Stay Loose

Last night I had a truly fabulous massage from Angella at Willow Moon Therapeutic Massage in Rockton, Il which got me to thinking about my next post.

Many of us spend eight or more hours a day parked in front of a computer at our jobs.  Then we come home only to spend another couple hours checking personal emails, paying bills online and catching up on the latest news with our friends on Twitter and Facebook.  Not only does this contribute significantly to our ever expanding posteriors, it's a major cause of neck, shoulder and back pain.  Following are some suggestions to keep you loose and pain-free throughout the day.

1.  Move, Move, Move! - Take frequent trips away from your desk.  Go talk to a co-worker rather than calling or sending an email.  Stand while taking a phone call.  Walk around the building or the parking lot at lunch or breaktime. 

2.  Place a small step or platform under your desk to support your feet.  Keep the blood flowing to your lower extremities by doing some leg extensions, heel lifts and toe raises.  This is a great way to increase strength and muscle tone without that nasty business of actually breaking a sweat. 

3.  Stay alert by bringing fresh oxygen to your brain.  Stand up, bend at the waist and let your upper body hang loose.  Swing gently side to side like a tree blowing in the breeze.  Your co-workers may look at you funny but it feels so good, it's worth the harassment.

4.  Stretch and stretch again, in fact, stretch a lot! 

• Start with your neck.  Lower your right ear towards your shoulder.  You can push your head down gently to deepen the stretch.  Come back to center, then repeat on the left side.  Come back to center, now lower your chin to your chest. 
• Raise your arms over your head.  Now with your left hand, grasp your right wrist and gently pull up.  Repeat on the left side.
• Clasp your hands behind your back and if you can, roll your shoulders back, pinching your shoulder blades together.

5.  Sit tall and proud like mom always said.  Fight the temptation to slouch over your keyboard. 

6.  Give yourself mini massages by walking your fingers up and down your neck and over your shoulder muscles, or you could just ask the cute new guy in accounting to do it for you.  Whatever works.

My final piece of advice is to remember to breathe.  Take a few slow deep cleansing breaths.  Inhale for the count of four, let your belly expand, feel your lungs filling with air.  Hold for two.  Exhale for the count of six, releasing the air from the lungs down, feel your belly deflate.  Do this several times throughout the day, especially when you feel yourself getting tense.

Take care and stay loose!