TREATING YOUR MUSCLES AS WE EASE OUT OF LOCKDOWN

A GREAT POST FROM AMAZING MASSAGE THERAPIST ALEX

“LOTS OF SITTING AT MY HOME DESK… TRAVELLING FROM ONE ROOM TO ANOTHER IS THE MOST MOVEMENT I’VE DONE TODAY… WATCHING TONS AND TONS OF TELE.”

These are the most frequent comments I have heard from my clients throughout lockdown. The amount of movement we do has largely decreased throughout the pandemic. Not helped by the fact that gyms and sports had ground to a halt, travelling to and from work is so much less and throughout the winter months we are limited on the time we can spend exercising outside. A whole year of this has caused stiffness in our joints, poor posture, tightened muscles and has had a negative impact on our body. So, what are we going to do about it?

The time to act is now! As we are easing out of lockdown, we need to prepare our bodies for the freedom they are about to endure. The classic quote of ‘don’t run before you can walk, is a perfect example of why we need to re-train and treat our muscles, before throwing ourselves into the fitness world again. We've been cramped up at home for so long our muscles will feel cramped and stiff too. Here’s my step by step guide on coming out of lockdown safely for your body, helping to reduce injury when you do get back on the horse (or bike!) again. 

STEP BY STEP GUIDE:

1. See a specialist - It is important to know how your body has adapted within lockdown. Going to see an Osteopath, Personal Trainer and/or a Massage Therapist, will give you a greater understanding of your body and what areas you’ll need to work on. One of the biggest problems I see with my clients is they rush straight into generic workouts, which can put huge pressure and stress on the body if it’s the wrong type of session for you. Being given specific exercises by a specialist can prepare and strengthen the areas that need the work safely, leading you to be confident when starting out in your sport or fitness journey.

Blog post by Alex Warren

2. Move in all planes - We have become very static during lockdown, with some of us only performing the majority of exercises in a linear motion, like cycling or running. Our bodies should move in all planes comfortably and efficiently, so adding in some transverse and frontal planes of motion (rotational and side to side movements), such as a banded trunk rotation/oblique twist or isometric lateral bear crawl with pull throughs, will help improve and strengthen total body function. Your specialist Back to Back will be able to set you up with some exercises tailored to you and your needs involving all planes. 

3. Build up strength SLOWLY - Going into the gym before lockdown and whacking on 100kg for the back squat may have been a breeze. Do not be lulled into a false sense of security when heading back into the gym thinking you could easily lift that 100kg again. Build up to that weight slowly again, no matter what exercise you are performing. Muscle memory will kick in and you will (hopefully sooner rather than later) get back to where you were. Receiving instruction from a personal trainer to look at form and technique is also a really sensible way to ease yourself back into training in a safe and effective manner. They can provide specific programmes to get you up to speed and even perform at a stronger level than before!

If we can help in any way, call us on 020 8605 2323 for an appointment with Alex or one of our great osteopaths.

Standing desks…… a small note

I have just seen an article written in The Times yesterday by Carol Midgley on the subject of standing desks.

She talks briefly and mentions that ‘sitting is the new smoking’ and so she tries a basic device. This new device, you sit onto your existing desk to enable you to stand and work. I am not sure which one she tried, but here is a great example.

She says “So after a few days of spending eight hours of standing, am I convert?” “No.” “Not one iota.” She talks of it being harder to focus and harder on ‘the old plates of meat’.

When you start to run, you do NOT just go out and run for 2 hours! When you want to get better at hill walking, you certainly don’t start off with a long day in the Alps! With everything new for our bodies, you should start off by laying better and more solid foundations so that your body adapts to its ‘new’ needs. The better your ‘foundations’, the more adaptable and protective your body is for the stresses and strains that we place on it.

I suspect if Carol had started off by adding in an hour of standing and then sitting for an hour and gradually adding in a bit more, she would have felt better. This may need to happen over the course of a few weeks.

In my opinion, I don’t think standing desks are for people to stand all day. I think it is a much better approach to do some sitting and some standing and mix it about. Doing it this way, you may stand for 3, 4 or 5 hours over the day in total. Your body gets to experience both.

I also get patients to stand with their feet in different positions to add variability. It encourages you to move more and this undoubtedly IS good for you.

If you have any muscle or joint problems or would like to come and see one of our Osteopaths, call 020 8605 2323.

Blog post by James Dodd