand. Usually, they release after I sit in a comfy chair for a few minutes… but not always.

One morning, just a couple of months ago, the pain and muscle lock lasted for hours. If things hadn’t eventually loosened, I might have ended up in the ER. Then, about a month later, I pulled a muscle just bending over. That one took more than two weeks to recover from, and even then, I wasn’t back to 100%.

I’m not entirely sure why my back has been acting up so much lately. What I do know is that I’ve had to become a lot more mindful:

• Checking the weight of things before lifting
• Bending at the knees (harder than it sounds when you have knee problems)
• Limiting how often I bend over in the first place

Thankfully, my ever-supportive husband stepped in with a game-changer: an electronic standing desk from Secret Lab. After plenty of research, I decided it was my best option, and we got lucky, snagging one on sale in early July.

So far, it’s been a huge help. Standing more throughout the day keeps me moving, helps prevent stiffness, and has even improved my workspace organization. No more cable mess on the floor, and my PC is mounted directly to the desk, rising and lowering with it.

Alongside the desk, I’ve been adding other small but important changes to protect my back:

• Regular visits to my chiropractor
• A lumbar pillow for my computer chair
• A footrest for better ergonomics
• An extendable grabber tool to avoid bending over
• A physio board for exercises without getting on the floor
• More stretching-focused exercise
• Regular massages
• Hot baths with magnesium salts
• Being mindful about asking for help when needed

It’s still a work in progress, but I can already feel the difference. Sometimes it’s not one big fix that changes everything, it’s a collection of small, thoughtful adjustments that keep you moving forward… and standing tall.