After a great trip to Disneyland Paris I’m sat enjoying the last few hours of my time off and aching everywhere……but a good ache knowing we’ve had a great time.
My girlfriend’s little girl loved it…..her highlights were definitely when Minnie Mouse blew her a kiss and seeing Rapunzel….it’s all she’s talked about since!
(come to think of it Rapunzel must have had to have good posture to be able to carry all that really long hair around constantly…)
All she did was stare in awe at all the characters and parades…..and ask for hotdogs!
But back to my aches and pains…….
simply put I was the chief bag, toys, dolls, princess dresses and 2 year old toddler carrier!!
(Ooooouch!!)
And needless to say it’s my back and arms that have felt it…..I’m sure my arms are an inch longer!!
And needless to say it’s my back and arms that have felt it…..I’m sure my arms are an inch longer!!
Even though I talk to my clients all day about maintain a good posture and lifting properly I can definitely say mine was terrible all week!! Posture is so important in everything we do, especially if your doing it for long periods of time.
Carrying your shopping or putting up a set of drawers leaves you feeling stiff or sore but doing it all day at work day after is putting huge amounts of strain on the body.
Poor posture or technique causes muscles to overwork and become tense and tired. And after long periods of time these poor postures or techniques change the muscle balance in the body, so that I’m afraid this becomes permanent and often painful and problematic.
Once one muscle or group is stronger and used more than it’s opposite muscle or group is going to have to work harder than it should to keep everything in balance meaning this muscle or group is going to build in tension and cause pain and problems.
But how do I stop this from happening?
The biggest and most powerful muscles in the body are the glutes and quads in the bum and thighs so it makes perfect sense to lift anything using your legs instead of your back.
This takes the strain off your back and allows these muscles to do their jobs in assisting your movements and supporting your upper body, whilst it moves and works.
Tip:
Take a break every 30 mins to an hour to stretch or move around. Quite simply your body needs rest and a break to recover.
And…
If your walking around for long periods put your hands behind your back (just like a teacher wandering around checking your doing your work).This puts your shoulders back into their correct position and gives the muscles in between your shoulder blades the rest they need….ever wondered why when you go shopping you ache there?!
And this isn’t just for manual jobs as desk jobs can cause the same problems if your seated wrong and your shoulders are pulled forward……bring your shoulders back and get your work station assessed so your computer and screens are at the right height for you.
Desks are set out using average ergonomic data means it’s specific to generally no one!!
So remember doing something wrong occasionally won’t cause you long term problems, but doing it wrong all the time will.
Kev 🙂
If you have enjoyed this read, you can find all my other blogs right here http://www.paulgoughphysio.com/blog/kevan-spanton/
You might know Paul as an expert Columnist who writes weekly health articles for TWO of the North East's biggest daily Newspapers, The Northern Echo And The Hartlepool Mail, he is a regular Speaker at Industry Seminars around the globe and a Radio Personality, often heard on the BBC. Paul has been an expert guest on dozens of Radio shows and regularly interviewed in newspapers, magazines and trade journals all over the world, including the Guardian.
Paul’s background included working extensively in the Premier League with a Top Professional Football Team, and since quitting his job in Professional Football in 2007, his Physio Practice has become the fastest growing in the UK and biggest in the North East. So successful, that companies like BUPA, ASDA, The Vela Group And Coast & Country, repeatedly retain his Physio company's services to keep healthy their own staff and workforce. Paul Gough Physio Rooms is now a large multi-physio, multi clinic speciality practice in Darlington, Durham, Guisborough and Hartlepool.
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