If you’re someone recently suffering from knee pain, back pain, neck pain or general tight and stiffness then we promise you you’re not the only one.
The issue stems from the fact that humans aren’t designed to remain in a single position for hours at a time, we’re designed to be mobile. Think about your day today… How many hours did you spend sitting down in front of a screen and driving? When we limit ourselves to very little movement it’s given that we will experience discomfort of some kind.
Before we go over our top tips, we want to say that this isn’t a curing-article and if you suffer from any severe physical pain we would advise seeing a physical practitioner of some kind. The tips in this article are just some strategies we use to help get our clients out of pain.
1. Breaking up the day with movement
This doesn’t mean doing an exercise, just try moving your joints and muscles in ranges that are different from sitting at your desk. This will help get the circulation going and stiffening of the joints.
For example, stretching in the morning, going for a brisk walk at lunchtime or a jog in the evening. Don’t overthink what you’re going to do just move.
2. Arrange your workspace
Try to be away of what position you’re staying in most. If you have to constantly protract your neck forward to look at a screen, your neck wont be thankful.
Aim for a setup and positioning of screen, desk and seating, also the space to move to the sides and just move-a-little.
3. Managing stress
It’s not the first thing that comes to mind when suffering from pain and niggles, but your stress factors may be the reason why you’re suffering in the first place.
Chronic stress not only increases tension in the muscles but can actually change the quality of your breathing. By breathing, heavy and frequent through the chest and with the mouth, you’re contracting the neck area constantly – which further tenses and tightens that area.
We recommend breathing from the belly as much as possible, along with stress management techniques such as meditation, walking, exercise and mobility training.
4. Get Stronger
This is something our clients can definitely attest to. Getting stronger, especially in areas that are weaker, is a fantastic way to reduce aches, pains and stiffness.
Every muscle in our bodies has a role to do. When a muscle is very weak, another muscle may try to overcompensate that role to ‘help’. This can then create a series of issues in that area.
If you currently do not do any form of strength training, then we recommend making this part of your routine.
If you don’t know where to start with your training, why not apply for our Personal Training services and book your Free Consultation Here
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