Posture
Focus on...posture
Well more specifically your head and how you hold it. Modern life has us constantly staring down, staring down at our phones and our laptops and recently with more and more people working from home this is becoming an even bigger issue.
Picture somebody standing with perfect posture, the head is up and the eyes are on the horizon and the head in this position weighs approx 12lb, thats pushing on for 10% of your total body weight. Now imagine that same person leaning their head forward by just 1 inch, guess how much extra weight that adds?
Every inch added increases an extra 10lb to the weight on your spine, so 1 inch forward and its 22lb, 2 inches and its 32lb.
Home working
The first thing you need to do is get your home working set up as effective as you can. If money was no object I would be telling you to go out and buy yourself a standing desk but sadly that's just not realistic for most of us.
So, what can you do? The first thing to look at is your chair, an office chair is ideal but a high back dining room chair will work well for most people. If you find yourself working from your settee then make sure you take plenty of breaks, get up, stretch and walk around as much as you can.
Whilst a desk is the ideal set up, a dining table will work just as well. Make sure you have plenty of room around you and a small investment in a keyboard, mouse and laptop stand will be a huge help to raise your screen to eye level.
Again, one huge benefit to everyone is to take a break! Get up and move around as much as you can, stretch out your legs, arms and back. If you are struggling badly with back and neck pain then please get in touch as deep tissue massage and a place on my foam rolling workshop will help loads.
What about when you run?
So jumping back a bit, lets imagine you're out for a run and staring down at your feet. That 3 inches you're leaning forward has made your head weigh 42lb, that extra weight is like running round with a 3 year old on your back!
Think for a minute about the impact that has on both your running form and your fatigue. The head drops, the shoulders become rounded, you lean forward slightly from the waist, leg lift becomes less pronounced, the feet begin to slap down on the floor harder, the arms hang instead of driving back.
The key issue here and a really easy aspect to focus on when you run is your eyeline. Raise the eyes and the head will naturally follow into its correct position. Change your default position from staring down to scanning the horizon, take in the scenery, ditch the extra weight and run tall & beautiful.
What next?
Your body needs regular maintenance, day to day living takes its toll and this manifests itself in a number of ways. Got a bad back, aching shoulders, tightness when you turn your head, sore hips, aching knees, tired feet...
Sports massage can help with all these issues, it is not just for people that participate in sport, it is so much more than that.
At EQuilibrium I work with clients from 9-90 years, I work with people that compete in sport at the highest level to those that have never exercised in their lives. I work with people from every background, office workers, teachers, doctors, nurses, joiners, tattoo artists, hairdressers, builders, retired people, factory workers, carers and so many more.
My clients and my workload are massively varied and this has given me a wealth of experience in dealing with many issues.
If you're looking for help with mobility, flexibility, pain, muscle tightness, sports injuries or more then please get in touch for an informal and no obligation chat about how I can help you.
Simon @ EQuilibrium
07952 929 370
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