Trudy VainsBody aches and pains –
It’s so normal to hear people talk about this, especially when most of us are working from home. The important things that we forget are having a good ergonomic chair, taking regular breaks, breathing deeply, sleeping well, and let’s not forget to drink water!
There are many reasons for body aches and pains, I would put a majority of it to the way we sit and how long we sit for. It sounds to simple right? I mean is there really a good way to sit? Yes, there is.
Your chair –
Your chair should be at a good height where you can plant your feet on the floor and be comfortable. Crossing your feet or crossing legs can cause the start of aches and pains, so if you notice you are doing this, stand up and walk around for a few minutes, and then come back to sit properly.
Good back support from your chair is important, when you are sitting all the way to the back of your chair, is your spine straight? Are your feet still flat on the floor?
Slight core activation never goes astray when moving to sitting or standing. Draw your belly button to your spine. That’s it!
Taking regular breaks to step away from your desk –
Are you able to set a timer for every hour, just to simply more your body? You don’t need to do anything dramatic, just walk down the hall and grab a drink of water. By doing this, you are also changing your breathing pattern without knowing it.
Lunch away from your desk –
Please go outside for lunch if that is possible, fresh air and listening to external sounds like birds, or even traffic is helpful. Just by doing this you are telling your body that you are on a one-hour rest period.
Simple stretches –
Practicing some simple yoga techniques. Yoga is incredible and can be practiced anywhere, anytime. Perhaps when you set your time to go and grab a glass of water, you might be able to fit one or two stretches in as well.
Self-care outside of work hours –
Sleeping well is the best form of self-care.
They say that 8 hours of sleep per night is the best, this can be a real challenge for some as there are many things that can stop this from happening, such as some medications can make you more alert, mind wondering from the day’s activities, watching TV before bed, screen time, all of these (and more) can make sleep hard to come by.
Make your bed comfy, have things that you like in your room that make your surroundings calm. Turn your phone off or place it face down on the nightstand and leave it there.
Practice relaxation –
You can find relaxations anywhere – the trick is finding one just for you. Think of the length of time that you have, then you need to find the right voice! There is nothing worse than trying to relax to a voice that makes you peel yourself off the ceiling. Set aside some time to find a good one for you.
Alternative therapies – I highly recommend them! Massage, Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Reflexology, Physiotherapy, anyone that you feel drawn to go to is generally the right one for you.
For more tips about yoga, please visit my website, I have classes in person, online and webapp.
Lucy Becks
Vivienne Spanopoulos
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