In the first of her brilliant 'Head to Toe' columns for The Court Circular, Debbie Dore shares some moves that can help soothe away the daily aches and pains caused by WFH life in lockdown.
Lockdown has made couch potatoes of many of us and for those of us that are working from home in sub optimal conditions, it has led to aches and pains on top of the aches and pains we already had!
We don’t even have the excuse of the commute to work being part of our daily exercise quota…..and the walk downstairs to the kitchen can’t really be counted.
Some of us are spending 9-10 hours per day at our desks often sitting in the same position for long periods of time without moving…..unfortunately a widening rear end isn’t the only side effect of extended sitting!
Tight hips, a stiff neck and shoulders and an aching lower back are often a result of poor posture at a makeshift desk. There is nothing very ergonomically correct about a laptop balanced on some yellow pages and a not very supportive dining room chair as your seat! Do you recognise the picture??
“Tight hips, a stiff neck and shoulders and an aching lower back are often a result of poor posture at a makeshift desk.”
Lack of movement over time reduces the range of movement in our joints, causes compression of our spinal discs, leading to poor circulation and fatigue in our postural muscles. Unsurprisingly, when we then ask the body to move it makes it much more likely that we will pull or strain something.
As a Pilates instructor, I’m often asked what my favourite ‘go to’ exercises are to relieve muscular tension and pain caused by extended sitting. There are many that I love but I think my favourites that I give to 99% of my clients are Pelvic Tilts & Hip Rolls and a Shoulder Mobilisation routine. These exercises encourage articulation through the whole of the spine, lengthening muscles and promoting better circulation.
A great way to fit them into your day is to either do them first thing before your working day begins or last thing before bedtime to mitigate the effects of the day. Try them out!
Find out more www.dorehealth.co.uk
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