Are your shoulders, neck and back tired by the end of the day?
All too common is the end of the day, body aches and pains from being glued to your computer for 8+ hours a day for work? Does this sound like you? Does your job require you to sit at a computer for large amounts of the day?
How to relieve that neck pain, headaches or back pain:
1- Get up every 20minutes
This might sound like a lot but every 20 minutes, stand up, roll your shoulders and do some neck exercises + stretches (see my Vlog). The point of this is to reset your posture, give your brain a micro break and allow get that blood pumping again.
2- Drink plenty of water
Always have a glass or bottle (ideally glass not plastic) on your desk. This is a constant reminder to drink more WATER, not juice, tea or coffee. Ideally you should be drinking 8 glasses of water, a day. Another benefit to constantly drinking, is your bladder/brain will force you to go to the toilet more often, adding movement into your day.
3- Address your desk setup
Do you use two computer screens? If so, do you use one more than the other? Put the most used one in front of you to keep you looking straight ahead, rather than constantly turning your neck one direction. Is the desk at the right height? Is your screen at the right height? Are your forearms gently rested on the desk, with your shoulders relaxed? Get a co worker to take a photo of you (when you do not realise) to look at your posture.
4- Take lunch breaks
Too many of us work through our lunch break, either skipping meals or again sitting at our desk whilst eating. If you have barely eaten all day, this is likely to be a contributing factor to headaches. Have your lunch outside, go get some vitamin D (winter will be here before we know it). Also do a 10-20min walk. This does not mean you need gym clothes but ideally flat shoes. A short walk around the block will increase productivity levels and boost your mood.
5- Once a hour walk to the printer, staffroom, reception desk etc
Following on from getting up every 20 minutes, get up once a hour and do a short walk around the office. This does not have to be long, even 1-2minutes to get the blood pumping and wake up those muscles.
6- See your osteopath!
Sarah very commonly treat aches and pains related to occupation. Whether your are a builder, hairdresser, office worker or teacher, every profession has its common aches and pains. Osteopathic treatment is a holistic form of hands on physical therapy and aims to identify the cause of your pain. Sarah will give you tips to treating the cause to prevent the pain from coming back.
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